How it works: 3 books each month, a mix of adventure, mystery, sci‑fi and true stories. Fill the tiny log for recall. For each chapter remember to highlight a sentence and explain why you chose it!
September 2025
- Kensuke’s Kingdom — Michael Morpurgo
- Samson Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
- Apollo Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
- The London Eye Mystery — Siobhan Dowd
- Apollo Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
- Samson Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
- The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (Young Readers) — William Kamkwamba, Bryan Mealer
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
October 2025
- The City of Ember — Jeanne DuPrau
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
- Stormbreaker (Alex Rider #1) — Anthony Horowitz
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
- Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World — Jennifer Armstrong
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
November 2025
- Swallows and Amazons — Arthur Ransome
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
- The Explorer — Katherine Rundell
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
- Number the Stars — Lois Lowry (swap for The War That Saved My Life if you prefer)
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
December 2025
- Hatchet — Gary Paulsen
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
- Brightstorm — Vashti Hardy
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
- Wonder — R. J. Palacio
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
January 2026
- The Westing Game — Ellen Raskin
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
- Murder Most Unladylike — Robin Stevens
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
- The Boy at the Back of the Class — Onjali Q. Raúf
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
February 2026
- My Side of the Mountain — Jean Craighead George
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
- Hoot — Carl Hiaasen
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
- Bomb (Young Readers) — Steve Sheinkin
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
March 2026
- Five on a Treasure Island — Enid Blyton
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
- Peak — Roland Smith
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
- Hidden Figures (Young Readers) — Margot Lee Shetterly
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
April 2026
- The Eagle of the Ninth — Rosemary Sutcliff
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
- Framed! — James Ponti
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
- War Horse — Michael Morpurgo
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
May 2026
- A Night Divided — Jennifer A. Nielsen
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
- The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle — Avi
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
- The Wild Robot — Peter Brown
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
June 2026
- Ranger’s Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan — John Flanagan
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
- Airborn — Kenneth Oppel
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
- The Great Brain — John D. Fitzgerald
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
July 2026
- The Silver Sword — Ian Serraillier
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
- Refugee — Alan Gratz
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
- Kidnapped — Robert Louis Stevenson
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
August 2026
- Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry — Mildred D. Taylor
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
- The Call of the Wild — Jack London
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
- Journey to the Center of the Earth — Jules Verne
- Start: ____ Finish: ____ Rating /10: ____
Monthly mini‑log
For each finished book, jot a line or two.
Title: __________________________
Start date: ____ Finish date: ____ Pages read: ____ Time spent: ____
Favourite quote or idea: _____________________________________________________
New words: ________________________
What I learned or noticed: _________________________________________________
Rating /10: ____
Easy swaps by taste
- More puzzles and sleuthing: The Mysterious Benedict Society, Enid Blyton’s Adventure series.
- More survival and outdoors: The Wild Robot Escapes (sequel), The Ranger’s Apprentice sequels, Sky Hawk — Gill Lewis.
- More real‑world courage: The Silver Sword, Goodnight Mister Tom, A Long Walk to Water.
- Light sci‑fi without magic: The City of Ember sequels, A Night Divided is historical not sci‑fi but pairs well.
- Minecraft treat pick: Minecraft: The Island — Max Brooks.
Family reading challenge
Tick the boxes as you go.
- September complete
- October complete
- November complete
- December complete
- January complete
- February complete
- March complete
- April complete
- May complete
- June complete
- July complete
- August complete
Reward idea: choose a day trip or a special dessert when you finish a term or a season.