5 books that will help the transition to secondary school

Poet, rapper and author Christian Foley recommends his favourite reads for children leaving primary school 

Kofi and the Rap Battle Summer by Jeffrey Boakye  

This book appeals to the Hip-Hop musician in me – but more than that, it made me feel like a year seven again.It brought back the memories of friendly rap battles, chaotic lunchtimes filled with laughter, and the excitement that school days can bring. At the same time, the book is unafraid to tackle grittier topics, and will help readers with their emotional literacy –it’s grounded in reality, and reality isn’t always easy. Overall, Kofi goes on an adventure, and I really recommend readers to go with him!  

The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow (illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton)  

This verse novel is beautifully constructed, pulsing with poetic language and heart. Readers will follow the story of Nate as he navigates his final year of primary school. This is a story about finding one’s place in the world – amidst all of the disorientating challenges that get thrown in your way. Nate’s love of writing is a way to help him make sense of it all. This powerful story, overflowing with emotion, resonatedwith me as a teacher. I know many students like Nate, and for students, this is such a useful book to read because of its themes of identity, friendships and belonging. Readers will come away with a stronger sense of who they are – which is a good thing to know during transition.  

Everything All at Once by Steven Camden  

I remember watching spoken word by Steven Camden when I was in year seven, and poetry on YouTube was just beginning to appear. His poems have a powerful quality for illuminating everyday experiences, giving them vivid details and highlighting the beauty in an instant moment. This collection of poems occurs over one week in secondary school and is a kaleidoscopic whirl of characters, events and emotions – all at once it is a heartfelt, bright and mesmerising picture well worth looking at.  

New Kid by Jerry Craft  

At my secondary school library, graphic novels don’t stay on the shelves for long. They are incredibly popular – and this brilliant graphic novel will only add to that. New Kid is a text grounded in reality, itdoesn’t occur in a fantasy land, but in the everyday experience of integrating into somewhere new. The narrative tracks the trail of Jordan, who faces many trials upon his arrival at an elite private school, through finely crafted images and text. Readers are given the opportunity to reflect on prejudice, racism and the structure of society itself –a very useful book when thinking about the world we live in.  

You Are Awesome by Matthew Syed (illustrated by Toby Triumph)  

This is a book that reaffirms resilience. Why do we think we can’t do things? Matthew Syed assures us that we can, and fills his book with real-life examples of inspiring individuals. This book helps us realise what we can achieve when we put our mind to it, and go for gold in our own lives. Readers will learn about a growth mindset, where every challenge is an opportunity to develop, we never fail, we only learn, and because of that – we are awesome.  

Moving Up by Christian Foley is available now.