Top Picks

Hellbent by Anthony McGowan follows Conor, a young Irish boy who is suddenly run over by an ice cream van in one of the most ignominious deaths ever. He wakes up in Hell, sentenced to an eternity of torment for exceeding the lies quota in life, that is to say, had he lied three less times he would not be in Hell. Conor is assigned a personal tormentor, Clarence, whose job it is to make every second of his time as boring/painful/unbearable as possible. However, when things take a turn, boy and devil, along with a Viking warrior, are pitted together against immeasurable odds as they try to escape all of the demons of Hell. But can Conor trust his friends? It's a new, refreshing and funny read, and would probably appeal best to middling to older readers. - See review -

The Cry of Icemark follows the struggle of a small northern country and its teenage warrior queen against a mighty invading empire. Thirrin is forced to rule Icemark after her father's death, and has to face the huge threat of the Polypontian empire (a parallel of Ancient Rome) invading from the south. In order to beat them back, she has to travel across the lands looking for allies in her struggle on journeys fraught with danger and icy cold. However the military might of Polypontus has been unstoppable this far, and can the tiny nation of Icemark succeed where countless others have failed? There is lots of action and adventure throughout which makes for a fast-paced and enjoyable read. - See review -

More top picks - 2004 Books - 2003 Books

Books you might like to know about
 

	Val, Tyler, The Time Wreccas The first of a new fantasy series called The Greenwich Chronicles. Probably best for people at the younger end of the cool-reads age range. Puffin, Hardback, 238 pages, 0141381566, 6 January 2005 See www.puffin.co.uk for more information
	Chris, Priestley, Redwulf's Curse The third book in this series of Tom Marlowe adventures, all set in the 18th century Doubleday (Random House), Hardback, 186 pages, 0385606958, February 2005 See www.kidsatrandomhouse.co.uk for more information
	Rosie, Wilkins, So Super Stylish A sequal to So Super Starry. Octavia is taking a break from celebrity life and going to a normal comprehensive school. But there's trouble afoot. Macmillan Children's Books, Paperback, about 263 pages, 0330434527, 4 February 2005 See www.panmacmillan.com for more information
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cool-reads book collections

Collections of top cool-reads might be coming to a school near you! Check out these great selections of books, chosen by cool-reads' Tim Cross and sold (mainly to UK secondary schools) by Badger Publishing. Amazing Adventures - explore the lush South African rainforest or experience life in Neanderthal Africa. Dastardly Deeds - fast-paced action reads about ghostly goings-on and sinister schemes Riotous Reads - this is where you'll find magic and mayhem, flying wardrobes and rampaging rats Desperate Dramas - strong and compelling reads based on real life dramas like bullying and racism Fabulous Fantasies - for huge battles, wily witchcraft and mysterious magic, not to mention vast rolling cities

Star System

	Here's a quick rundown of our star system:
	One Star - Best avoided
	Two Stars - Nothing to write home about
	Three Stars - Well worth a look
	Four Stars - Really good stuff
	Five Stars - A cool-read

Games

Find the character symbol on the Teach London site.

	In You Don't Know Me by David Klass, what room is the main character named after? A sitting room, A toilet, A kitchen See how well YOU do - go to the quiz! - Go to quiz -
	Test your prowess in our wordsearch that pits you against the clock, to spot 15-20 titles/characters in as short time as you can manage. - go to the Word Search! - Go to wordsearch -Answers available