Shane Gibbons

In this short but excellent novel we follow Elsie, a young Jewish girl growing up during the 1930s in Stepney, London. Elsie and her brother Mikey live in a primarily Jewish area, although there are some Irish immigrants also. The two spend much of their childhood playing games with their friends, including Nathan, whose spectacular imagination shrouds them in worlds of their own making. However, with the rise of Oswald Mosley and the British Union of Fascists, their world of make-believe soon begins to disappear as antisemitism rises and friendships fall apart.

In this book we follow Dido, female charioteer and champion of the Circus Maximus, during the reign of Emperor Caligula, the third Roman Emperor.

Casey is one of the best Skywake players in the world and her squad, the Ghost Reapers, has been invited to compete in an e-sports event. However, Casey has a secret. She has been pretending to be a boy while online with her squad and is fearful about how they will react when they meet in person. Yet this will become the least of her problems, as soon the real world and gaming world will merge together, forcing Casey, her squad, and her brother Pete into a dangerous but thrilling adventure.

Kate’s life is a bit too ordinary for her liking. All she wants is for things to get real. Her parents are too busy at work for her and she wishes for something exciting to happen. Little does she know that the adventure of a lifetime is awaiting her. On her eleventh birthday, her mysterious Uncle Herbert gifts her a real-life steam engine, The Silver Arrow. Naturally, Kate’s parents are not impressed by this and say that Kate can only keep it for a week. A disgruntled Kate and her brother Tom go to explore the engine in her back yard, when suddenly it starts moving on its own.

This book offers a fascinating insight into World War II from a German youth’s perspective. Ingrid Hartman is our protagonist, a gifted glider pilot with a stutter that she must keep secret, for her own safety. This results in her remaining quiet around others. Her mother has passed away six months prior to the beginning of the story while her father acts as the district administrator for education.

Noah Moriarty may be the smallest person on this school trip (and a stowaway) but he is about to embark on a huge adventure. After getting stuck in the luggage compartment of the bus for his older sister Eve’s field trip, Noah decides to stay hidden because he will get the day off school. However, the teacher, Mr Merriman, refuses to listen to anything but his GPS and the class soon find themselves stranded on the uninhabited island of Aran Or. They will have to learn to live without WhatsApp and Instagram, likes and comments, and come to appreciate the beauty of nature.

Cardboard Cowboys tells the story of Lenny Lambert, a troubled but kind-hearted boy in his first year of secondary school in Scotland. Lenny is having a hard time in school: his classmates make fun of him because of his weight and he is struggling with the absence of his brother, Frankie. His parents refuse to speak about Frankie, and Lenny feels intense guilt over the situation (which we are not told about for the majority of the book) and finds himself feeling increasingly isolated – from his school, his parents and Frankie himself.

When our main character, Stick Boy, moves to a new town, he is hoping that his problems will be left behind. He has always felt different but is looking forward to a new start. However, almost immediately he attracts the ire of the school bullies, Sam and Gretchen, and feels extremely alone. Little does he know he is about to meet a whole new group of friends and go on a whirlwind adventure in the process.