Written by Catherine Forde
Published by Egmont

We've all been there. Somebody has come into our lives with whom we're not quite comfortable. And yet we can't find it in ourselves to leave them well alone. That's the position in which Keith finds himself when Reece moves in next door. Something tells him the boy is dangerous, but he can't quite put his finger on it. The book builds to a dramatic climax - it's not one you'll forget in a hurry. What would you have done?

Written by Terence Blacker
Published by Macmillan

When his mother dies, Sam Lopez is sent from America to live with his UK relations. His cousin Matthew and his friends do their best to befriend Sam, but after he lets them down badly they dare him as a forfeit to infiltrate their school's infamous girl gang - dressed as a girl. To their horror, amazement and grudging admiration, Operation Samantha succeeds all too well! An optimistic look at the teenage years, that offers genuine insights amidst the laughter.

Written by Cathy Cassidy
Published by Puffin

Dizzy has been brought up quite happily by her dad, until suddenly on her twelfth birthday her mother arrives back on the scene. Now calling herself Storm, Dizzy's mum whisks Dizzy away, without her father's consent, to a summer of festivals, music and freedom. But it doesn't take long for the novelty to wear off and although there are compensations, Dizzy soon becomes disenchanted with her new life. And she misses her dad. A warm, heartfelt tale by a new Scottish writer.

Written by Pete Johnson
Published by Barrington Stoke

When Spencer's best mate Zac turns 13 and starts wearing baggy trousers and huge trainers and even dating girls, Spencer is horrified. He is determined that no matter what, he is not going to turn into a teenager, but he soon discovers that his hormones are equally determined to have the last word. A very, very funny book!

Written by Karen Hesse
Published by Simon and Schuster

Set in the 18th century, this fascinating adventure story is based on the original records of a young sailor who sailed with Captain Cook and was the first to spot New Zealand. The gruelling journey is recorded in a compelling diary format.

Written by Anne Fine
Published by Mammoth Books

Reading Champion A superb collection of nine sharp, funny and yes, very different stories from the author of such favourites as Madame Doubtfire and Flour Babies. From romance to philosophy to footballers indulging in a spot of embroidery, all human life is here.

Written by Nicola Morgan
Published by Hodder Children's Books

Amy Evans age 13 from Knox Academy, Haddington recommends this new book by one of our Reading Champions: 'Fleshmarket is a very strong and powerful book, both morally and emotionally. It is set in Edinburgh in 1822 and gives an amazing insight to the city at that time. Robbie, aged nine, experiences the pain of death first hand when his mother dies after an operation performed by Doctor Knox - without anaesthetic. Robbie's father loses all their money and abandons them, leaving Robbie to look after himself and his little sister in the Edinburgh slums. This novel is not for the faint of heart or stomach!'

Written by Michael Morpurgo
Published by Collins

The latest book by the Children's Laureate is his heartfelt response to the tragedy of the 300 British soldiers shot for cowardice during the First World War. It's a story that wrings the emotions and there can't be a happy ending, but Morpurgo's unsentimental and intensely poignant writing makes it impossible to put down. This is book that older children and adults will want to talk about long after they've finished reading it.

Written by Gaye Hicyilmaz
Published by Faber and Faber

Reading Champion Elizabeth Laird has recently read this. She says, 'It's a book that lingers in the mind, because it takes you right into the lives of people you've probably never met - Turkish people living in Switzerland. It makes you feel just what it's like to be them. Also it's exciting, gripping and completely believable, and the characters are really interesting.'

Written by Tim Bowler
Published by Oxford University Press

Luke gets in with the wrong crowd - but getting out again proves impossible and he becomes entangled in a situation in which he is lying to just about everybody. But always, at the back of his mind, is the memory of his discovery in Mrs Little's house while he was supposed to be stealing her jewellery box.

Written by Keith Gray
Published by Red Fox

Malarkey is the 'new boy' at school, and he expects a bit of trouble settling in. But nothing could have prepared him for the bizarre events of his first few days, and the terrifying things he goes on to discover. Will he be able to hold his nerve?

Written by Alan Gibbons
Published by Orion

This novel is set in a small town, similar to those in which many of us live. Over the years, the various cultural groups have lived reasonably peaceably together but a series of relatively minor events build to create a situation which is dangerous and explosive. This offers an opening for a group of extremists to exert their sinister influence over young people who are restless and feel they have no power over their lives.

Written by Elizabeth Laird
Published by Macmillan

Jake dreams of a perfect father, somebody reliable, fair and steady. Real life is much less happy and he simply has to cope with what life throws at him. Can things ever get better? For Jake, or his mum?

Elizabeth is a Reading Champion. To find out more, click here.

Written by Nick Manns
Published by Hodder

When Graham and his family move to the country, everybody hopes that life will improve. But a combination of strange occurrences surrounding the house, and his father's increasingly erratic behaviour suggests that things are not what they ought to be...

Written by Debi Gliori
Published by Corgi

Raucous, rude, hilarious and ingenious - this book is all that and much more. The Strega Borgia family is one you won't forget, especially as the household includes some large and opinionative beasts in the basement!

Written by Diana Hendry
Published by Red Fox

Megan's family - or 'jumbily' as she calls it - is full of complications. Often this leads to trouble but they all have one thing in common - they simply want to be a proper family.

Diana is a Reading Champion. To find out more, click here.

Written by Theresa Breslin
Published by Corgi

The outbreak of World War 1 affects everybody in different ways. This novel follows a group of young people as they come to live a different kind of life as a result of the War. And then there are some who never return from the battlefields.

Theresa is a Reading Champion. To find out more, click here.

Nicola Morgan
Published by Hodder Children's Books

An extraordinary novel about a boy recovering from meningitis. Not only is he physically weakened, he also has to contend with an unpleasant and demanding inner voice and the colours which dominate his every thought and sensation.

Nicola is a Reading Champion. To find out more, click here.