Tutor Time Reading

The Other Side of Truth by Beverley Naidoo

When twelve-year-old Sade’s mother is killed, she and her little brother Femi are forced to flee from their home in Nigeria to Britain. They’re not allowed to tell anyone – not even their best friends – as their whole journey is secret, dangerous – and illegal. Their dad promises to follow when he can, but once the children arrive in London, things go from bad to worse when they’re abandoned by the people they had been told would protect them.

Sade faces challenge after challenge – but her dad has always taught her to stand up for what is right, and to tell the truth no matter what. And with that strength of spirit in her heart, Sade will find the courage to fight for the new, happy life she, Femi and her dad deserve.

Wonder by RJ Palacio

This is story with a lot of heart and tells the tale of a boy called Auggie who has a severe facial deformity which has prevented him (up until now) from attending mainstream school. However, both his mum and him want him to attend the local high school where Auggie (and his classmates) learn lessons about life, empathy and what a difference kindness can make in the world.

This book is important because it teaches our students about acceptance and how we can work together to make a kinder world.

A recommended read for those of secondary school age. It is the story of Malala, an inspirational young person, who was shoot by the Taliban for defying their regime and wanting an education. This story is told through her own words and tells about the battle of wanting the best for women and children in Afghanistan.

Told in her own words this accessible and real story teaches students about the importance of their own education and makes them aware of some of the struggles others face in other countries.

‘Twelve-year-old Jerome is shot by a police officer who mistakes his toy gun for a real threat. As a ghost, he observes the devastation that’s been unleashed on his family and community in the wake of what they see as an unjust and brutal killing.’

This story is really relevant for the world that we live in where we have become more aware of the way that race has been perceived. In light of movements such as ‘Black Lives Matter’ this book brings a new awareness of this sometimes shied away from matter.

This modern class of a book whereby four children survive a plane crash in the Amazon and have to fend for themselves and try and get to somewhere where they might be rescued. The children have to work together to overcome and number of obstacles and learn about themselves in the process.

Twelve-year-old Matthew is trapped in his bedroom by crippling OCD, spending most of his time staring out of his window as the inhabitants of Chestnut Close go about their business. That is, until the day he is the last person to see his next door neighbour’s toddler, Teddy, before he goes missing.

The selection of books for Year 8 tutor time are a step darker than the ones offered at Year 7 which hope to answer some of the deeper questions that students at this age maybe thinking about but don’t know how to start that conversation. Themes include war, relationships, making the right decisions and trying to find your place in the world.

A gang of youths on bikes gathers outside a chip shop. A teenage boy is stabbed and left bleeding on the street. The boy’s mother wonders how this could have happened to her son. She is full of questions, but when the answers lie so close to home, are they really what she wants to hear?

Coll is Wolf.

He lives with his clan on a Construct, a huge technological “creature” driven by the clan’s combined willpower. Together they roam their world, fighting other clans and absorbing them into their own.

But when a new and dangerous Construct attacks them, Coll is thrown clear from Wolf and left behind. Now he must survive life on ground and get back to his clan. He is helped by Rieka, a “Tock” who makes the Constructs work. She promises Coll a way to return, but can she be trusted? And what is she really trying to do…?

Set in the middle of the First World War Stanley tries to live up to his father’s strict and harsh expectations. However, one day, Stanley makes the ultimate decision and signs up to join the army and ends up training dogs for the trenches.  A story about finding hope in the darkest of times and the sometimes difficult relationships that form between siblings and that of a parent and child.

Set in a dystopian future which is ruled by overlords who keep the country in check, Standish Treadwell has been bought up to follow rules and never ask questions. That is until one day when his football goes over the wall and then his world changes forever.

Told through short, episodic chapters the reader sees the world that Standish Tredwell sees – sometimes in vivid colour – others in snippets where he has to piece together what he is seeing. This book is sometimes brutal but teaches students about not always taking things at face value.

‘In the bitter cold of an unrelenting winter, Tomas and his son, Peter, arrive in Chust. Despite the villagers’ lack of hospitality, they settle there as woodcutters. But there are many things Peter does not understand. Why does Tomas dig a channel of fast-flowing waters around their hut so they live on an isolated island? Why does Tomas carry a long battered box everywhere they go – and refuse to tell Peter of its contents?’

In this startling debut novel from Benjamin Zephaniah, the author tackles the moving and compelling story of a young man, Martin, whose life is completely changed when his face is badly scarred in a joyriding accident.

Students in Year 9 are ready to move onto books with a more mature content (as this selection reflects) These all tackle themes such as self-sacrifice, courage in the face of adversity, race and fighting for the right decisions even when society makes it difficult.

Seventeen year-old Dante is waiting for his A-Level results. He’s got it all planned out. If his results are good, he’ll go to uni and study to be a journalist. But white he’s waiting, the doorbell rings and it’s his ex-girlfriend. She’s carrying a baby- his baby.

Anton rules Year 9, feared and respected, wearing his reputation like a crown. Trouble at school doesn’t bother him—but it worries his mum, who forces him to join the Happy Campers, a local activity group. It’s bad enough until he discovers Matthew, the school’s biggest loser, is a member.

When Matthew unexpectedly saves Anton’s life, Anton decides to repay him by showing him how to earn some respect. As an unlikely friendship forms, Anton begins to question what really matters—and whether ruling the school is enough, or if there’s something better to aim for.

Alem’s father is Ethiopian and his mother is Eritrean, and there is a dangerous conflict raging between the two countries.

For his own safety, Alem’s father brings him to England to escape the dangers at home. At first, Alem is delighted to be having a holiday with his dad, until he wakes up one morning to find his father has left him in England alone.

A dystopian story where children are chosen from the worlds Districts to compete in a battle royale style games where the winner has to survive longer than any of the other contestants. Katniss Everdean goes in the place of her young sister and embarks on the toughest life lessons she has ever faced.

This teaches about bravery, kindness but also the importance of family and standing up for what you believe in.

Blackman’s novel is in a society where those with black skin are the ruling class and those with white skin have to fight for their place within the world. It follows the journey of Callum (a nought) and Sephy (a cross) and how they try to overcome the barriers put in place in their society.

This book brings up some many questions about race and how we perceive it. There are some uncomfortable moments but it shows that if you are made aware of certain issues you are more likely to do something about it.

Noah has a secret. A secret that he cannot control but instead takes control of him. He can draw the future. However, no one believes him until he moves to a new village which not only has a murky past but a very uncertain future. Noah also falls for a girl called Beth and he must decide whether to tell her truth about his curse or to try and hide it without his past catching up with him.

150 years before a boy called Blaze is orphaned and is left to hide in a ram-shackled farmhouse. He too can draw the future.But when you are branded a witch, just like your mother before you, can you change your future?

It is a story about being different and having a past as well as

Bad boy Nate is one misstep away from a life of crime. Prom queen Addy is holding together the cracks in her perfect life. And outsider Simon, creator of the notorious gossip app at Bayview High, won’t ever talk about any of them again. He dies 24 hours before he could post their deepest secrets online.