Liz Hyder’s Top 5 World Book Day Reads
Posted 5th March 2020
Your World Book Day choice is… Bearmouth by Liz Hyder!
When new boy Devlin arrives, Newt’s world begins changing. The men who live and work down the mine have never questioned their place in the world, but when Devlin starts asking questions, Newt begins to wonder why…
Bearmouth is a remarkable YA novel about friendship, resistance and the courage to stand up for what’s right.
Liz Hyder, author of Bearmouth, is one of the best read people we know, so we set her the challenge of picking her Top 5 Books for Young People (although there may have been a little cheating…). Check out her recommendations!
The Wereworld series by Curtis Jobling – this cracking fantasy series moves at whiplash speed with some of the most brilliant characters you could ever imagine, from the charismatic shark werelord Vega and our hero Drew to the strong-willed apprentice scout Whitley, they will live in your mind long after you’ve finished the last page. There are six books in this highly addictive series – you have been warned!
Freedom by Catherine Johnson – one of our best historical fiction writers, Johnson’s beautiful and compelling books are always worth seeking out. Freedom is an action-packed adventure telling the tale of Nathaniel, a young slave who is brought to England, leaving behind his family in Jamaica. It’s hand-in mouth gripping but filled with emotion as well as historical detail. I loved every page and didn’t want it to end.
The Garvie Smith trilogy by Simon Mason – Starting with Running Girl and ending with Hey Sherlock! the Garvie Smith trilogy is note-perfect crime fiction and features one of the most frustrating, brilliant, funny and irritating teenage boys you will ever meet, Garvie Smith. You’ll root for him whilst also wanting to shake him by the shoulders and give him a hug. Each book contains unpredictable and surprising twists and turns.
The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander – if you liked Lord of the Rings but wondered why they were quite so po-faced, had pretty much no female characters in and were short on laughs, this is the series for you! Five short books make up this pacy fantasy adventure series inspired by Welsh myth and legend and told with real wit. I genuinely don’t understand why the series isn’t better known – it’s a classic.
The Red Abbey Chronicles by Maria Turtschaninoff – if you’re an aspiring writer yourself, these are a masterclass in world building. Hugely atmospheric with characters that leap straight into your heart, start with Maresi, the first in the series (and a fairly short book) and let your heart be taken. Turtschaninoff is an extraordinary writer, minimalist but evocative. Perfection.
What would be on your Top 5? Bearmouth is definitely be on ours! Head to our Twitter to let us know, or go back to the mystery packages to see what else awaits…
