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Struggling to find a book to take to high school? Then use our list to help generate some ideas about what you might want to read!

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Struggling to find a book? Why not look at our Year 8 suggested reading list. This will help you to find books in the TLC.

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Books for Year 8 - looking for a great book for the classroom, the school library or your child's collection? The following book list contains titles to appeal to children aged 12-13 in secondary school. The books consist of a range of titles to cover all ability ranges including the more able. Updated termly, this list of books includes authors such as Adeline Yen Mah, Louis Sachar, Jamila Gavin, Anne Fine, Mark Haddon, Susan Hill, Lois Lowry, and John Wyndham.

As an Amazon Associate schoolreadinglist.co.uk earns from qualifying purchases.

Books for Year 8 - our recommendations
Click the button below to buy all the books in this Year 8 book list, or class sets of any of these books and many more from Bookshop.org UK.
Schools & teachers: please respect copyright and don't copy our Year 8 reading list. If you find our book recommendations useful, please consider sharing on social media or linking to this page instead. Thanks.

Looking for something to read on holiday? Have a look at our children's and teen novels inspired by travel locations.

For less demanding books, try our Year 7 reading list or our Year 6 suggestions. For even more books for 12-13-year-olds, see this list.

For more demanding material, try out Year 9 reading list, or Year 10 suggestions.

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Year 8 recommended reading list for children aged 12-13

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Books for Year 8 - looking for a great book for the classroom, the school library or your child's collection? The following book list contains titles to appeal to children aged 12-13 in secondary school. The books consist of a range of titles to cover all ability ranges including the more able.

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It only takes the right book and you will be hooked- use our reading suggestions and ideas to get inspired about your reading

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Books shelved as senior-fiction: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion, Room by Emma Donoghue, The Help by Kathryn Stockett, The Guernsey Literary and Pota...

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10 minute for you to enjoy at home

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Are you new to Authorfy?

Create an account for just £2.50 a month to gain instant, unlimited access to all
of our author videos, book extracts and downloadable resources.

Already a member?

Sign in to access our entire video and resource library.

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Create an account for just £2.50 a month to gain instant, unlimited access to allof our author videos, book extracts and downloadable resources. Sign in to access our entire video and resource library.

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Derek Landy is sharing a chapter of his book about the "well-dressed skeleton detective" Skulduggery Pleasant every day!

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Skulduggery Bites is finished now but you can still listen to extracts from each of the books via the Books page…

Simply click on the book you’d like to try and scroll down for the audiobook sample.

Looking for more fun stuff? Check out the character quiz.

Want to be schooled by Skulduggery? Try the teaching resources.

She’s twelve. He’s dead. But together they’re going to save the world. Hopefully.
The iconic first book in the bestselling series.

Learn More

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Skulduggery Bites - UK Skulduggery Pleasant

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Listen to the first book in the Skulduggery Pleasant series and be surrounded by people talking to each other! For free! With a new episode every weekday!

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Read by Taika Waititi and a few famous friends

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Sharing one of David’s stories each day

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Join the The World of David Walliams to be the first to hear about new David Walliams books, special offers, free activities, live shows, events and more!

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World Book Day is so much more than dressing up...

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Great books to support PSHE

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QuizShed - Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone

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A fun quiz based on the first Harry Potter Book by J.K. Rowling

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Step-by-step draw along videos - inspiration for your own characters.

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Steven Lenton - YouTube

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A series of step- by step Draw-Along videos with children's book illustrator and author Steven Lenton! Featuring a range of my characters from my own books and also those by Steven Butler, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Tracey Corderoy and many more!

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Draw along with Rob Biddulph, creator of the World Book Day graphics, live at 10.30am on Tuesday & Thursday - or anytime on his instagram. Step One: Make yourself an awesome, personalised bookmark!

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Beam your favourite World Book Day £1 book authors and illustrators direct into your classroom or at home with our Author & Illustrator Academy videos.

Why not get your creative juices flowing using words and illustration with Joanna Nadin and Rikin Parekh, or merge words and pictures with Nadia Shireen. Let Michael Morpurgo help you find the seed of your story, or invent a fantasy business idea with Rashmi Sirdeshpande.

You can learn to write your own adventure story with lots of ideas and tips from Sophie McKenzie, or let Ben Bailey Smith provide some inspiration to write your own funny but realistic scene. Explore how to make the world a better place with Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola, or go on a journey to make your wishes come true with Simon Farnaby.

What is the Author & Illustrator Academy?
The Author & Illustrator Academy beams authors & illustrators right into classrooms so children can meet the creative minds behind their favourite books. Choose which Academy lesson to pick and then press play and let our brilliant authors and illustrators lead your class.

