3H Book Recommendations for the Summer Holidays – part 3
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: Nevermoor - Jessica Townsend
Morrigan Crow is cursed. Born on an unlucky day, she is blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks - and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on Eventide. But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away to a secret magical city called Nevermoor.
Nevermoor is a fairly fast-paced novel which consists of a creative and unique plot. It features the thrill of a high stakes competition while also exploring recurring themes such as friendship and self confidence. Moreover, the complexities of the protagonist’s flaws makes her much more realistic, while also maintaining room for character growth, seen throughout the book. In fact, all the characters in the book have diverse and distinctive personalities which in turn creates a balance of both a character and plot driven novel.
Year 5 and 6: The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Moral allegory and spiritual autobiography, ‘The Little Prince’ is the most translated book in the French language. With a timeless charm it tells the story of a little boy who leaves the safety of his own tiny planet to travel the universe, learning the vagaries of adult behaviour through a series of extraordinary encounters. His personal odyssey culminates in a voyage to Earth and further adventures.
The story is told by a pilot who crash-lands his plane in the Sahara desert. While he tries to repair his engine and monitor, a little boy - the Little Prince - appears out of nowhere and tells him of his travels and encounters with various adults. The story, although simple, highlights how most grown-ups miss out on the candid aspects of life such as friendship, love and the beauty of the world because they are too occupied with wealth and power.
Year 7 and 8: Legend – Marie Lu (series)
The Legend trilogy is a compelling series set in a futuristic North America, where the continent is divided into the Republic in the West and the Colonies in the East. Day is a teenage boy living in the slums and the Republic’s most wanted criminal. June is the Republic’s prodigy, one of the top agents of the military, despite only being fifteen. When June’s brother is murdered in cold blood, Day is accused of being the prime suspect. As their paths cross, they soon learn that there is so much hidden under the surface, and as they slowly uncover the secrets of the war-torn country they live in, the truth begins to unfurl.
The Legend series is filled with mystery and suspense, and packed full of plot twists and ultimate betrayals. As the characters begin to understand the world around them, they learn about when to take risks, when to stand one’s ground, and the reader too discovers the tenacious bonds of family and the purpose of belonging when the world you once knew and adored comes apart at the seams. A story of love and sacrifice, growth and reflection, the Legend trilogy ultimately teaches us the lengths one would go to save the people they love most.
