Time To Read

Wider World

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

Balram Halwai is the White Tiger – the smartest boy in his village. His family is too poor for him to afford for him to finish school. Instead, he works in a teashop, breaking coals and wiping tables. But Balram gets his break when a rich man hires him as a chauffeur and takes him to live in Delhi, where his life will change forever… Mr Gormley says: “This is well written, engaging, dark and disturbing and yet a somewhat witty read. A short novel that manages to transport the reader to another world.”

Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah

Amal is a 16-year-old Australian teen with all the usual obsessions: boys, chocolate and Cosmo magazine. She's also a Muslim and struggling to honour the Islamic faith in a society that doesn't understand it. The story of her decision to 'shawl up' and its attendant anxieties (like how much eyeliner to wear) is funny, surprising and touching. Using a winning mix of humour and sensitivity, this book will speak to anyone who has felt like an outsider.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Persepolis is a famous graphic novel which tells the story of Marjane Satrapi's childhood growing up in a loving family during the Islamic Revolution in Tehran. In a very short space of time, the lives of the people in Tehran and what was considered wrong and right changed dramatically and Marjane, as a child and then a teenager gives us her first-hand account of what the experience. A part of World history not largely covered in schools, this quirky, sometimes funny, sometimes serious story will be just as enjoyable for younger pupils as it will be for older pupils – albeit possibly for different reasons and the different perspectives that come naturally with age.