3H Book Recommendations for the Summer Holidays – part 1
The summer holidays is the perfect time to do a lot of reading before the busyness of term 1 steals all your free time. The English mentors of 3H have specially compiled a list of books suitable for each year level for you to read. Most of the books we recommend will be readily available to be borrowed at the local library or bought on an online bookshop.
A new book recommendation for each age group will come out every week, so make sure you visit the 3H website often!
Year 3 and 4: The Land of Stories (Series)- Chris Colfer
Alex and Conner Bailey’s world is about to change, in this fast-paced adventure that uniquely combines our modern day world with the enchanting realm of classic fairy tales. The Land of Stories tells the tale of twins Alex and Conner. Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, they leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with fairy tale characters they grew up reading about.
The first book, The Wishing Spell, is a wonderful book filled with twists and turns and plenty of surprises along the way. The story leaves the reader completely spellbound, lost in a world full of fairy tale characters, completely caught up in an exciting and perilous journey with twelve-year-old brother and sister twins, Connor and Alex, as they try to navigate through a strange, yet familiar world in search of a way back home.
Year 5 and 6: Kira-Kira - Cynthia Kadohata
Glittering. That's how Katie Takeshima's sister, Lynn, makes everything seem. When Katie and her family move from a Japanese community in Iowa to the Deep South of Georgia, it's Lynn who explains to her why people stop on the street to stare, and it's Lynn who, with her special way of viewing the world, teaches Katie to look beyond tomorrow, but when Lynn becomes desperately ill, and the whole family begins to fall apart, it is up to Katie to find a way to remind them all that there is always something glittering in the future.
This book provides the reader with a character who they could relate to and understand, and teaches the reader about spirit, strength and the importance of family. By seeing the characters grow through their surroundings, the story allows the reader to view life from a new perspective and opens their eyes to a world beyond their own.
Year 7 and 8: Ender’s Game (Series) – Orson Scott Card
The novel tells the story of a young boy, Ender Wiggin, who is sent to a training academy named Battle School, located in orbit above the Earth, built to train people to become soldiers that will one day battle against a vast alien race known as "Buggers".
The first book is called ‘Ender’s Game’, as is part of an epic sci-fi saga; it is both very entertaining and thought-provoking. With themes ranging from war games to politics, this book turns a what may seem at first glance to be a relatively simple and perhaps cliche sci-fi premise to an original and interesting read.
