Booklists

There is but one law, eat or be eaten. Stopmouth and his family know of no other life than the daily battle to survive. For Stopmouth, considered slow-witted hunt-fodder by his tribe, the future looks especially bleak. Then, on the day he is callously betrayed by his brother, a strange and beautiful woman falls from the sky.

Set in the future after a nuclear war, a young girl believes that she is the last person left on earth. A deadly stranger proves her wrong.

Lucy, her little brother and their puppy follow a golden-eyed Tiger into a secret tunnel to a country where strange, bizarre and violent things happen. They try to help the enslaved children of the evil military junta without falling victim to it too.

Set in the 1800s, this is a story of a girl's survival on a deserted island.

Roderick doesn't want to be a knight. When Queen Emily sends her knights on a grand quest, Sir Roderick wants to stay behind. Reluctantly, he ventures forth beyond the Forest of Gilderang (filled with fearsome creatures) to the Circle of Mountains, home to giant cockroaches. En route, he meets an invisible girl, a talking bear and the most famous sorcerer in the land.

Volcano researcher and photographer Donna O'Meara describes what it is like to be right there when a volcano erupts and hot lava, scalding steam and acidic ash are falling all around you.

Even though you may not see them, our world is filled with algorithms. Algorithms that decide what advertisements you will see, what opportunities you will be presented with, and what costs you will have to face during your lifetime. Education, insurance, loans, health, and justice, are all at the mercy of these opaque lines of code. Mathematician and former finance industry worker, Cathy O'Neil has lifted the lid to show what is going on beneath the surface of big data. A fascinating, and frightening, insight into powerful forces that shape our lives everyday.

This is not a story of happily ever after. Beneath each smile lies a secret, and Alice has not tumbled down the rabbit hole into Wonderland. Not yet... Princess Dinah will one day become the Queen of Hearts. She longs for her father's approval and a future with the boy she loves. But when betrayal breaks her heart and threatens her throne, she is launched into danger. Dinah must stay one step ahead of her enemies or she'll lose not just the crown - it will be off with her head.

What's important is our story, our whole story, including those moments when we feel a little vulnerable . . . Michelle Robinson started life sharing a bedroom with her older brother Craig, in their family's upstairs apartment in her great-aunt's house. Her parents, Fraser and Marian, poured their love and energy into their children. She would go on to become Michelle Obama, the inspirational First Lady of the United States of America. Now adapted for younger readers, with new photographs and a new introduction from Michelle Obama herself, this memoir tells a very personal, and completely inspiring, story of how, through hard work and determination, the girl from the South Side of Chicago built an extraordinary life. Usually read by students inn years 9, 10, or above.

Pierre wanted to be a good son. He wanted to be a good soldier. But the whole world was at war, and he couldn't be both.

Maeve Chambers does not have any special gifts. That is, until she finds a dusty old pack of tarot cards. She finds herself able to give readings with uncanny accuracy. When she reads for an ex-friend, a strange card appears and begins a series of events that ensure Maeve faces her inner demons and a power much older and more powerful than even the cards have proven to be.

To show off the beauty below the waves, pioneering oceanographer, Jacques Cousteau, developed new diving technology and innovative ways to photograph underwater life. His films opened our eyes to an unknown and spectacular marine universe and enlightened us about the complexity of the oceans' ecology, and the need to preserve it.

He risked the great unknown and became the first man to reach the North Pole. But, it took decades to overcome the racism and give African-American explorer, Matthew Henson, rightful recognition for his extraordinary achievements. This is the story of Henson's dramatic, groundbreaking life.

Fifteen year old Matt works as a cabin boy aboard the Aurora,a luxury airship that is part passenger cruise ship. When wealthy Kate and her chaperone come aboard, Matt discovers that she is determined to prove her grandfather's claims that he saw strange creatures flying in the sky in the area the year before. His diary describes them as huge, furry beasts with batlike wings and sharp claws. A storm forces the damaged Aurora to set down on a seemingly deserted island.

Any two titles read from this series can be included as official Challenge books; up to five more titles can be included as your personal choice books. To see the individual book titles and their PRC ID numbers, go to the Series lists on the Booklists page, on the website. Or, you can search for a series name or the individual titles by using the Search function on the top left hand corner of the screen.

Matt Cruse flies higher than he ever dreamed. The former cabin boy, now a student at the prestigious Paris Airship Academy, is on a two-week training tour with a run-down cargo airship. His captain sights a legendary ghost ship and Matt recklessly heads skyward in pursuit. The Hyperion, lost in a storm in the dawn of the aviation age, is rumoured to hold great wealth, and Matt is suddenly the only person on earth who knows her coordinates.

Pilot-in-training Matt Cruse and Kate de Vries, expert on high-altitude life-forms, are invited aboard the Starclimber, a vessel that literally climbs its way into the cosmos. Soon, the ship is surrounded by strange and unsettling life-forms, and the crew is forced to combat devastating mechanical failure. What began as an exciting race to the stars has now turned into a battle to save their lives.

London is being bombed and children are evacuated to the country. Since his parents died, Martin can't stand being mothered and so he heads back to the city. But, London is not what he remembers, it's in flames and Martin is in danger.

The year is 1665 and the plague has come to the city of London. For apprentice Henry Harper, life will never be the same. His father has died of the plague, and his mother and brother have fled to the country. Now Henry is alone and he must find a way to escape from the city he loves, before he, too, is struck down.

