Recommended reading over the Christmas holidays

As the Christmas holidays approach, we asked our English teachers, Louis Provis, Alex Sarychknin and Eleanor St John Sutton for their book recommendations.

So, find a cosy corner, grab a hot drink, and let's dive in...

Younger readers

‘October, October’ (2020)

Louis - ‘October, October’ by Katya Balen is an award-winning story about a girl (whose name is October) growing up in the wild woods and learning where she belongs when her whole world changes. I've used it as a "class reader" with several Year 7 classes in recent years, and they have all loved it.

Winner of the 2022 Carnegie Medal and shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, it’s perfect for young readers who love nature, adventure, and heartfelt storytelling."

‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ (1999-2006)

Alex - There's something exciting about the prospect of entering such a rich and detailed fictional world, that by the end, you feel as though you were right there inside of it all along. Lemony Snicket's ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ is a perfect set of 13 novels that draw you into the Baudelaire story. There are mysteries, bereavements, moments of joy and hope, sudden pain and loss.

For younger readers, it's great because, as the books progress, so do the themes. I grew up alongside these books and a lot of what I first understood about the world came from these pages.

‘The Hunger Games’ (2008-2010)

Eleanor - If you are looking for an action-packed, detailed plot that keeps your heart racing, look no further than 'The Hunger Games' trilogy - three books detailing Katniss Everdeen's struggle to survive the devious and violent Hunger Games, the yearly punishment Panem faces for its rebellion over 70 years ago.

One of my favourite books to recommend to students as no one can resist the suspense of seeing Katniss compete in the struggle for her life. A great introduction to the world of dystopian fiction.

Mid-teenage readers

‘A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’ (2019)

Louis - Holly Jackson's ‘A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’ is a gripping, twist-filled mystery that follows clever teen, "Pip", as she endeavours to uncover the truth about a murder in her small town (appropriately named Little Kilton).

Winner of the British Book Award for Children’s Fiction (2020) and shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, it is bound to capture anyone fond of love crime, suspense, and smart, fearless heroines. Oh, and there are three follow-up books, keeping you busy all through the Christmas break...

‘The Catcher in the Rye’ (1951)

Alex - The perfect time to connect with the quintessential cynic Holden Caulfield is when you too are a quintessential cynic, starting to see the imperfections in the world, and wondering why the adults aren't the perfect individuals they had led you to believe.

This is required reading for everybody, and a book you will come back to time and time again, until you too are an imperfect adult and you wish you could go back and see the world through the questioning eyes of Holden Caulfield.

‘Little Women’ (1868)

Eleanor - ​​A classic tale of sisterhood and growing up, set against the struggle of the American Civil War. Sisters Meg, Jo, Amy and Beth undergo trials and tribulations, fights and celebrations together and learn not only how to be there for each other but also how to become the best versions of themselves.

Anyone who reads this finds their own favourite sister for whom to root and will join the generations of readers who love to grow up with the March sisters.

Older readers

‘Never Let Me Go’ (2005)

Louis - Every time I re-read or even think about ‘Never Let Me Go’ by Kazuo Ishiguro, I weep.

It is a beautifully devastating novel about love, memory, and what it means to be human, set in what turns out to be a dystopian version of England. Shortlisted for the Booker Prize and written by a winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature (2017), it’s perfect for older readers who enjoy thought-provoking, emotionally powerful stories.

‘The Secret History’ (1992)

Alex - I find it difficult to describe the feelings that Donna Tartt's ‘The Secret History’ made me feel the first time I read it. Her writing is unlike anything I've seen since. It's piercing, emotional and cutthroat. Not a single wasted word upon the page.

On paper, it's a detective novel, a campus story about university students pulled into a strange and disturbing situation. But it's more than this - because really, it's a novel about the dangers of trust, and cliques, and self-aggrandising behaviour. I don't really want to give anything away. Just make it your next novel.

‘The Bluest Eye’ (1970)

Eleanor - A rich, powerful and ultimately devastating novel to which I return again and again. Nine-year-old Claudia MacTeer narrates the summer that she knew Pecola Breedlove, a quiet girl with a tumultuous and abusive family life who wants to have blue eyes.

The story is a searing narrative about racism, innocence, violence and societal injustice that traces Pecola's family through three generations while also interrogating a society that abandons its most vulnerable. A life-changing book that will challenge your perspective and continue to resonate long after you have turned the last page.