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Transition

The transition from primary school to secondary school can be a challenge for many pupils, and indeed for the staff supporting them.

There is increased focus on Key Stage 3 books in the updated reading framework, which emphasises the importance of the transition to secondary school, books for secondary schools that maintain pupils' engagement with reading for pleasure, and quickly identifying and providing support for less confident readers. We have book suggestions for a range of transition needs below.

New beginnings

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Books that feature children starting new endeavours and everything that goes with that – new friendships, fresh challenges and navigating complex situations. There is reassurance in facing your fears through a story and discovering that others have felt the same as you.

A year-6 girl trains to compete in a swimming championship while dealing with friendship and family issues.

A cartoon-loving 12-year-old tries to settle into his new prestigious private school which his parents have sent him to instead of the art school he really wanted to go to.

An autistic girl learns to be herself instead of trying to hide her condition from people around her.

When Danny and Dom have to bail, Jay is left facing the long holiday alone, until he meets his new mysterious neighbour.

An eleven-year-old girl's world is turned upside-down when she has to go and live with her mother in the city after her father, with whom she lives in the woods, is seriously injured in an accident.

A girl with cerebral palsy deals with starting secondary school and starring in the school play.

A girl makes a friend at her new school when she joins the computer science club and learns to combine coding with her love of music.

The extremely embarrassing life of Lottie Brooks

Lottie Brooks is 11 3/4 and her life is already officially over - not only is she about to start high school without any friends or glamorous swooshy hair, she's just discovered she's too flat-chested to wear A BRA!

A young girl lies about all the things she does to a new friend because she thinks herself to be boring but inevitably the lies are exposed.

With the help of his new friend Charlie, Josh manages his fears when he moves to Brighton with his family and starts a new life.

A shy and reserved girl finds she has a talent for running and represents her school at athletics but then struggles with the attention this brings her

Jummy is excited when she is accepted to study at the prestigious River School, but her less fortunate best friend Caro is only able to go there to work.

When Jamie and their two best friends, Daisy and Ash, find out that in Year Seven they will be separated into one school for boys and another for girls, their friendship suddenly seems at risk.

Raina deals with the highs and lows of school life and friendship whilst contending with a stomach problem that doesn't want to go away.

The true story of one girl's journey growing up autistic - and the challenges she faced in the 'normal' world.

A girl struggling with growing pains finds new friends and motivation through joining a roller derby team.

When Ella joins a new school she is befriended by a girl who turns out to be cruel and manipulative

Follows the home journey of four middle school friends as they walk back home after a day at school.

When two school friends discover that the new boy in their class is actually a robot, they decide to help him break free from his creators and really live.

Donut just wants to be a hero - but her villainous parents and best friend keep getting in the way!

Poetry

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These books contain poems about school, growing up, facing new challenges and dealing with emotions. Using poetry during transition may be especially effective as poems aim to evoke an emotional response in the reader and can be used to open up conversations that pupils might be finding difficult.

A collection of poems that focus on one week in a secondary school.

Collection of poems on the themes of friendship, family and fitting in to grow up.

A collection of poems and raps by hip-hop artist and poet, Karl Nova.

An anthology of poems old and new, chosen and illustrated by Chris Riddell.

A collection of poems selected to bring a sense of calm, peace, and hope.

A collection of poems about the pupils in a school class, and their many different personalities.

Daisy has many fears and uses poems to try and face her worries.

A collection of poems for children about emotions and how to manage them.

A collection of poetry that celebrates feelings.

25th anniversary edition of Maya Angelou's poem about courage in everyday life.

Depth and challenge

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This selection of books, both fiction and non-fiction, provides children coming to the end of Year Six with more challenge – either in the language used, the text style, or the subject matter. By reading books like this, pupils should become more confident readers and able to tackle the more complex texts they will meet at secondary school.

A group of Year 6 children get far more than they bargained for on a school trip to an activity centre deep in the woods at Crater Lake.

A girl dissatisfied with her new school's lack of support for troubled students runs for class president against a popular but callous boy.

Two boys, one of whom has anger issues and has been bullying the other who has OCD, are forced to spend the summer cooperating together in the building of a raft.

A girl born under an unlucky sign and destined to die on her 11th birthday is given a chance to join a secret magical society which would save her from her fate.

