King’s Book Award

Today marks the launch of The King’s School Chester Book Award. The books have been introduced to pupils and students today, encouraging them to read as many books as they can from the list before World Book Week (4th-8th March). In addition to encouraging reading over this period we will be arranging for some of the authors to visit the school or have Skype chats with us. There will be quizzes and competitions related to the books allowing students to win prizes and earn points for their House.

Below provides an outline of the books shortlisted for the Senior School:

‘Beyond the Bright Sea’ by Lauren Wolk. A girl who was found washed up on a tiny island when she was just a few hours old sets out on a quest to find out who she really is.

‘The Guggenheim Mystery’ by Robin Stevens. Ted Spark finds himself caught up in another mystery as his aunt is accused of stealing a painting from the Guggenheim Museum. N.B. This is a sequel to ‘The London Eye Mystery’ by Siobhan Dowd, but can be read as a stand-alone book

‘The Midnight Gang’ by David Walliams. Five children have magical adventures on the stroke of midnight in the hospital ward where they are all having to spend Christmas N.B. All the children are in hospital for treatment. One child is described as being so ill that she spends most of her time sleeping and is described as having no hair.

‘Thornhill’ by Pam Smy. A girl is drawn to the abandoned children’s home next to her house and discovers a ghostly mystery when she sees a mysterious figure in the overgrown grounds. Told partly through illustrations. N.B. Contains descriptions of bullying in a care home and the difficulties the child has in alerting adults. Also contains a mysterious death, but no graphic violence.

‘Wed Wabbit’ by Lissa Evans. A young girl and her reclusive cousin find themselves suddenly plunged into the world of her younger sister’s favourite picture book. A very funny am imaginative book. N.B. This is a very light-hearted book overall, but the main character is coming to terms with the death of her father.

‘Witchborn’ by Nicholas Bowling. After her mother is executed for being a witch, Alyce flees to London where she soon finds herself embroiled in the royal machinations of Queen Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots, whilst trying to understand her own emerging powers.

‘After the Fire’ by Will Hill. A teen girl raised in a strict religious cult begins to distrust the cult leader and question his methods. What do you do when everything you thought you knew turns out to be a lie? A provocative and powerful novel about control, trust and identity inspired by the events of the 1993 Waco Siege.

‘Moonrise’ by Sarah Crossan. A boy spends the summer getting to know his older brother before he is executed, having spent the last ten years on death row. Ed’s execution date has been set, and Joe is determined to spend those last weeks with him, no matter what other people think. This poignant, stirring, huge-hearted novel asks big questions. What value do you place on life? What can you forgive? And just how do you say goodbye?

‘One of Us is Lying’ by Karen McManus. Four teenagers are suspected of murder when a fellow classmate dies during the detention they were all in. Simon never makes it out of that classroom and according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. He’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.

‘S.T.A.G.S.’ by M.A. Bennett. Nine misfit students from a prestigious boarding school discover they are the prey when they are invited to a weekend of hunting at the home of one of their fellow students. Nine students. Three bloodsports. One deadly weekend. This is a thriller full of twists.

‘Truth or Dare’ by Non Pratt (our Patron of Reading). Claire Casey hates being the centre of attention. But when she meets the charming Sef and finds out his older brother, Kam, has been paralysed in an accident she wants to help them both. Claire and Sef start playing an online game of truth or dare to raise money for Kam’s care, but as the dares become more dramatic, they discover that love can be the most dangerous game of all. N.B. Written by the school’s Patron of Reading

‘Turtles all the Way Down’ by John Green Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis. Aza is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts.

We hope that your children enjoy taking part in the Book Award, and that they discover some new books and authors as a result.

To find out more about the award follow @KSCLibrarian on Twitter.