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KS3 Reading Lists

ENGLISH

A Collection of Both Contemporary and Classic Reads for KS3* Secondary Students

(www.twinkl.com)

Tightrope – Gillian Cross*
Shadowmancer – GP Taylor*
The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien*
The Amensia Clinic – James Scudamore*
Coram Boy – Jamila Gavin*
Empire of the Sun – JG Ballard*
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit – Judith Kerr*
Alice’s Adventure’s in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll*
Holes – Louis Sachar*
Small Steps – Louis Sachar*
The Giver – Lois Lowry*
I am Malala – Malala Yousafzai*
Noughts and Crosses – Malorie Blackman*
Pig-Heart Boy – Maloria Blackman*
Floodland – Marcus Sedgwick*
The Ghost of Heaven – Marcus Sedgwick*

The Haunting – Margaret Mahy*
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – Mark Haddon *
How I Live Now – Meg Rosoff*
Private Peaceful – Michael Morpurgo*
Goodnight Mister Tom – Michelle Magorian*
There Will Be Lies – Nick Lake*
A Monster Calls – Patrick Ness*
The Mosquito Coast – Paul Theroux*
Northern Lights – Phillip Pullman*
His Dark Materials – Phillip Pullman*
Watership Down – Richard Adams*
The Coral Island – RM Ballantyne*
Boy – Roald Dahl*
Going Solo – Roald Dahl*
Z for Zachariah – Robert O’Brien*
Stone Cold – Robert Swindells*
One – Sarah Crossan*

Chinese Cinderella – Adeline Yen Mah*
Looking for JJ – Anne Cassidy*
Goggle Eyes – Anne Fine*
The Tulip Touch – Anne Fine*
The Diary of a Young Girl – Anne Frank*
I am David – Anne Holm*
A Kestrel for a Knave – Barry Hines*
Journey to the River Sea – Eva Ibbotson*
The Lie Tree – Frances Hardinge*
Lord of the Flies – William Golding*

GEOGRAPHY

‘Horrible Geography’ series of books – Anita Ganeri
‘Shackleton’s Journey’ – William Grill
Ladybird Expert Series: ‘Plate Tectonics’ – Iain Stewart ‘Shackleton’ – Ben Saunders ‘Climate Change’ – Charles, Prince of Wales ‘Evolution’ – Steve Jones ‘How bad are bananas?’ – Mike Berners-Lee

HISTORY

BBC Bitesize: Covers most of the topic’s studies at KS3 as a good introduction to the topic

BBC Teach: Covers most of the topic’s studies at KS3 as a good introduction to the topic

Horrible Histories Series: The books and the videos provide a lighthearted introduction to most of the topics covered, designed to engage the interest of the student. This often allows students to relate to a new topic as they may have previously seen a short clip. The books offer engaging stories and are designed in topics such as ‘Measly Middle Ages’, ‘Terrible Tudors’ or the ‘Frightful First

Books: Norman Conquest & Medieval England

  • 1066 (11–14): A gripping story set during the Norman Conquest.
  • The Seeing Stone (11–14). Medieval setting with links to life in the Middle Ages.

Books: The Black Death

  • Plague (12+). Historical fiction exploring the impact of plague.
  • The Black Death (11–14). Accessible narrative history.

Books: Tudor England

  • The Queen’s Fool (strong readers, 12+) Set during the reign of Mary I.
  • Treason (11–14). Tudor intrigue and religious conflict

Books: Industrial Revolution

  • Street Child (11–14). Excellent for understanding poverty and urban life.
  • Oliver Twist. Classic text exploring Victorian urban society.

Books: World War I

  • Private Peaceful (11–14). One of the best KS3 novels linked to WWI.
  • War Horse (11–14). Explores the war through the eyes of a horse.

Books: World War II

  • Goodnight Mister Tom (11–14). A KS3 classic based in WWII.
  • The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (12+). Useful for understanding the historical events, though due to the nature of the events, this may be upsetting for some students.

Books: USA

  • Bud, Not Buddy (11–14). Set during the Great Depression.
  • The Great Gatsby (Great insight into the Jazz Age but some challenging text, therefore best suited for more able Year 9 readers)