A boy embarks upon a journey into space to save his sister who has mysteriously disappeared.

Presents reasons behind global inequality, impacts of climate change, and suggests some practical solutions to the issues.

An introduction to philosophical schools of thought for children.

Kofi is a natural entrepreneur, but what he had overlooked is his best friend Kelvin's photographic memory and the fact that he can remember every single line of a song he's heard only once....

Encourages the reader to help make a difference in saving our planet from the effects of climate change.

Follows two young people on different continents whose lives are catastrophically changed by global warming.

A deprived and physically abused boy from London flourishes under the care of an old man when he is evacuated to the countryside during World War II.

A boy embarks upon an adventure to save an enchanted world which is decaying.

When Bonnie and Sylvia Green are left in the care of an evil governess, they must use all their wits to survive her plans as well as the wolves that roam the surrounding woods.

A British-Nigerian girl heads to a school for superheroes when she finds that her Afro hair gives her psychokinetic powers.

A 13-year-old boy in denial about his mother's terminal illness imagines sharing stories with a yew tree

Two children set off on a quest to defeat the evil Ice Queen who keeps their world in her icy grip.

In a steampunk 1930s Britain, a group of mechanicals (robots) set out to save their friend and in turn the country from being destroyed by the plans of a rogue engineer.

The 13-year-old proprietor of a Penny Dreadful magazine encounters a dark mystery when she investigates the deranged writings of inmates of Bedlam insane asylum predicting events of the 20th century.

The Hobbit is the unforgettable story of Bilbo, a peace-loving hobbit, who embarks on a strange and magical adventure.

Although Sam bullies Davey in front of his friends, when he gets to know him, he realizes he likes him, but won't let his friends know, until a joke endangers Davey's life.

Developing self-confidence

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The transition to secondary school is an exciting one, but is accompanied by strong emotions, and comes at a time when children are changing and developing their independence. Relationships are often a concern for pupils as they move to secondary school, compounded by fears about homework, meeting new teachers and finding their way around large school buildings. These books have been specially selected by our team to provide reassurance and support.

A guide for children about to, or just starting to, attend secondary school by Matthew Burton, Headmaster of Thornhill Community Academy in Dewsbury as featured in the C4 TV series 'Educating Yorkshire'.

Gives advice on building confidence and self-esteem to achieve any goal that you set yourself.

Presents practical advice for young people on understanding and reinforcing their own personal boundaries

A guide to recognising feelings of anxiety and ways cope with and manage them.

Packed with tons of practical tips for finding the joy in each and every day.

An illustrated guide to developing a positive mindset.

A companion to the novel 'The Crossover'

Guidance for pupils making the transition from primary to secondary school

A guide for children to help them develop their potential to the full, from Manchester United and England footballer and campaigner to end child food poverty Marcus Rashford.

Join Leah Williamson, captain of the England women's football team, as she shows you that you can be a leader at any age.

A guide to masculinity with questions covering physical changes, managing emotions, friends and family, and how to have healthy relationships.

A guide to self-confidence and achieving your dreams.

Explores ways for teenagers to communicate more effectively with your family and friends and develop the confidence to have your own opinions and voice

Aims to help children understand shyness and find their inner voice through simple explanations and suggestions for activities.

A motivational guide to achieving your very best from gold medal winning Olympian Sir Chris Hoy.

A guide to being yourself and navigating the journey to get there.

The story of Rudimental's Locksmith and the lessons he has learned, about growing from mistakes, controlling his anger, and believing in dreams.

A guide to increasing self-confidence and building self-belief from three legendary Lionesses, Ella Toone, Georgia Stanway and Nikita Parris.

A guide to teenage life for Black girls and women.

A life skill guide to help be confident, resilient and to overcome your own challenges, from the England footballer and manager Gareth Southgate.

Books for teachers

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Knowing how best to support new students can be a challenge for your staff too. Explore some of the links or titles below to reflect on your school practice and consider next steps for both your staff and students.

Written by Dave Harris, Independent Thinking on Transition: Fostering better collaboration between primary and secondary schools is an inspirational compendium of practical strategies to empower primary and secondary school leaders to work together to get transition right.

Autism spectrum disorder and the transition into secondary school

An effective evidence-based programme, this practical handbook provides everything schools need to make the transition from primary to secondary school as smooth and successful as possible for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).