Upper Secondary
Reading List
You will only live once if you do not read books. So pick up any of these specially selected books from a variety of
genres – Thriller, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, Realistic Fiction and Non-Fiction – to broaden your lives. For
more awesome reasons to pick up a book, refer to The Little Book Book.
Title: 5 to 1
Author: Holly Bodger
Call No.: Y BOD
SCIENCE FICTION
Set in India in the year 2054, boys in India outnumber girls five to one, meaning that women are now the key
to the future of the population. Sudasa, who has come of age, has five boys competing to be her husband
in the Tests. She tries to sabotage the competition in order to be free to live her own life, unaware that
Contestant Five is trying to do the exact same thing.
All Rights Reserved, Alfred A. Knopf, 2015.
(This book is also available on eReads at www.nlb.gov.sg.)
Title: The Shadow Prince (Into the Dark, Book 1)
Author: Bree Despain
Call No.: Y DES
FANTASY
Haden Lord is the prince of the Underrealm. He was chosen by the Oracle to bring a mortal girl back to the
land of the dead. Haden’s quest was supposed to be easy, until he finds himself falling in love with the girl.
All Rights Reserved, Egmont USA, 2014.
(This book is also available on eReads at www.nlb.gov.sg.)
Title: Empty
Author: Suzanne Weyn
Call No.: Y WEY
SCIENCE FICTION
What will happen to mankind when fossil fuels run out? This book explores that scenario in a small town in
America. As food and electricity diminish, a group of teenagers must find a way to survive without all the
things they once took for granted.
All Rights Reserved, Scholastic, 2010.
Title: Teaching Cats to Jump Hoops (Cultural Medallion)
Author: You Jin
Call No.: SING YOU
REALISTIC FICTION
This selection of heartwarming stories revolves around a teacher and her students. Adolescent struggles are
sensitively depicted, as the teacher inspires change in their lives and becomes their pillar of strength.
All Rights Reserved, Epigram Books, 2012.
(This book is recommended for mature readers.)
Title: Vitro
Author: Jessica Khoury
Call No.: Y KHO
SCIENCE FICTION
Sophie Crue is desperate. Her mother, a scientist working on the remote and notorious Skin Island, has sent
her an alarming email calling for help. However, the island does not exist on any map. When it seems like no
one will help her, Sophie encounters Jim Julien, a childhood friend, who reluctantly agrees to bring her to
the island. Sophie and Jim are about to discover the reason behind Skin Island’s notoriety.
All Rights Reserved, Razorbill, 2014.
Title: Positively Beautiful
Author: Wendy Mills
Call No.: Y MIL
REALISTIC FICTION
Erin’s life comes to a standstill when her mother is diagnosed with breast cancer. Worse still, she finds out that
the cancer is caused by an inherited genetic mutation. As Erin tries to make sense of these developments,
she stumbles upon a forum for people facing the same situation and finds comfort in her online friend,
Ashley.
All Rights Reserved, Bloomsbury, 2015.
Title: A Certain “Je Ne Sais Quoi”: The Origin of Foreign Words Used in English
Author: Chloe Rhodes
Call No.: 422.4 RHO
NON-FICTION
Phrases like à la carte, et cetera, and chop-chop permeate our everyday lives. Learn about their little-known
origins as well as how to use them in your everyday conversation so that you can avoid any faux pas and
develop more savoir-faire.
All Rights Reserved, Reader’s Digest Association, 2010.
(This book is recommended for mature readers.)
Title: A Christmas Carol
Author: Charles Dickens
Call No.: Y DIC
REALISTIC FICTION
Miserly Ebenezer Scrooge receives a rude awakening when his deceased business partner pays him a visit
and forewarns him of a difficult journey in the afterlife if he persists in his ways. To change his fate, Scrooge
has to face three spirits – the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come – and learn the lessons that
they have to teach him.
All Rights Reserved, Creative Editions, 2015.
Title: Shutter
Author: Courtney Alameda
Call No.: Y ALA
HORROR
As a descendant of the vampire hunter Van Helsing, Micheline Helsing specialises in terminating the undead.
When a regular ghost hunt goes wrong, Micheline and her crewmates are infected by a soulchain. Now, they
must race against time to reverse the curse. Full of horror, action, and adventure, this is not a book for the
fainthearted.
All Rights Reserved, Feiwel and Friends, 2015.
Title: Talon
Author: Julie Kagawa
Call No.: Y KAG
FANTASY
Ember and Dante Hill are the only siblings hatched from a single dragon egg and their bond is like no
other. They spend a summer training to blend in with humans with the help of Talon, an organisation that
trains dragons to survive in the human world. When an enemy seeks to hunt down all dragons, the siblings’
loyalties are tested and they will have to make the ultimate sacrifice.
All Rights Reserved, Harlequin Teen, 2014.
(This book is also available on eReads at www.nlb.gov.sg.)
