Lou Kent

Front cover of Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl, 2018

YA sci-fi thriller. Expertly plotted to reveal the truth in gradual doses, characters that you don't really like, but that doesn't matter, and a murder mystery hidden in a time-bending nightmare. Five graduates meet up again after a harrowing year but are left to make a disturbing choice. #YAlit 💙📚

PSHE topic books for children aged 5-13 | School Reading List Books for PSHE topics including resillience, families, adoption, health, the economy, safety, citizenship, human rights, democracy and more.

schoolreadinglist.co.uk/category/gen...

Classroom-tested picks here. Elsewhere: classroom-guessed vibes with lots of hidden ads, paid links and dubious SEO. Get substance over swagger.

Every Friday @grainneobrien.bsky.social and I release a new episode of the #10MinuteBookClub
10 Minutes
1 Great Book
Check it it here! We discuss Nina Peanut by Sarah Bowie!

redcircle.com/shows/37a801...

@scholasticuk.bsky.social

Front cover of Relic Hamilton, Genie Hunter by Joseph Coelho, 2024

A fast-paced middle grade novel, full of action, danger and magic. Mainly prose with some verse, there is plenty to interest a young reader. Relic is a great character and has cool magic. #kidlitUK 💙📚

Front cover of Thirst by Darren Simpson, 2025

A YA novel with folklore, traditions, secrets and horror. A great read for October. ##YAlitUK 💙📚

Front cover of Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, 2011

YA dystopian fantasy romance. Lyrical and emotive with an ending that (I assume) sets up the rest of the series. #YAlit 💙📚

Front cover of The Hive by Anna February, 2025

YA dystopian, fantasy, murder mystery. Fascinating world-building based on the society of bees, complex relationships between royalty and their 'shields' (bodyguards), and plenty to think about rights, wrongs, and corruption. #YAlitUK 💙📚

Front cover of Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman, 2001

YA dystopian romance. Easy to see why this was so popular. Character voice comes through strongly (though I have to say I didn't like the main characters much) and it covers important themes and lessons on inequality. Well worth a read. ##YAlitUK 💙📚

Yes - I will definitely be reading The Owl King too.

Front cover of Nettle by Bex Hogan, 2024

A perfect reminder of the fairy tales I read when I was younger. There's folklore, fantasy and romance. Faeries, forests and the rule of three. Deals, danger and glamour. Great stuff. #YAlitUK 💙📚

Front cover of The Life and Time of Lonny Quicke by Kirsty Applebaum, 2021

What a fabulous MG book about life, time, family, friendship, safety and sacrifice. What would you do if you could save lives by hastening the end of your own? #kidlitUK 💙📚

Front cover of The Reluctant Vampire Queen by Jo Simmons, 2022

A great example of a humorous, romance book suitable for year 7. Friendship, bullies, honesty and standing up for yourself all tied up in an amusing tale of vampires and mini battenburgs. #YAlitUK 💙📚

Front cover of The Last Bookstore on Earth by Lily Braun-Arnold, 2025

Loved this YA post-apocalyptic sapphic romance. Brilliantly written and littered with literary references (of YA books, in the main), there were haunting moments, snarky dialogue and a smattering of gore. Whether I'd want to live out the apocalypse in a book shop remains to be seen..! #YAlit 💙📚

Front cover of The Wycherleys by Annaliese Avery, 2025

An enjoyable YA fantasy romance set in an alternate history - 1800s London. Witches, dark magic and a mystery. ##YAlitUK 💙📚

Front cover of The Empty Grave by Jonathan Stroud, 2017

A perfect end to the series. Horror, action and mystery for teens at its best. ##YAlitUK 💙📚

Front cover of Nightjar by Katya Balen, 2023

So deliciously short and sweet and complex all at once. In a style that is distinctive, the lyrical prose gives comfort as it tackles the big emotions. Noah is struggling with his father's visit, then finds and rescues a poorly nightjar. #kidlituk 💙📚

Front cover of Inkbound: Meticulous Jones and the Skull Tattoo by Philippa Leathley, 2025

A solid MG fantasy with fantastic world-building and fast-paced action. Seems to have a lot of marketing behind this one! Definitely for fans of Nevermoor. #kidlitUK 💙📚

Front cover of The Creeping Shadow by Jonathan Stroud, 2016

Every book so far in this series has been brilliant. I can't wait to read the next one. Just perfection! #YAlitUK 💙📚

Front cover of What Happens Online by Nathanael Lessore, 2025

Lessore is brilliant at writing humour whilst tackling real issues. His main characters always have warmth and humanity, even if they can't see it themselves and can make (pretty big) mistakes. This one includes online behaviours, loneliness, bullying, grief. A must for a school library. #YAlitUK 💙📚

Front cover of Augmented by Kenechi Udogu, 2025

A YA novel with an interesting take on the future where humans are enhanced in a particular skill and use it to earn a place in civilisation. There's tech, science, music and a smattering of romance. Dystopian sci-fi rooted in the effects of climate change. ##YAlitUK 💙📚

Front cover of Welcome to Camp Killer by Cynthia Murphy, 2023

A classic-style horror thriller set in a summer camp in England. Death, danger and ghostly goings-on. Great for reluctant teen readers. ##YAlitUK 💙📚

Front cover of Dracula by Bram Stoker, 1897

While away in Whitby, I had to read Dracula! Understandably a classic, though I got a bit annoyed with the characters explaining that they had to 'let all be put down exactly' so often. Easy to see why it was written as an epistolary novel, however. Gothic and atmospheric. 💙📚

Front cover of Riverskin by Mike Edwards, 2025

A middle grade novel about Tess, who lives in the river with her aunt and imprisoned 'unkle'. It's folklore, it's intriguing and written in Tess' distinctive voice, which gives us huge insights into 'eying' the world as Tess does. Themes of friendship, identity and handling emotions. #kidlitUK 💙📚

Front cover of Rhythm of War Part 2 by Brandon Sanderson, 2020

Epic in all the ways that count. After (inexplicably) waiting so long to read this, I'm now excited to read the fifth one. 💙📚

Front cover of Scythe by Neal Shusterman, 2016

I can't believe I took so long to select this from my tbr. It's so good! Dystopian YA where the only way to die is at the hands of a scythe, tasked with choosing and carrying out the 'gleaning' to keep the population down. So much to think about: morality, philosophy and corruption. #YAlit 💙📚

Front cover of Rhythm of War Part 1 by Brandon Sanderson, 2020

Usual Cosmere brilliance. 💙📚

Front cover of Tales from the Folly by Ben Aaronovitch, 2020

Always great to revisit Peter Grant's world. Sometimes housed in crime, sometimes in fantasy, these books are the perfect amalgamation of both. 💙📚

Front cover of The Librarian of Crooked Lane by C.J. Archer, 2022

A crime/mystery set in 1920s London where magicians with an affinity for certain materials exist - a historical magical realism novel, first in a series. The magic system is interesting and there are some cosy library moments. 💙📚

Front cover of The Glittering Edge by Alyssa Villaire, 2025

Standard YA fantasy (and romance) with witches, dark magic, curses and secrets. There was enough to keep me going until the ending, which suggests there will be a sequel. #YAlit 💙📚

Front cover of AdelAIDE: Just Wants to Help by Melinda Salisbury, 2024

A thrilling short YA story about eco-activism, social media and AI. #YAlitUK 💙📚