Teachers share their top 10 summer reads

As we usher in the start of July, the summer holidays feel palpably close. With the promise of escape from school just around the corner, it’s time to start planning how to spend the new-found freedom – and there’s no better way of doing this than by getting stuck into a good book.

To help you decide what to read over the holidays we’ve asked teachers to recommend their favourite fact, fiction, tomes and novels. Here’s what was suggested. Keep ideas coming by adding your favourites in the comments thread below or recommend a title via @GuardianTeach using #summerreads.

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August

Claire North
£11.98

The perfect introduction to the science fiction genre, this novel is about Harry August, a man who is fated to live his life again and again – caught in a lifelong Groundhog Day. Each time he is born in the same body, with all his memories intact. A series of events leads him to investigate an eventual apocalypse. The novel examines determinism and free will, as well the power of love and friendship.

Storyteller

Jodi Picoult
£6.79

This story introduces us to Sage Singer, a baker who works tirelessly in the hope of overcoming the trauma of her mother’s death. An unlikely friendship forms between her and an elderly man, Josef Weber, who calls by the bakery after meeting Singer at a grief support group. One day Weber confesses a secret that changes everything.

The Power of One

Bryce Courtenay
£7.19

This novel was first published in 1989 and is set in South Africa during the 1930s and 1940s at a time of racial hatred and injustice. It tells the story of an English boy, Peekay, who comes to lead all the tribes of Africa. He gains strength from friends, Hymie and Gideon, and fights for justice.

Us

David Nicholls
£5.99

This story of a couple’s love is a family tale. It journeys back and forth in time to look at the start of their relationship, comparing it with the present day. As the book starts the married pair find themselves on a make-or-break European tour, and the novel tells of how they met, got married and had a child.

The Boston Girl

Anita Diamant
£13.59

Coming-of-age stories are perfect for this time of year and this one carries some depth. It’s about 85-year-old Addie who relives her early life when she is asked by her granddaughter: how did you get to be the woman you are today? Born in Boston to immigrant Jewish parents, Addie’s quest for knowledge leads her away from a traditional path. She wanted a career and to escape the confines of family life. Her story takes place during the first world war and is a touching examination of a young girl’s journey to womanhood.

The Line of Beauty

Alan Hollinghurst
£7.99

The book opens in the summer of 1983 and we meet Nick Guest, aged 23, who is moving into a friend’s attic in Notting Hill, London. It’s the home of Conservative MP Gerald, his wealthy wife and their two children. Nick has idolised one of their sons, Toby, since they studied at university together. As the 1908s unfold Nick becomes familiar with the world of politics and money. In this environment, he develops an obsession with what he considers the greatest of all riches: beauty.

Running with the Kenyans

Adharanand Finn
£7.99

Ever wondered what it takes to run like an Olympic athlete? After years of watching Kenyan runners, journalist Adharanand Finn embarks on a journey to discover what makes them so fast. Taking his family, he relocates from Devon to the small town of Iten, Kenya. There he meets the country’s top athletes, eats their food and sleeps in their training camps. This interesting book suits anyone looking for a non-fiction fix this year.

Junk DNA

Nessa Carey
£7.99

After the structure of DNA was identified, scientists became obsessed with the parts of the genome containing codes for the production of proteins; otherwise known as genes. But other parts of these structures were dismissed as “junk”. It’s only in recent years that the value of this junk DNA has been realised. Nessa Carey looks at the important role it plays in genetic diseases, sex determination in mammals and evolution itself.

Accursed Kings series

Maurice Druon
£11.99 (prices for the rest of the series may vary)

The book that inspired George RR Martin’s epic, Game of Thrones. The Iron King – Philip the Fair – rules his kingdom with an iron fist, but his own family are beyond his control. He has weak sons with adulterous wives and a daughter who is unhappily married. This is a magnificent tale of family conflict, power and greed.

No Country for Old Men

Cormac McCarthy
£7.19

Now a well-known film, the story revolves around Llewelyn Moss, who stumbles upon a terrifying scene when hunting antelope. He finds a drug deal gone wrong: dead bodies, heroin and a case-load of cash. But what should be do – leave the scene immediately or grab the money and go? He does the latter, changing his life dramatically. This is a terrifying thriller with an absorbing plot.

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