The transition from Year 6 into Year 7 is and exciting (and possibly worrying) time in any young person’s life. Luckily, there are so many good books out there which can help guide them through the highs and lows of life as small fish in a big pond. Below is a selection of some that I have enjoyed recently. Please add any you’d recommend in the comments!
‘Zak Monroe is (not) My Friend,’ by Simon Packham.
“Sam has been best friends with Cal, Fin and Jay for EVER. They’re all about to move up to a new school together – scary but exciting.
But then he overhears them saying they’re not going to put him on their Friends Lists! So Sam will be stuck in a different tutor group with a lot of kids he doesn’t know. Help!How can Sam convince them to change their minds?
Can he keep on hiding his new friendship with ‘weird’ new boy Zak Monroe? And what will happen when these two sides of Sam’s life collide?”
Simon Packham always has real insight into the internal struggles faced by young people everyday. He perfectly taps into their innermost worries and explores those themes in a humorous but thoughtful manner. I love his writing and hope you do too.
‘The Boy with Big Decisions,’ by Helen Rutter.
“Fred can’t make a decision about anything-
his parents always tell him what to do, from what to eat every day to which secondary school to choose.
That’s how Fred has found himself a pupil at the high-pressure, strict Gains School, when he’d much rather be going to Browtree, with its brilliant art department and kind teachers.
As Fred waits for the bus to his new school, he sees the bus for Browtree pull up – and a wild, thrilling, thought strikes him. Should he jump on this bus and pretend he’s a new student at Browtree?
Will he be brave enough to follow a different path for once?”
This is a brilliant ‘choose your own adventure’ style book where the reader gets to decide on Fred’s ending. At various points in the story, readers need to pick which path of action he takes – each with different consequences. Funny but inspiring – I love that Fred decided to take charge of his own destiny! Readers will enjoy the fact that they could re-read the story several times and get a different ending on each occasion.
‘Finding My Voice,’ by Aoife Dooley.
“How do you find your voice when everyone around you is telling you to be quiet?
Frankie is different, and so is her best-friend, Sam. So when they both start secondary school, it’s tough. Particularly when there are so many rules to follow, like: No talking in class! Be quiet in the hallways! Silence for assembly!
Frankie doesn’t know how she’ll manage, because constantly talking is how she copes. So when she gets the chance to compete in a Battle of the Bands contest, Frankie couldn’t be more excited. Except, to have a band, you need to have band members. And to have band members, you need to be good at making friends…
Can Frankie learn to find her voice and stand out?”
The second instalment in Frankie’s adventures, following on from the award-winning ‘Frankie’s World.’ The graphic novel format makes this a super-engaging text read for any tweens who are struggling to work out who they are. It sensitively explores Frankie’s autistic experience with humour and grace.
‘The First Year,’ by Matt Goodfellow.
“Nate’s eleven and has just finished Primary School. After a challenging final year, life is looking up. His brother has recovered from a life-threatening heart condition, he’s got the love of his mum, brothers and Auntie San, and he’s off to Secondary School with his two best mates.
But while he’s making new friends and avoiding the fists of Turner, his old nemesis, and struggling to come to terms with a strict new teacher and a sense of isolation from his brothers, a sudden surprise appearance in Nate’s life threatens to throw him completely off course. And The Beast – the anger he tries so hard to control – reappears. Will Nate find a way to keep himself and his family together?”
Any of you who have read, and shed a tear over, Matt’s first novel – ‘The Final Year’ – will go into his second book with the expectation that Nate’s first year at secondary school will not be plain sailing. Once again, Matt has crafted a verse novel which will have readers rooting for Nate as he struggles to navigate the challenges of school and home.
‘Everything All At Once,’ by Steven Camden.
“Zooming in across our cast of characters, we share moments that span everything from hoping to make it to the end of the week, facing it, fitting in, finding friends and falling out, to loving lessons, losing it, and worrying, wearing it well and worshipping from afar.
In Everything All At Once, Steven Camden’s poems speak to the kaleidoscope of teen experience and life at secondary school.
‘All together. Same place.
Same walls. Same space.
Every emotion
under the sun
Faith lost. Victories won.
It doesn’t stop. Until the bell.
Now it’s heaven
Now it’s hell.
Who knows?
Not me
I just wrote what I can see
So what’s it about? Here’s my response
It’s about everything
All at once.’
This award-winning collection of poems is something that readers can dip into time and time again as they start and finish their secondary school journeys. Carefully observed and powerfully written, Steven Camden (aka Polar Bear) proves why he’s a master of his craft.
‘Moving Up,’ by Christian Foley.
“Moving up from primary to secondary school can be scary. Going from being the bosses of the benches, to the youngest in a massive playground is hard.
The classrooms are bigger, older students look like adults and don’t even start on the piles of homework, stressful exams and complicated friendships.
Whether you’re heading to secondary school next year, or you’ve just started and still adjusting, Moving Up is here to help you on your journey.
From choosing your new school and your first day all the way up to your final exams and your leaving party or prom, this handy guide book will be the perfect companion for transitioning to secondary, and get you feeling confident, building strong friendships, achieving great things and generally being the greatest that you can be.”
Somethings what you need is a how-to guide to get you through a new situation. This book covers a whole range of topics which will be playing on tweens’ minds such as: getting lost, homework, and social media. Foley gives helpful, sensible advice in an engaging and lively manner.
‘The Brightest Star,’ by Meg Grehan.
“Stevie is about to start junior high. She often feels anxious, but feels much better having her two best friends, Chloe and Andrew, by her side.Their new school is filled with excitement, like the LGBTQIA+ club, but also challenges, such as math class. The biggest challenge of all though comes when Andrew suddenly becomes distant. Andrew isn’t quite sure who he is yet. This didn’t matter much before, especially when he was hanging out with Stevie and Chloe. Now it seems to matter very much indeed, but he doesn’t know how to begin talking about it with his friends, who seem to be much clearer about who they are.”
A new beautifully told exploration of finding yourself and your place with your peers. Written as a verse novel, the format helps the reader create an emotional connection to the characters.
I hope you’ve found something new to add to your bookshelf or to gift to a young person to read over the summer before they head off on a new adventure.
Jo.
*Many thanks to the publishers for sending me these titles to review*
Library Girl and Book Boy 