Title: The Lie Tree
Author: Frances Hardinge
Call No.: Y HAR
THRILLER
Believing that her father was murdered, Faith investigates the unusual events that led to his death. Along the
way, she uncovers the specimen of a strange tree that her father had been secretly studying. She discovers
that it feeds on lies and slowly bears a fruit that, when consumed, releases a dark secret. Unfortunately,
there are others who are after this specimen and will do just about anything to obtain it. Will Faith be able
to protect her father’s secret?
All Rights Reserved, Macmillan Children’s Books, 2015.
Title: Justice League. Volume 1, Origin (New 52)
Author: Geoff Johns
Call No.: 741.5973 JOH –[ART]
SCIENCE FICTION
The world’s greatest superheroes are together for the first time in this New 52 series by renowned writer,
Geoff Johns. See Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg
battle a formidable new enemy that threatens to take over the world by force. In an age where superheroes
have to live in hiding, will the Justice League be able to rise up to the challenge and stop a terrible evil?
All Rights Reserved, DC Comics, 2013.
(This book is recommended for mature readers.)
Title: The Tyrant’s Daughter
Author: J. C. Carleson
Call No.: Y CAR
THRILLER
Fifteen-year-old Laila is the daughter of an unnamed Middle Eastern ruler. Fleeing her hometown to America
after her father was murdered in a coup, Laila must adapt quickly to her new environment. As American
newspapers force her to see her father in a different light, she finds herself increasingly tangled up in her
country’s affairs.
All Rights Reserved, Alfred A. Knopf, 2014.
(This book is also available on eReads at www.nlb.gov.sg.)
Title: The Cry of the Icemark
Author: Stuart Hill
Call No.: Y HIL
FANTASY
Thirteen-year-old Princess Thirrin is heir to the throne of the Icemark Kingdom. Raised as a fearless warrior,
Thirrin braces herself as Icemark faces a terrible invasion from the Polypontus and the infamously cruel
general, Scipio Bellorum. Follow Thirrin on her quest to forge an alliance with the Wolf-folk, Vampires and
Snow Leopards in order to protect her kingdom.
All Rights Reserved, Chicken House, 2013.
Title: Nightfall
Authors: Jake Halpern and Peter Kujawinski
Call No.: Y HAL
HORROR
After fourteen years of day comes fourteen years of night. Without sunrise, the village is dark, barren and
frozen over, so its dwellers head on boats to the Desert Lands for the next fourteen years. Everyone makes
haste to prepare for the departure, terrified of the approaching night. Just as the ships are about to leave, a
teenage boy goes missing. His friends Marin and Kana are the only ones who can save him…
All Rights Reserved, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2015.
Title: Extraordinary People: A Semi-Comprehensive Guide
to Some of the World’s Most Fascinating Individuals
Author: Michael Hearst
Call No.: Y 920 HEA
NON-FICTION
Bruce Lee, apart from being able to do push-ups using only two fingers, was also an accomplished dancer
and a cha-cha champion. Find out more about the lives and achievements of some of the world’s most
famous people, from Terry Fox to Malala Yousafzai, in this quirky book.
All Rights Reserved, Chronicle Books, 2015.
(This book is also available on eReads at www.nlb.gov.sg.)
Title: Through the Woods
Author: Emily Carroll
Call No.: Y CAR
HORROR
This collection of illustrated short stories from Emily Carroll is guaranteed to send chills down your spine.
From a gruesome secret hidden inside a manor’s walls to a mysterious new family member who is not quite
what she seems, these creepy tales are perfect for horror lovers, if you only dare…
All Rights Reserved, Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2014.
(This book is also available on eReads at www.nlb.gov.sg.)
Title: The Industry (Industry, Book 1)
Author: Rose Foster
Call No.: Y FOS
THRILLER
Sixteen-year-old Kirra Hayward is an ordinary teenager who usually goes unnoticed in school – until she
solves a random online puzzle. However, she does not realise her mathematical talents can be exploited by
criminals until she is kidnapped by an organisation called “The Industry”. Kirra is placed in complete isolation
and realises that the organisation has no qualms about doing whatever it takes to get its way.
All Rights Reserved, Agnus & Robertson, 2012.
Title: Whippoorwill
Author: Joseph Monninger
Call No.: Y MON
REALISTIC FICTION
Clair Taylor tries to shut out the whimpers and whines of the neighbour’s dog, but to no avail. The day she
decides to make friends with the dog is a day that changes not only her life, but that of Danny Stewart, the
boy who lives next door.
All Rights Reserved, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015.
Title: Beware the Wild
Author: Natalie C. Parker
Call No.: Y PAR
HORROR
All their life, Sterling and her brother, Phin, have been warned never to enter the swamp in their town.
However, one day, Phin runs into the swamp and does not return. Instead, out of the swamp comes a strange
girl called Lenora May. Worse still, no one in town remembers Phin, and it is as though he had never existed.
Only Sterling remembers, and she is determined to get her brother back, no matter what.
All Rights Reserved, HarperTeen, 2014.
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Printed in July 2016.