Teen Scene

I blame Paul Jennings's Tongue-Tied.

One day in Year 7 my brother brought a book home; Tongue-Tied. He bragged for hours as he does about everything in life that Paul Jennings was the best writer in the world. I disagreed as I do about most things he says. I said Jacqueline Wilson was by far the best author in the entire world and to prove that I was right I set about reading both authors and in the process I fell in love with reading. I carried on reading and discovered Malorie Blackman, Melvin Burgess, Anthony Harowitz and Meg Cabot were all brilliant, imaginative authors who told stories which were sensitive, truthful and compelling. 

Tongue Tied 

A strange and startling new collection from this great teller of fantastic tales. Just a taste - Jason keeps his dead mother's hat as a memento and is fiercely possessive of it, taking it with him to the wildlife sanctuary where his father lives. His father gives him a gruelling task that results in a terrible choice - the hat will save a life and reveal an astonishing truth.

 In another story, there's a court case to determine the fate of Sandy, the family's smelly dog, and an old man gives new meaning to "speaking through your bottom". 

Then, when is kissing not kissing? The distinction gets blurred for Jeremy after he buys the love of his life a guppy for her birthday.

Vicky Angel

Jade and Vicky are best friends, but when Vicky is killed in an accident she doesn't let a little old thing like being dead interfere with her life. Instead, she continues as normal, following Jade around, telling her what to do, how to think, how to behave and ruining any chance Jade may have to make new friends. 

Eventually Jade tires of it all, and although she still loves Vicky deeply, she realises she has to get on with her own life.

Noughts and Crosses

Sephy and Callum have been best friends since childhood, and now they are older and they realise they want more from each other. But the harsh realities of lives lived in a segregated society are beginning to take their toll: Callum is a nought--a second-class citizen in a world dominated by the Crosses--and Sephy is a Cross, and the daughter of one of the most powerful men in the country. 

The barriers they would have to cross to be together at first seem little more than minor obstacles to the two idealistic teenagers, but soon those barriers threaten not only their friendship but their lives.

Point Blank 

Investigations into the "accidental" deaths of two of the world's most powerful men have revealed just one link: both had a son attending Point Blanc Academy — an exclusive school for rebellious rich kids, run by the sinister Dr Grief and set high on an isolated mountain peak in the French Alps. Armed only with a false ID and a new collection of brilliantly disguised gadgets, Alex must infiltrate the academy as a pupil and establish the truth about what is really happening there.







Doing It

Dino really fancies fit, sexy Jackie, but she just won't give him what he wants. Jonathan likes Deborah, but she's a bit fat - what will his mates say? Ben's been secretly shagging his teacher for ages. He used to love it, but what if he wants it to stop? Three lads discovering sex for the first time. But do any of them really know what they're doing?










The Princess Diaries 

It's nearly Mia's ffiteenth birthday. A time when a princess should be looking forward to total self-actualization. 

And getting ready for the biggest night of her life - the senior prom, escorted by her ultra-hottie boyfriend, Michael. But nothing's going according to plan. It's bad enough that Mia's facing a summer of sceptre-wielding in Genovia. Even worse is the fact that the man of her dreams has neglected to invite her to the prom at all. Hello, what exactly is going ON there? Just as Mia cooks up a plan to change Michael's mind, disaster strikes. 

The kind of disaster that only a mirale can overcome. A miracle called Grandmere...