Clio's family were potters, although her father came from another land and worked with horses. Clio only left the kiln for a short time, to check on her horse, but the consequences of what she saw would change her and her village forever. When raiders are spotter just off the coast, the Goddess asks for the unthinkable. Clio must face many obstacles, deal with grief, find new friends and save a village. Her grandmother creates a statue to save Clio's life, but will it be enough?

A story for more mature readers about the tentative friendship between Linda and old Mrs Pugh in the nursing home. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Following a car accident in which her neck is broken, a teenage karate champion has to recover from this tragedy with the help of her family. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

The noise throws us from our beds. It's too huge to be heard; it bombards us. It's the sound of the end of the world. Leira is about to start her initiation as a priestess when her world is turned upside down. A violent earthquake leaves her home - and her family - in pieces. And the goddess hasn't finished with the island yet. With her family, Leira flees across the sea to Crete, expecting sanctuary. But a volcanic eruption throws the entire world into darkness. After the resulting tsunami, society descends into chaos; the status and privilege of being noble-born reduced to nothing. With her injured mother and elderly nurse, Leira has only the strength and resourcefulness within herself to find safety.

Lana Torres has always dreamt of playing for her native Puerto Rico in the Blazewrath Games, a dangerous relay of dragon riders fighting and racing for glory. When the cup is jeopardised by the Sire, a legendary dragon cursed into human form, Lana finds herself navigating an International conspiracy and a world that's deadlier than her beloved sport.

A classic allegory in which the animals take over Manor Farm from their drunken master and all seems to be perfect as everyone is equal under the Seven Commandments. Circumstances change as the pigs become more equal than the others. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

Among Believers explores the richness and diversity of the world's mainstream religions: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism and Sikhism. More than 350 remarkable photographs document worship and the rites of passage rooted in a country's culture, religious festivals, feasts and fasts, meditation, education, sacred foods and places of pilgrimage.

Any three titles read from this series can be included as official Challenge books; up to five more titles can be included as your personal choice books. To see the individual book titles and their PRC ID numbers, go to the Series lists on the Booklists page, on the website. Or, you can search for a series name or the individual titles by using the Search function on the top left hand corner of the screen.

Nick and Charlie are best friends. Nick knows Charlie's gay, and Charlie is sure that Nick isn't. But love works in surprising ways, and Nick is discovering all kinds of things about his friends, his family ... and himself. Heartstopper is about friendship, loyalty and mental illness. It encompasses all the small stories of Nick and Charlie's lives that together make up something larger. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

Charlie didn't think Nick could ever like him back, but now they're officially boyfriends. Nick's even found the courage to come out to his mum. But coming out isn't just something that happens once - there's Nick's older brother, and a school trip to Paris, not to mention all the other friends and family - and life can be hard, even with someone who loves you by your side. As their feelings get more serious, Charlie and Nick will need each other more than ever before. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

Charlie and Nick are total opposites. Charlie is gay, is a bit of a nerd and plays the drums, while Nick is a star player on the school's rugby team. In fact, they'd never even noticed each other until they were made to sit next to each other. As time passes, Nick and Charlie become close friends. Charlie slowly begins to fall for Nick, who is straight, but love works in mysterious ways. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 & above.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right? Everyone knows that Nick and Charlie are the perfect couple - that they're inseparable. But now Nick is leaving for university, and Charlie will be left behind at Sixth Form. Everyone's asking if they're staying together, which is a stupid question - they're "Nick and Charlie" for goodness sake! But as the time to say goodbye gets inevitably closer, both Nick and Charlie question whether their love is strong enough to survive being apart. Or are they delaying the inevitable? Because everyone knows that first loves rarely last forever. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

My name is Tori Spring. I like to sleep and I like to blog. Last year - before all that stuff with Charlie and before I had to face the harsh realities of A-Levels and university applications and the fact that one day I really will have to start talking to people - I had friends. Things were very different, I guess, but that's all over now. Now there's Solitaire. And Michael Holden. I don't know what Solitaire are trying to do, and I don't care about Michael Holden. I really don't. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 above. This novel depicts a number of mental health issues including depression, eating disorders and OCD. Please refer to the author's website for information about potentially triggering ideas and content.

The festive season isn't always happy for Tori Spring and her brother Charlie. And this year's going to be harder than most. "I used to think that difficult was better than boring, but I know better now - I'm not going to think about the past few months, about Charlie and me, and all of the sad. I'm going to block it all out Just for today."Happy Christmas, " I say." Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

What if everything you set yourself up to be was wrong? Frances has always been a study machine with one goal, elite university. Nothing will stand in her way; not friends, not a guilty secret - not even the person she is on the inside. But when Frances meets Aled, the shy genius behind her favourite podcast, she discovers a new freedom. Then the podcast goes viral and the fragile trust between them is broken. Caught between who she was and who she longs to be, Frances' dreams come crashing down. Suffocating with guilt, she knows that she has to confront her past - She has to confess why Carys disappeared. Meanwhile at uni, Aled is alone, fighting even darker secrets. It's only by facing up to your fears that you can overcome them. And it's only by being your true self that you can find happiness. Frances is going to need every bit of courage she has. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

Ash is drooling over a guitar when he meets Charlie Novak. One jam session later and Charlie convinces Ash to play in his band and Erin to be the keyboard player. Erin thinks Charlie is a fruit loop, with his weird hair and hyperactive rantings. Besides, she's a classical pianist and it'll never work.

Rosie flirts with the value of friendship and the need to resist the surreal world of television. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Imagine the worst soccer team that you can think of and then triple it. This is a description of the debut of the Redback Leftovers, one of the most unlikely and inspiring soccer teams you are ever going to meet.