1 . Best books for 12 to 14-year-olds

Mortal Engines

Author: Philip Reeve

Publisher: Scholastic

London is on the move again: the city searches the world for resources on wheels, eating smaller towns. But when he is thrown off the city, young hero Tom is soon forced to reexamine life as he knows it.

Set in a futuristic background, this imaginative story is a blend of action and adventure. The book has won the Blue Peter Book Award.

Coram Boy

Author: Jamila Gavin

Publisher: Egmont

Toby’s and Aaron’s lives are linked by the Coram Man, who collects unwanted children from across the country, supposedly to send them to a safe new life. In reality, the man sells the children into slavery. Soon, Toby and Aaron find themselves united on a journey, filled with danger and excitement.

Rich with historical detail, this book provides an important insight into the 1750s society. It was a winner of the Whitbread Children’s Book Award.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time

Author: Mark Haddon

Publisher: Red Fox

Seen through the eyes of Christopher, a mathematical talent and Sherlock Holmes fan, this novel opens with the discovery of a dead dog on a neighbor’s lawn. In his search to discover the identity of the killer, Christopher uncovers some information about his own family and he starts a journey to London to find his mother.

Watership Down

Author: Richard Adams

Publisher: Penguin

Young rabbit Fiver believes that a great disaster is about to strike the place where he lives－but no one will listen to him. At last he manages to ask a few brave rabbits to leave before it’s too late. Hunted by dogs and foxes, their journey is a dangerous one—but the rabbits can still dream of a peaceful and safe new life at Watership Down.

This book won both the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize and the Carnegie Medal.

1. Which author’s book focuses on life in the future according to the text?

A．Philip Reeve’s	B．Jamila Gavin’s.
C．Mark Haddon’s	D．Richard Adams’s.

2. What makes Christopher try to find out the truth?

A．His losing touch with his mother.	B．The dead body of a dog.
C．His neighbor’s request.	D．An overgrown lawn.

3. What is special about Watership Town?

A．Its main character is a detective lover.	B．Its stories are based on historical facts.
C．It is about some rabbits escaping a disaster.	D．It won the Whitbread Children’s Book Award.