The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien

The trilogy is about the forces of good and evil and is the driving theme in the world of Middle-earth with characters such as Hobbits, Elves, Men, Dwarves, Wizards, and Orcs.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

A young girl's coming-of-age story and a darker drama about the roots and consequences of racism and prejudice, probing how good and evil can coexist within a single community or individual.

Burning Sunlight by Anthea Simmonds

Zaynab is from Somaliland, a country that doesn’t exist because of politics and may soon be no more than a desert. Lucas is from rural Devon, which might as well be a world away. When they meet, they discover a common cause: the climate crisis.

Felix Ever After by Kacen Kallender 

Felix Love has never been in love - and, yes, he's painfully aware of the irony. What's worse is that, even though he is proud of his identity, Felix also secretly fears that he's one marginalisation too many - Black, queer and transgender - to ever get his own happily-ever-after.

How to Stop Time by Matt Haig

A love story about a man lost in time, the woman who could save him, and the lifetimes it can take to learn how to live. It is a bighearted, wildly original novel about losing and finding yourself, the inevitability of change, and how with enough time to learn, we just might find happiness.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known – she has to fight for her life under the cruellest of conditions.

Activist by Louisa Reid

Cassie goes to a prestigious academic school where girls have only just been admitted after decades of it being single-sex. When a female student from the school anonymously posts about the sexual abuse she has suffered and the school does not act properly, Cassie knows that she needs to take matters into her own hands.

Run Rebel by Manjeet Mann

Amber is trapped – by her family's rules and expectations, and by her own fears. But on the running track she feels free. As her body speeds up, the world slows down. And the tangled, mixed-up words in her head start to make sense...  It's time to start a revolution: for her mother, for her sister, for herself. Run, Amber. Run.

The Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara Mculty 

The book portrays Dara's intense connection to the natural world, and his perspective as a teenager juggling exams and friendships alongside a life of campaigning.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde 

The story of a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty. While he remains flawless, a portrait of himself grows uglier every time he sins. He cannot die unless you destroy the painting. Thanks to temptation and vice Dorian falls into hedonism and debauchery. 

Run Riot by Nikesh Shukla 

A novel about standing up and being counted. Aspiring MC Taran and her twin brother Hari never wanted to move to Firestone House. But when the rent was doubled overnight and Dad’s chemo meant he couldn’t work, they had to make this tower block their home. It’s good now though; they feel part of something here – until Hari is caught up in a tragedy, and they are forced to go on the run. 

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds

Rashad and Quinn—one black, one white, both American—face the unspeakable truth that racism and prejudice didn’t die after the civil rights movement. There’s a future at stake, a future where no one else will have to be absent because of police brutality. They just have to risk everything to change the world. 

Journal writing

A great way to explore yourself and the world around you as everything you know changes.

 So, to help you get past those blank page, no-thoughts, aaargh moments, here are 99 inspiring journal prompts for you to try: https://examstudyexpert.com/journal-prompts-teens/

Creative Writing Exercises

Write a scene in which a character faces a moral dilemma and has to make an agonizing decision.  Activity prompts and dilemmas can be found here: https://www.writingforward.com/writing_exercises/creative-writing-exercises/creative-writing-exercises-moral-dilemmas

Promote change

Produce a persuasive letter or piece of writing designed to raise awareness or promote change about a topic that you feel passionately about.

Read here first for inspiration: https://www.redcross.org.uk/stories 

Essay Competitions

 A compilation of essay competitions from an assortment of categories such as humanities, architecture, philosophy etc.  Entry details can be found here: https://www.mindsunderground.com/oxbridge-competitions/overview

When life is chaotic and full of noise, music can transport you to a place of tranquility and peacefulness - enjoy listening to mindfulness classics here:

https://planetradio.co.uk/scala-radio/player/205275330/

Over 200 episodes on how we think, feel and behave. Claudia Hammond delves into the evidence on mental health, psychology and neuroscience. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qxx9/episodes/downloads

For thought-provoking ideas on every subject imaginable - from Artificial Intelligence to Zoology, and everything in between - given by the world's leading thinkers and creators. https://www.ted.com/about/programs-initiatives/ted-talks/ted-talks-daily 

Explore and celebrate music from people with different backgrounds, cultures, and religions here: https://worldmusic.net/blogs/guide-to-world-music 

With humanity teetering on the brink of extinction, a group of astronauts travels through a wormhole in search of another inhabitable planet.

Based on a true story during World War II, Army medic and conscientious objector Desmond Doss becomes an unlikely hero on an Okinawa battlefield without bearing arms. 

Based on a true story about a homeless black teen, who has drifted in and out of the school system for years before a new family transform both his life and theirs.

On the verge of winning a game show's grand prize, an orphaned teen in Mumbai is accused of cheating by authorities and must prove his innocence.

Based on the true story of Olympic track star Louis Zamperini when he becomes a pilot during World War II and endures a brutal struggle for survival when he is captured by the Japanese.

Based on a true story about a mountaineer who becomes trapped when a boulder falls on his arm. Pinned, he considers his options, an agonizing choice: to amputate his arm so that he can extricate himself and make his way back to civilization or remain pinned to the canyon wall and likely die. 

An English woman's marriage to Botswana's royal heir causes diplomatic uproar, but the couple fights against all odds to follow their hearts. 

A freeborn black man is abducted from New York and sold into slavery in this historical drama based on the autobiography of Solomon Northup.