Train
Chris Bradford
The Way of the Warrior
(Young Samurai)
Shipwrecked off the Japanese coast in 1611, his father killed by ninja pirates, 11-year-old Jack is rescued by a Samurai. As a guijin, or foreigner, Jack is absolutely on his own, unable to understand the culture or language and having to prove himself to both his new master and his classmates. Vividly detailed, hold-your-breath tense and action-packed this is a stunning evocation of Japan and an exciting martial arts adventure boys will be gripped by to the very full stop.
Puffin · 9780141324302
Libba Bray
The Sweet Far Thing
The stunning conclusion of the Gothic trilogy starring 16-year-old Gemma, shipped off to a strict boarding school from India after the death of her mother. Dark magic, mycticism, mystery and true love collide with straight-laced Victorian morality in this addictive and unusual story.
Simon & Schuster · 9781847383259
Kate Brian
Legacy
(Private) 
The latest in the high-octane school series for girls. Secrets and lies, dramas and intrigue, gossip and glamour, murders and suicides, friendships and falling out, not to mention lots of regular retail therapy - it all happens at the exclusive Easton Academy!
Simon & Schuster · 9781847382627
Gennifer Choldenko
If a Tree Falls at Lunch Break
Kirsten has just been abandoned by her best friend but refuses to join the cool clique. She teams up with new boy to the school, Walk, and despite the obvious differences in their backgrounds, discovers they have much in common and can help each other more than she'd dreamed. Although this is a serious story about bullying, family break up, fitting in and racism it is hopeful rather than depressing with the same light tone and magical feel as Jerry Spinelli.
Bloomsbury · 9780747589273
Eva Ibbotson
The Dragonfly Pool
When war breaks out the high-spirited, independent-minded Tally is sent off to boarding school in deepest Devon very much against her will. Far from being the dull, dreary place she imagines, Delderton Hall is extraordinary and completely unconventional place with eccentric staff and interesting pupils. On a trip to the kingdom of Bergania, Tally meets up with a prince who sweeps her off on an exciting, highly dangerous adventure which tests her to the limit. Storytelling at its very, very best.
Macmillan · 9780330456357
Masashi Kishimoto
Naruto v. 32
Naruto is an attention-seeking, mischief-making teenage ninja in training determined to be the greatest ninja in his village. While he's deadly serious in his ambition he has a highly developed sense of fun too. In the latest installment of the long-running series, team Kakashi do battle with a spy in their midst. Highly addictive reading for boys and girls, Naruto has fast become a whole industry of books, anime, films, games and trading cards.
Viz Media · 9781421519449
Sara Lawrence
High Jinx
Prepare for all kinds of shenanigans at England's most exclusive boarding school for girls, a sort of 21st century Malory Towers, set on Brighton's cliff tops. School takes a back seat though for Jinx and Latiffe for whom the only subject on the curriculum is girls behaving badly, often very badly. Read this one yourself before putting it in your library, it's not for every school!
Faber · 9780571251377
Bali Rai
Are You Kidding? 
Set in the same school as Two Timer and Revenge of the Number Two, this is the final part of the series in which the goat which previously wandered the school corridors, Flossie, mysteriously disappears. Her disappearance coincides with the appointment of a new caretaker who just happens to be Marcus' granddad. Will Marcus be able to save his gramps - or the goat? A very silly, very funny, slightly gross read to convert those who find reading a struggle.
Barrington Stoke · 9781842995402
Carmen Reid
New Girl
(Secrets at St Jude's)
LA 'It' girl Gina has overstepped the mark this time - too much clothes shopping, IM-ing and staying out late together with one pool party too many meant her mum packed her off to the boarding school she attended as a child in... Scotland. There the boring teachers, horrible showers, hockey matches and school dinners are as far removed from LA as you can possibly imagine. Somehow Gina has to survive. Lucky then she has her crazy new dorm friends and the boys from the school next door to help her through it.
Enid Blyton's Malory Towers for the new millennium and just as addictive.
Corgi · 9780552557061
Justin Somper
Blood Captain
(Vampirates)
Orphaned twins Conor and Grace took to a life of piracy after a shipwreck, Conor on a pirate ship and Grace with the vampirates. In this the third book in the series the pair continue on their separate paths but danger comes in new forms, more evil and more terrifying than ever before...
Set five hundred years in the future this is a breathtakingly original twist on the currently fashionable pirate theme with a swashbuckling start, an exciting finale and many deadly duels and bloody battles in between. Pacy action, short chapters and plenty of edge of the seat cliffhanger chapter endings make the whole series hugely readable. This third imaginative installment has more danger and more spectacular action than ever before, a new evil villain and a vampirate guru.
Simon & Schuster · 9781416901020
Ali Sparkes
Stirring the Storm
(The Shapeshifter)
Just when he has become used to his new life as a shapeshifter Dax's life is thrown into chaos. He has reason to believe that those supposedly protecting him might actually be out to get him and all the other Children of Limitless Ability. Just what are their motives? Can he save his friends? How did they get such amazing shapeshifting powers?
Intrigue, conspiracy and excitement build to an unguessable conclusion to this thrilling set of adventures.
OUP · 9780192754691
Trenton Lee Stewart
The Mysterious Benedict Society
Four incredibly gifted children looking for special opportunities are all thrown together by chance after answering a mysterious newspaper ad. All are orphans and after a series of brain-boggling tests find themselves enrolled in The Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, under the authority of the eccentric Mr Benedict on a dangerous secret mission to infiltrate The Institute for orphans run by the wickedly evil Mr Curtain.
Not for nothing did this cleverly crafted story about family, love, loyalty and the importance of working together take the US by storm with its twisty turny plot, plentiful humour, endearing and highly individual characters and plethora of mindbending logic puzzles and challenges which test the reader as much as the characters themselves. You'll be hooked!
Chicken House · 9781906427023
Cecily von Ziegesar
Unforgettable
(It Girl)
Since her arrival at Waverly Academy, Jenny has always set out to make an impression and give everyone lots to talk about. This fourth in the series sees the girls start to overcome old enmities with the formation of the Women of Waverly club with some seriously exciting discussion topics on their agenda. It surely won't be long before the gossip starts flying again!
Featuring the most popular characters from the much talked about Gossip Girls series this is sure to be popular.
Headline · 9780755346684
Mark Walden
Escape Velocity
(HIVE - Higher Institute of Villainous Education)
HIVE is a high-tech Hogwarts, a top secret school of advanced villainy where students are trained for six years to become criminal masterminds. In this episode the Headteacher, Nero, is kidnapped and Otto, HIVE's star super-villain student, must use all his criminal cunning to crack MI6 and locate the Head's whereabouts - once he has managed to escape HIVE itself of course.
A fast-paced and vividly drawn thriller with plenty of computer interfacing and a stunningly designed accompanying website which has a deservedly huge and growing fanbase.
Bloomsbury · 9780747594857