Each inspirational 'lesson' is a complete package with downloadable activities, creative challenges, resources and extracts to go with each video. They are available all year round so you can screen them in class at ANY TIME that suits you. The Academy lessons are perfect for home learning as well!

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World Book Day author & illustrator videos for schools

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Celebrate World Book Day with free video lesson resources featuring our £1 book authors and illustrators.

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Free Reads of Young Adult & Teen Books from publishers Simon & Schuster, all copyright free

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Read full length books online for free and enjoy exclusive, extended excerpts of new young adult novels at RivetedLit.com.

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Create your own comic strip with British Library tools. See the ‘create your characters’ link to fill up your story.

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2020 Children's Book Award shortlist & winners

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2020 Children's Book Award shortlist & winners

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I get my book recommendations from many different sources - Toppsta reviewers, friends of my children, parents, teachers (particularly on Twitter), librarians and more but I'm always intrigued to see which children's books win awards (and who judges them too). All too easy we default to the known authors like David Walliams or Julia Donaldson but there are thousands of award-winning books to try. Here's a list of the key children's book awards in the UK with links to shortlists and winners.

Children's Book Awards 2020: Shortlists and Winners

Children's Book Awards 2020: Shortlists and Winners

The CILIP Carnegie Medal is awarded annually by CILIP for an outstanding book written in English for children and young people. The CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal is awarded annually by CILIP for a book with exceptional illustrations.

Books are nominated by CILIP members plus external bodies such as Booktrust, CLPE, National Literacy Trust and more. After nominations are published, each book is read by every member of the judging panel − 14 children's and youth librarians representing all regions of CILIP's Youth Libraries Group. From these nominations the judging panel will decide the long and shortlists and finally, the 2020 Medal winners, based on the official medals criteria.
2020 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Winners Announced 17th June
2020 CILIP Carnegie Medal: Lark by Anthony McGowan

2020 Kate Greenaway Medal: Tales from the Inner City by Shaun Tan
2019 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medal Winners
2019 CILIP Carnegie Medal: The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

2019 Kate Greenaway Medal: The Lost Words by Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane

Children's Book Awards 2020: Shortlists and Winners

The British Book Awards (aka The Nibbies) is the most important awards for the trade and has been running since 1990. Alongside traditional categories such as fiction and non-fiction there are also awards for best bookshop, best publisher and more. Since 2019, Children's Book of the Year prize has been split into two for Fiction and Non-Fiction/Illustrated.
2020 British Book Awards Winners
British Book Awards Children's Fiction Book of the Year was A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson.

British Book Awards Children's Illustrated/ Non-Fiction Book of the Year was The Smeds and The Smoods by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler.

Children's Book Awards 2020: Shortlists and Winners

Children's Book Awards 2020: Shortlists and Winners

Three separate awards determined by age group, created to celebrate the very funniest and most engaging books in children's fiction. A panel of experts vote on the Longlist and then children can vote on the shortlist. The panel was chaired by Michael Rosen in 2020.
2020 Lollies Winners
Announced on 6th February 2020.

Best Laugh Out Loud Picture Book: Ten Fat Sausages by Michelle Robinson and Tor Freeman

Best Laugh Out Loud Book for 6-8s: The World's Worst Children 3 by David Walliams, illustrated by Tony Ross

Best Laugh Out Loud Book for 9-13s: I Bet I Can Make you Laugh by Joshua Seigal and Friends, illustrated by Tom Wesson
2021 Lollies Key Dates
December 2020 - Vote Closes

Early 2021 - Winners Announced

Children's Book Awards 2020: Shortlists and Winners

Children's Book Awards 2020: Shortlists and Winners

The Blue Peter Awards are an annual celebration of the best authors, the most creative illustrators and the greatest reads for children. The 2020 Blue Peter Awards judges Meryl Fernandes, Joseph Coelho and Jean Menzies, will choose the shortlist and then children read the titles and vote for their favourites.
2020 Blue Peter Awards Winners
Blue Peter Best Story: Wildspark by Vashti Hardy

Blue Peter Best Book with Facts: Rise Up: Ordinary Kids With Extraordinary Stories by Amanda Li and Amy Blackwell

2020 Blue Peter Awards Key Dates

24th October 2019 - Longlist announced

7th November 2019 - Shortlist announced

March 2020 - Winners announced

Children's Book Awards 2020: Shortlists and Winners

An annual award for an outstanding first novel to a first time writer of a book for young people. Judged by a team of industry experts.
2020 Branford Boase Winner
The winner of the 2020 Branford Boase award was Bearmouth by Liz Hyder

