Higher Institute of Villainous Education by Mark Walden

Otto is kidnapped and taken to a top secret underground location, where he discovers that other skilled children have also been taken to be trained ... He makes friends, and together, they plan their escape.

Loved this book, which I read on a long bus journey north, and was disappointed when I realised it is the first in a series and not all my questions were answered. Looking forward to the next one!

The Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks

An exciting and suspenseful tale; two brothers go to the Moors to find out what happened to their murdered sister. One of the brothers can "sense" things, the other is a man of action. Very well written, good characters.

Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick

I am so far behind in my reviews! It's been great - I've read loads of excellent books recently from the school library, many of them new, and many of them shortlisted for a variety of awards. I will therefore just give a short account of each one!

Freak the Mighty is a moving tale of friendship between two boys, both "freaks" in their own ways - one very tall, the other very small. Together, they are Freak the Mighty, a force to be reckoned with! Great vocab list at the back - wonderful definitions!

Postcards From No Man's Land by Aidan Chambers

A real find, this one. I not only read it on the tube and at night, but also as I walked along the path between the tube and school, and between the tube and home. An unputdownable book. I'd recommend it to my GCSE students in particular, as it covers ("deals with" would make it sound too contrived) many of the issues and dilemmas that they cover in their GCSE, such as faithfulness, adultery, homosexuality and euthanasia.

However, that sounds far too contrived! It is the story of one boy's journey of discovery, and also the story of one girl's experience during the second world war. Although many of the key characters are British, the action takes place in the Netherlands, in particular in Amsterdam. I felt that the book captured well my own experience of Amsterdam and the Dutch.

I would definitely recommend this book.

The Illustrated Mum by Jacqueline Wilson

After the teen books I have been reading, this book definitely seems aimed at younger readers, perhaps the top end of primary, or Year 7. Dolphin and her big sister, Star, look after their mum more than she looks after them. Nicely told, it deals well with mental health issues for the younger audience.

Starring Sally J Freedman as Herself by Judy Blume

Sally and her family move to Florida after her brother gets a kidney infection. She makes friends, and, bizarrely, decides an old Jewish man that lives in the block is really Adolf Hitler in disguise. (The book is set shortly after the end of World War II, and Sally's aunt and cousin were killed in the Holocaust). Enjoyable, but not in the same league as some of the other books I have read recently. Must read some more Judy Blume's though, because I used to read her when I was younger. Well, I remember reading Blubber, anyway. Can't remember if I eventually got round to reading Forever ...

Waving, Not Drowning by Rosie Rushton

For a long time it was more like drowning, not waving. Another teenage book about teenagers, this time Lyall, Jason and Fiona. Each faces different issues that could be faced by many teenagers today: death, fostering, pregnancy scare, being a carer.

I think it's good for teachers to read these books. It reminds me, at any rate, of the sorts of issues that my students might be facing when they come (or don't come) to school.

Unheard Voices collected by Malorie Blackman

The second book I took out was Unheard Voices, a collection of stories and poems about slavery, to mark the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade. Some of the stories were passages from books written by freed slaves, others by the descendants of slaves. The book is split into about 5 parts, each part dealing with one aspect of the slave trade.

Some of the writing was amongst the most vivid and moving that I have ever read about the slave trade. Highly recommended.

Jack Sweettooth by Malorie Blackman

I decided to follow up "Tell Me No Lies" by reading some more Malorie Blackman. I thought I had read most of her titles in the school library, but managed to find another couple of books that I have started to read in the tube.

The first book, Jack Sweettooth, only took half the tube journey home to finish. It's a very short story, aimed at much younger children, and a nice tale about a little mouse, a family pet. There are three short chapters. Sweet.

Tell Me No Lies - Malorie Blackman

Yet another excellent book from Malorie Blackman. This time aimed at younger teens, I'd guess. An incredibly frustrating read, as well. Two young teenagers, Gemma and Mikey, meet at school. One has a secret, one works out what it is. They share something - neither lives with their mother, for different reasons - but what is so frustrating is the way they relate to each other. Half conversations, blurted phrases, frightened actions, all result in these two young people, who might have been friends, end up not understanding each other, resulting in bullying and other nasty consequences. I wanted to shake them both, to tell them to tell the other what they were really thinking, to give each other a second chance ... As my school librarian said, you can tell it's well written when it raises that emotion in you. So it must be good.

Does My Head Look Big In This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah

Amal is an Australian-Muslim-Palestinian. Who has decided to go full time. Which means wearing her hijab to her non-faith private school, as well as to the shops and the local teenage hangouts.

This book was insightful, and had lots of passages that would be useful teaching material! It's not just about Islam, it's also about how we all treat each other. Makes a nice change from other teenage girl books about sex and stuff. This one is more about friendship and families. Glad it's in the school library. Will need to encourage my students to borrow it.

The Fire Eaters by David Almond

Took this with me into town. Glad I did. Had an hour long wait at the bank, then half an hour on the bus across town. Finished before I reached my final destination.

A well told story where not a lot happens, but a lot happens too, in the life of a little boy, Bobby Burns. He meets a man that eats fire, his father might be ill, he starts school where a bully of a teacher enjoys caning pupils, and the world is preparing for a nuclear war to start. In the midst of this, Bobby spends time with his friends, and prays that everything will be okay.

Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

This is the second time I have read this. I first read it while in Rome, shortly before the death of Pope John Paul II. It was therefore a very timely read, and it was, I thought, much better than the second of Dan Brown's books, The Da Vinci Code. I still think it's better, but I'm more aware of its literary shortcomings this time round, I think because I already know the story. However, the story is still a gripping one, and I have enjoyed re-reading the book.

I wanted to re-read it in time for the film coming out, which I am looking forward to. I hope it will be a lot better than The Da Vinci Code film. I think it's all a bit more ... plausible is not exactly the right word, tangible perhaps? Anyway, I'm looking forward to it. And to the next Dan Brown novel, which I think is due out in September ... watch this space!