Year 5

A young couple wakes up to find a strange boy asleep on their porch. At first they don't expect him to stay, but stay he does, and as the couple's connection to him grows, the three of them blossom into an unlikely family. But where has he come from and to whom does he belong?

 

 

Explore friendship, love, revenge, life and death.

 

My Place traces the history of one small part of Australia and the people who have lived there, from the Dreaming until the present day. As time folds rhythmically backwards, children describe their homes, their families, their pets, and their special celebrations. The constant sources of renewal in the landscape are the big tree and the creek.

 

A classic story set in World War Two, this tells how three children, Ruth, Edek and Bronia are helped by the young orphan Jan to escape from the horrors of Warsaw after the arrest of their parents. How the children travel across war torn Europe surviving every kind of danger and privation is thrilling and deeply moving. It is the story of a terrible time made bearable by the strong streak of humanity at its heart and by the unusual acts of kindness the children experience on their travels.

 

A terrifying quest in a world of wolves, tree spirits and Hidden People, a world in which trusting a friend means risking your life.

 

 

Varjak Paw is a Mesopotamian Blue kitten. He lives high up in an old house on a hill. He's never left home, but then his grandfather tells him about the Way - a secret martial art for cats. Now Varjak must use the Way to survive in a city full of dangerous dogs, cat gangs and, strangest of all the mysterious Vanishings.

 

 

Set in an imaginary England when King James 111 is on the throne and wolves still roam the country, this is a fabulous adventure full of imagination and surprise. Having travelled to London to become a painter, Simon finds things are not all as he had hoped. Staying with the Twites and attending the unusual Art Academy, Simon uncovers a plot to kill the king before being kidnapped and bundled off to sea. Luckily for him, Dido Twite has already stowed away on the very same ship. Dido is a match for most things which is just as well as one disaster after another follows. Will the ship mates survive it all intact?

 

 

An adventure novel about a son's attempt to rescue his father and return to him a special gift.

 

 

Alex Rider is fourteen when his whole world is turned upside down. Already an orphan, his guardian is killed in suspicious circumstances and Alex is finds himself forcibly recruited into the MI6 to train as a super spy. He performs deeds of unimaginable daring, faces terrible danger – and lives to tell the tale.

 

 

Felix has been placed by his parents in an orphanage for safe-keeping but, when the Germans come and burn the books in the orphanage library, Felix knows he must set out to return to his parents who are booksellers and make sure they are safe. Felix’s journey is dangerous and desperate but also full of courage and hope in a world where friendships and loyalty are the glue that hold things together.

 

 

Ade loves living at the top of a tower block. From his window, he feels like he can see the whole world stretching out beneath him. But one day, other tower blocks on the estate start falling down around them and strange, menacing plants begin to appear.

 

 

If Mrs Tischbein had known the amazing adventures her son Emil would have in Berlin, she'd never have let him go. Unfortunately, when his seven pounds goes missing on the train, Emil is determined to get it back - and when he teams up with the detectives he meets in Berlin, it's just the start of a marvellous money-retrieving adventure . . .

 

 

The classic ghost story from Penelope Lively, one of the modern greats of British fiction for adults and children alike.

 

 

Escaping from China as the Japanese invade, Ashley and Uncle Sung embark on a perilous journey across the Himalayas. Then Ashley finds himself alone in the hostile mountains, battling for his life. He is just about to give up all hope, when he has a mysterious and terrifying encounter . . .

 

 

When Ted and Kat watched their cousin Salim get on board the London Eye, he turned and waved before getting on. After half an hour it landed and everyone trooped off - but no Salim. Where could he have gone? How on earth could he have disappeared into thin air? Since the police are having no luck finding him, Ted and Kat become sleuthing partners.

 

In a 1950s-style future, Jack and his mum run a little burger van cafe. The cafe is close to broke because of the new flyover, so when Jack comes home with only an old can of baked beans in return for their last few pennies, his mother throws it out of the window. Overnight it grows into a gigantic baked beanstalk, which takes Jack to the castle of a giant who spends his life counting his huge fortune.

 

 

Charity Delafield has grown up in a vast mansion with her fiercely strict father and has been forbidden from setting foot beyond the gates. The mystery is gradually revealed with a series of clues being revealed in this well written story from Ian Beck.

 

School poses its own set of problems for Marshall. Once a popular, out-going young man, Marshall is now a frightened, miserable wreck. All because of Chad. Chad is a bully, who makes Marshall's life utterly unbearable. One day, hoping to avoid Chad’s taunts, Marshall and Tamaya decide to go through the woods ... And what is waiting there for them is both startling and sinister.

 

 

Do you have a book recommendation to share with your classmates?

Simply collect a copy of the book review template from your class reading corner

to record your ideas and opinions on.

Finally, post your completed review into the Reading Postbox, outside the year 4 classroom!

Keep an eye on this webpage, to see your recommendation published!