Recommendations for a book to read aloud to a group of 11 year olds

Street Child
Oranges in no man's land
Holes
Hacker
Waiting for anya
Noughts and crosses
Skellig
Private peaceful

Graveyard Book? Series of Unfortunate Events?

The problem is with those and some other suggestions that you might possibly have children in your group who'd struggle with some of the themes - so just ask for a quick check that none of them are bereaved etc.

Cue for Treason, by Geoffrey Trease.

We read it in year 7 as a class, but I've just read it to my 7yo and he was gripped. He's still giggling over the punishment of "101 adjectives". It's good to read aloud too.

my y7 has just read, and loved, Enders Game - Orson Scott Card

Oooh tyke tyler!!
I was lurking and that was a great blast from the past! I read that in year7.(off to see if i can put it on my kindle)

I think we need more information do give decent advice. What level are the children currently reading at? What does the class teacher/ head of English say? It will take quite a number of weeks to read a book aloud. Have you got the money to buy any set of readers you like or is there a selection at school already? What's the purpose of your intervention- just for pleasure to get them reading or to talk about the themes etc?

I second what aghhhast says about boy in the striped pyjamas for primary and I have reservations about holes for primary also.

I would check which books are being taught in class, we use Wonder as a class reader. How about Cirque du Freak or Maximum Ride? Both good reads and the start of a long series which they might be encouraged to read.

However I would be concerned about any school that chooses Boy in the Striped Pyjamas for year 6. Whilst the language is simple, reflecting the innocence of the protagonist, the content is not at all appropriate.

The war of the worlds or the day of the triffids also excellent books

Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver.

I read Animal Farm to the dcs. It doesn't matter if they fail to grasp the allegory at all - they can see some of the point and the characters are ace.

Presumably also your audience is of boys and girls and so many books are worthy, girly, trying to be down-wid-de-kidz and/or too silly for this age group.

I'd totally second Wonder. I gifted this book to Year 6 last year, it is being read in both classes now as their class book.

The David Walliams books are great fun to read out loud. One has just been released this week, Awful Auntie - so hopefully they won't have read it yet.

The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler. Try not to let them see the last few pages - the surprise factor is brilliant.

Skulduggery Pleasant? It has both a male (albeit a skeleton) main figure and a heroin so it is good for boys and girls and it's very accessible for lower levels of reading ability too while having a great storyline - its a series too so might encourage those who enjoyed it to read the rest.

We read Children of winter at school in year 6 and the plot sparked a lot of our imaginations at the time and even reading the plot summary I still get a shiver!

child* not cos!

The Giver.

Amazing book. Seriously.

It's fairly short it won't take you all year. I read it as a cos and reread it just yesterday as an adult because there's a film coming out of it. There are follow up books to it so I'd the chn enjoy it enough it'll lead them on to reading the others.

I second The Silver Sword. When I was in my final year of primary school, the teacher read it aloud to the class. My daughter read it at the end of Year 6 and got through it very quickly because she found it gripping. I think the fact that I had remembered it all those years later and bought it for my daughter says something about the quality of the book!

I remember loving stig of the dump at that sort of age. And anything by Roald Dahl, the Twits, Boy etc.

Millions was a good read too and I think written for this age group.

Came on to say Robert Swindells Room 13 too. I reintroduced the 'story at the end of the day' to my streetwise Y6s and they loved it!

I'm assuming that these Y7s may be reluctant readers, or below average? (Otherwise, they wouldn't be on this intervention?)

If so, I would not start with a novel. I would start with some picture books, there are some fantastic ones out there for older readers:
The Red Tree by Shaun Tan
Night of the Gargoyles by Eve Bunting/David Wiesner
Wreck of the Zephyr by Chris Van Allsburg (actually most of his books)
Rose Blanche by Roberto Innocenti Neil Gaiman's picture books, especially Instructions
Anthony Browne's books- try The Tunnel.

You could also try some poetry- again it's shorter so often immediately gripping and you don't have the problem of them forgetting prior events or missing vital bits if they're away.
The Highwayman is excellent for that age- romance, jealousy, blood and guts all in one.

Demented Ma I was just going to suggest goodnight mister Tom and the silver sword. I would also recommended I am David or Caries war

Wonder by RJ Palacio is totally awesome. My Y6 DS was very sad when he'd finished it, he loved it so much.

It raises loads of great stuff for discussion.

My family and other animals by Gerald Durrell?

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, and Six More by Roald Dahl

Gangsta granny! David walliams