Ready to meet your next read? Teen Breathe has teamed up with writer, book blogger, and avid reader Emily Waller to bring you our latest book recommendations.
THE DEADLY DAYLIGHT BY ASH HARRIER (AGES 8+)
12-year-old Alice England is anything but ordinary. Working alongside her father in the family owned funeral home, receiving messages from the dead, and possessing belongings that enable her to view snippets of a deceased client’s life has made for an unusual childhood. Without many friends, Alice finds companionship in an equally peculiar girl, Violet, the niece of George Devenish – a man who died of the same sunlight allergy Violet suffers from. When Alice becomes suspicious George’s death isn’t all that it seems, the duo team up to uproot secrets much darker than anyone imagined. An intelligent, curious, and adventurous middle-grade mystery.
12 TO 22 BY JEN CALONITA (8+)
Harper, who’s just turned 12 and a half, is thrilled when her parents finally let her get social media accounts. But when she goes to post her first photo, something strange happens. She discovers a filter that shows you what you will look like when you’re older, and upon clicking on it, Harper’s life flashes forward in time to when she is 22. She has the freedom she’s always wanted and is working her dream job! But Harper soon realises that more has changed than she’d expected. Can she live the life of her dreams, or will there be more glitches? A fun, relatable book with page-turning twists.
A LITTLE SPARK BY BARRY JONSBERG (AGES 10+)
In the wake of her parents’s divorce, 13-year-old Caitlin Carson looks forward to every second weekend – precious time she is afforded to spend with her father, Michael. Caitlin knows the pair will have a memorable time together – often embarking on adventures spanning botanical garden strolls and hot air balloon rides that she channels into inspiration for her writing. However, when Catlin’s stepfather, Sam, lands a job that’ll see the family move to London, Caitlin must choose between staying with her beloved father or following her mother to England. A warm, joyous, and at times heartbreaking read.
DREAMING BY STARLIGHT BY SIOBHAN CURHAM (12+)
When Jazz and her family move from Sydney to Brighton, England for her dad’s career, she has trouble making friends and getting used to her new life – the beaches at her new home have stones instead of sand and the water is downright freezing. So when her older cousin Amber suggests a unique way of making friends, Jazz takes her advice and finds three new besties via postcard. Jazz, Allegra, Hope, and Portia may be very different, but they soon form a friendship that carries each of them through life’s ups and downs. A heartwarming story that celebrates the unbreakable bonds of true friendship.
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Intrigued by the art of storytelling from a young age, Emily is a passionate creative writer currently working on her debut novel. To read more of Emily’s bookish musings, check her out on Instagram @littlewaller