2020 Branford Boase Key Dates

28th January 2020 - Longlist Announced

30th April 2020 - Shortlist Announced

1st July 2020 - Winner Announced

Children's Book Awards 2020: Shortlists and Winners

Children's Book Awards 2020: Shortlists and Winners

Children's Book Awards 2020: Shortlists and Winners

Annual award to the best young adult book written by an author living in the UK or Ireland. Judged by a panel of industry experts.
2020 YA Book Prize Winner
The winner of the 2020 YA Book Prize was Meat Market by Juno Dawson

Children's Book Awards 2020: Shortlists and Winners

Children's Book Awards 2020: Shortlists and Winners

Established in 1995, this award celebrates picture books for all ages. The winners are selected by the Editorial Board of English 4-11, the journal for primary teachers published jointly by The English Association and the United Kingdom Literacy Association (UKLA), from a shortlist selected by a panel of teachers and their students, and primary specialists.

The winning books celebrate the unique partnership of picture and text and showcase books where words and images are of equal importance.
2020 English Picture Book Awards Winners

Non-Fiction 4-7 years: A Million Dots - Sven Völker

Fiction 4-7 years: The Suitcase - Chris Naylor-Ballesteros

Non-Fiction 7-11 years: Rise Up! Ordinary Kids with Extraordinary Stories - Amanda Li & Amy Blackwell

Fiction 7-11 years: Through the Wall -Jonathan Standing

Children's Book Awards 2020: Shortlists and Winners

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All the key UK Children's Book Awards 2020 Shortlists and Winners | Toppsta | Toppsta

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I get my book recommendations from many different sources - Toppsta reviewers, friends of my children, parents, teachers (particularly on Twitter), librarians and more but I'm always intrigued to see which children's books win awards (and who judges them too).

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Read the opening of The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett

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Read the opening of The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett

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We have this book in the library! After you click the link just click 'open preview'.

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Yes and no, depends on the kid. It is not a book that was written for kids. Yes and no, depends on the kid. It is not a book that was written for kids.

I think I read this in 5th or 6th grade. My brothers read it at a similar age and both liked it. I enjoyed it as a kid and was eager to read the sequel. Rereading it as an adult though was almost like reading a whole different book. ;) (less)
I think I read this in 5th or 6th grade. My brothers read it at a similar ...more

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David - proud Gleeman in Branwen's adventuring party

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The Color of Magic (Discworld, #1; Rincewind, #1)

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Yes and no, depends on the kid. It is not a book that was written for kids. Yes and no, depends on the kid. It is not a book that was written for kids. I think I read this in 5th or 6th grade. My brothers read it at a similar age and both liked it.

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CBBC - CBBC Book of the Month - March 2020

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Every month here on the CBBC Book Club we read and review different books.

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Harry Potter

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Join Harry Potter and journey into the wizarding world with our new site! Discover puzzles, quizzes, crafts and more to guide you through the very first book.

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Listen to the world's best poetry read aloud

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Listen to the world's best poetry read aloud

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Copyright © 2023 All rights reserved. Charity No. 1093858. Registered No. 4336052

The Poetry Archive is a not-for-profit organisation with charitable status.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. We use cookies. Accept More info

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Listen to the world's best poetry read out loud. Explore 100s of poems read by the poets themselves. Read along or listen distraction free.

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Derek Landy is sharing a chapter of his book about the "well-dressed skeleton detective" Skulduggery Pleasant every day!

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Skulduggery Bites is finished now but you can still listen to extracts from each of the books via the Books page…

Simply click on the book you’d like to try and scroll down for the audiobook sample.

Looking for more fun stuff? Check out the character quiz.

Want to be schooled by Skulduggery? Try the teaching resources.

She’s twelve. He’s dead. But together they’re going to save the world. Hopefully.
The iconic first book in the bestselling series.

Learn More

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Skulduggery Bites - UK Skulduggery Pleasant

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Listen to the first book in the Skulduggery Pleasant series and be surrounded by people talking to each other! For free! With a new episode every weekday!

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The stories are aimed at younger children but how cool to see and hear from an astronaut actually in space

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Each chapter read by the author

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There are a lot of schools who read Floodland, especially in years 5 and 6 - and with the current situation, I know there are some of you who are halfway through the book, but who, without sufficient copies for every pupil, are unable to finish from home.

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Kodansha offers the first three chapters of a series free

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The Brilliant book 'Wonder' read by the author. You will need a twitter account to access.