Reading lists for KS3 pupils

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Books for KS3 children and teens aged 11-14 – our recommendations

Please find below our suggested reading lists for Year 7 (11-12-year-olds), Year 8 (12-13-year-olds), and Year 9 (13-14-year-olds). These book choices are regularly updated and feature titles from a wide range of genres to appeal to both confident and reluctant readers.

In KS3, students should be exploring a mix of adventure, classics, realistic fiction, and non-fiction – books that challenge their thinking and introduce them to different perspectives. Standout titles like The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke, The Giver by Lois Lowry, Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver, and The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank offer a great starting point, but variety is key. Adventure lovers might enjoy The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd or The Letter for the King by Tonke Dragt, while those drawn to classics could try Animal Farm by George Orwell or Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. For realistic fiction, Refugee Boy by Benjamin Zephaniah and The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis provide compelling narratives, while fantasy and sci-fi fans might prefer The Giver Quartet by Lois Lowry.

Beyond genres, good reading choices help students develop critical thinking – grappling with themes like identity, justice, and prejudice, analysing characters’ motivations, and seeing the world through different perspectives. Encouraging them to choose books based on their interests, whether that’s history, adventure, or graphic novels, can make all the difference, especially for reluctant readers. Some great picks by year group include Skellig by David Almond and The Seeing Stone by Kevin Crossley-Holland for Year 7, The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke and Trash by Andy Mulligan for Year 8, and The Giver by Lois Lowry for Year 9. Whatever they choose, the goal is to make reading feel less like homework and more like an adventure.

Key Stage 3 (KS3) reading resources

• Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools (EEF) – guidance report with seven recommendations to boost reading and writing across all subjects at KS3. Emphasises disciplinary literacy, teaching of academic vocabulary, and strategies to support weaker readers.
• BBC Bitesize KS3 English – online resources for Key Stage 3 students, including guides to understanding Shakespeare and classic literature, tips for analysing texts, and activities to practice inference and critical reading skills.
• Oak National Academy – KS3 English – free teaching units for Years 7–9, covering novel studies, poetry analysis, and non-fiction texts. Offers structured lessons to develop comprehension, interpretation and comparison skills in line with KS3 curriculum.
• DfE Reading Framework (2023) – government guidance (PDF) that includes strategies for supporting older pupils who struggle with reading, guidance on reading across the curriculum, and advice on promoting reading for pleasure in KS3.
• Free reading resources (primary & secondary) – our collection of printable resources such as reading challenge charts, book review templates and library posters that KS3 teachers can use to motivate students and track reading progress.