Introduction

Prevent the "summer slide" and foster a love of learning with books that spark curiosity and creativity. Reading, not only boosts vocabulary and comprehension, but also nurtures critical thinking and emotional maturity. From exploring various cultures to preparing for the next school year, our suggestions are designed to expand knowledge and stimulate independent learning. Plus, it's a relaxing way to unwind and escape daily stress. Join us and inspire your teens to turn the page towards their future

Below are ten suggestions for summer reading. It is important that you review each text before recommending it to ensure that it is suitable for your student's age and your school's context. Some of these texts contain graphic descriptions and may not be appropriate for all readers.

1. The Last Whale by Chris Vick

Recommended for MYP Years 1 - 3

From killers to conservationists, Carnegie-shortlisted Chris Vick tells the story of three generations of the Kristensen family, their history as whale hunters and later their mission to save the great whales and our planet.

2. Wonder by R.j. Palacio

Recommended for MYP Years 1 - 3

Auggie wants to be an ordinary ten-year-old. He does ordinary things - eating ice cream, playing on his Xbox. He feels ordinary - inside. But ordinary kids don't make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. Ordinary kids aren't stared at wherever they go. Born with a terrible facial abnormality, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life. Now, for the first time, he's being sent to a real school - and he's dreading it. All he wants is to be accepted - but can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, underneath it all?

3. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Recommended for MYP Years 2 - 5

1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier.
Liesel, a nine-year-old girl, is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals books. This is her story and the story of the inhabitants of her street when the bombs begin to fall.

4. His Dark Materials Collection by Philip Pullman

Recommended for MYP Years 2 - 5

Set against the dreaming spires of Jordan College and the dangerous wilderness of the frozen north, Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy offers an intoxicating blend of imagination, science, theology and adventure. The collection includes three novels: Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass.

5. Holes by Louis Sachar

Recommended for MYP Years 1 - 3

Stanley Yelnats' family has a history of bad luck, so when a miscarriage of justice sends him to Camp Green Lake Juvenile Detention Centre (which isn't green and doesn't have a lake) he is not surprised. Every day he and the other inmates are told to dig a hole, five foot wide by five foot deep, reporting anything they find. Why? The evil warden claims that it's character building, but this is a lie. It's up to Stanley to dig up the truth.

6. The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré

Recommended for MYP Years 4 - 5

At fourteen, Adunni dreams of getting an education and giving her family a more comfortable home in her small Nigerian village. Instead, Adunni's father sells her off to become the third wife of an old man. When tragedy strikes in her new home, Adunni flees to the wealthy enclaves of Lagos, where she becomes a house-girl to the cruel Big Madam, and prey to Big Madam's husband. But despite her situation continuously going from bad to worse, Adunni refuses to let herself be silenced. And one day, someone hears her.

7. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Recommended for MYP Years 4 - 5

A startling memoir of a successful journalist's journey from the deserted and dusty mining towns of the American Southwest, to an antique-filled apartment on Park Avenue. Jeanette Walls narrates her nomadic and adventurous childhood with her dreaming, 'brilliant' but alcoholic parents.

8. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Recommended for MYP Years 2 - 5

Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed.

Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping YA novel about one girl's struggle for justice.

9. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

by Mark Haddon

Recommended for MYP Years 2 - 5

This is a compelling novel narrated by a 15-year-old boy named Christopher John Francis Boone. Christopher, who has an autism spectrum condition, is a whizz with numbers but struggles with social cues. The story begins when he discovers his neighbor's dog, Wellington, has been murdered. Inspired by his love for detective stories, Christopher investigates the dog's death, leading him on an unexpected journey that pushes his personal boundaries. Christopher's quest for truth, coupled with his unique perspective on the world, creates a touching and insightful story about difference and the complexity of human relationships.

10. Into the Wild by John Krakauer

Recommended for MYP Years 2 - 5

Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild examines the true story of Chris McCandless, a young man who walked deep into the Alaskan wilderness and whose SOS note and emaciated corpse were found four months later.