Recommended ReadsThese are just a few of the books I really love. For older teens: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants — Ann Brashares I wish I’d written this book. It's just so great! It makes you laugh and cry…it’s sad, readable, funny and heart-warming all at once. It’s about four best friends, one pair of jeans and a summer full of new discoveries. Faced with their first-ever summer apart, Lena, Carmen, Libby and Bridget vow to keep in touch by phone, postcard and e-mail - and by sharing a fabulous pair of old jeans that fits them all, despite their different figures. The film adaptation is fab too, and definitely worth a watch. Just remember your tissues – I forgot mine and had to borrow one from my friend in the cinema!
Elsewhere - Gabrielle Zevin This is the kind of book I read enviously, as I don’t think I’ll ever write this well. Elsewhere is incredibly original, hopeful, sad, happy all at the same time and I loved everything about it. It starts when fifteen-year-old Liz is killed in a hit and run accident, and her ‘life’ is transformed when she’s sent to Elsewhere. It’s a place like Earth, yet it’s completely different. From the time of death, people age backwards until they become babies again and are redelivered back to Earth. Dogs and humans can communicate, new relationships are formed, and people are reunited with their loved ones. The detail in this story completely blew me away, and the way it deals with death, loss, growing up and reacting to chance is both bittersweet and humorous, while never failing to remain positive in tone.
Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging — Louise Rennison This is so funny it should come with a public health warning. I read it in a park one summer and people were avoiding the scary lady laughing out loud and rolling all over the grass. Probably quite understandable though. This is the first book in the series about the truly mad Georgia Nicolson. Follow Georgia's antics as she tries to muddle her way through teenage life and all that it entails: how to replace accidentally shaved-off eyebrows; how to cope with Angus, her Labrador-sized Scottish wildcat; her first kiss with Peter - afterwards known as Whelk Boy; annoying teachers; unsympathetic friends and family; and how to entice Robbie the Sex God! Hilarious.
My So Called Life/Life of Riley - Joanna Nadin Written by a good friend of mine, this series is based around 13-year-old Rachel Riley, My So Called Life. They're hilariously funny - Rachel leads an ordinary life. She’s painfully middle class, and nothing Jacqueline Wilson ever happens to her – she’s not adopted, her mum isn’t tattooed and she’s not likely to move to a council estate or be put into care. But Rachel’s adamant things could be different. These pages contain plenty of laugh-out-loud funny moments. With many political references, this book gives readers something a little more meaty to get their teeth into, and will hopefully give them food for thought. Like Sue Townsend, or Louise Rennison, this book has real crossover appeal, and is one I can see adults borrowing and fully enjoying too.
For younger teens:Between Two Seas - Marie-Louise Jensen Also written by a good friend of mine, this is a wonderful book, telling a moving story of one girl’s search for her family and her identity as she makes a new life for herself in Denmark. It’s also interesting to learn that many of the events featured in the story are based on actual historical facts, and the paintings are also real. This adds a fascinating additional dimension, and sense of believability. It’s an unusual subject/setting, and unlike anything else I’ve read, but it’s an utterly mesmerising story. It was short-listed for the prestigious Waterstone’s Children’s Book 2008, so it’s not just me that thinks it’s great!
The Princess Diaries — Meg Cabot Sixteen-year-old Mia’s life is turned upside-down when she learns that far from being the ordinary, gawky Manhattan schoolgirl she always thought she was, she’s actually a princess and heir to the throne of a European country! This is a great read with excellently observed characters. And the book is SO much better than the film.
Holes — Louis Sachar This book is a work of genius and really deserved its place in the BBC’s Top 100 Big Read. Stanley Yelnats is sentenced to dig holes at Camp Green Lake detention centre for stealing a pair of trainers. Stanley's quest to discover what he is digging for leads to danger and adventure and to a confrontation with his family's past. The twist in the tale is one of the best ever.
Driftwood — Cathy Cassidy Hannah and Joey have been best friends for ever. Joey's parents love rescuing things and making them beautiful - their house is full of things made from driftwood, old glass and shells from the beach. Which is why the scraggy kittens the girls find in a bin at school end up living there. And when Paul moves in as Joey's foster brother, everyone thinks that maybe he needs rescuing too. But nobody knows quite how badly. At first, it's great - Hannah's brother befriends Paul, and the four of them hang out together. But then things start to go wrong. Paul is being bullied. Subtly at first - but quickly it gets dangerous. People aren't like driftwood or abandoned kittens and Hannah doesn't know how to rescue him. Paul doesn't want to be rescued - but with help, he can find a way to save himself. Cassidy deals fantastically and realistically with the issue of bullying, and I personally think that she’s a serious contender to Jacqueline Wilson’s crown, so if you like Wilson’s books, Driftwood is definitely worth a look – her other books, Dizzy and Indigo Blue are great too.
For children:The Diary of a Wombat — Jackie French This Australian picture book does exactly what it says on the tin – it’s about the life of a wombat. And it’s hilarious. When I read it I laughed until I cried – and that’s all I need to say about it!
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory — Roald Dahl I think Roald Dahl is one of the best writers for children, and my friends and I once had a very heated debate in the pub trying to decide which was our favourite Roald Dahl book. It’s a toughy, but I think this one has to be my favourite (probably because of all the chocolate). You probably know the story, Willy Wonka opens his factory to five members of the public who find golden tickets and for young, impoverished Charlie Bucket, winner of the fifth golden ticket, life will never be the same again. The ultimate rags to riches, feel good read. Dahl’s autobiography Boy is great too – and you get to find out how he got the inspiration for this book!
Caddy Ever After — Hilary McKay The fantastic thing about McKay’s books is that she draws her characters really well, and they’re all unique individuals. This book follows the story of the family we were introduced to in Saffy’s Angel, and McKay’s a funny writer who depicts this eccentric family fabulously. There are several more available in this series, but this one is my favourite.
Winne the Pooh — A.A.Milne If you’ve never heard of Winnie the Pooh – what hole have you been living in?!Dig your way out immediately and read some Winnie the Pooh – tales of a genius bear who ponders issues such as:
On Wednesday, when the sky is blue,
And I have nothing else to do,
I sometimes wonder if it's true
That who is what and what is who. Pooh is a very wise philosopher, and if you’ve never searched for a heffalump, played Poohsticks or met Piglet, Kanga, Eeyore and the rest of the gang, your life is not complete. (Please make sure your attention is on the traditional Pooh though, as the Disney version’s not nearly as nice.) Clarice Bean, That's Me! —Lauren Child This is one of the best picture books in the world and never fails to make me laugh. When I’m feeling down, I pick up Clarice and it makes me smile. Lauren Child’s illustrations and fonts are quirky, while Clarice’s life and family members are completely bonkers. I particularly like Clarice’s Grandad, who is most often found asleep with a cat on his head and the way Clarice practices being an acrobat by scrinching into the laundry basket, balancing and smiling in tights. (All very important training).
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