December Book Club Picks

We chose this book because it celebrates the kind of friendships we nurture at LWS, ones rooted in kindness, patience and curiosity. True belonging comes not from being the same, but from being truly seen and accepted as you are.

This story is brilliant for encouraging children to pause, question their assumptions and choose compassion. It opens up gentle conversations about empathy and helps children see how misunderstandings can be untangled with humour and care.

We chose this because it explores what it means to find connection, even in unlikely places. It’s emotionally rich and beautifully told, ideal for sparking meaningful reflection on the power of friendship and where we feel most at home.

We’ve chosen Song Walker as our stretch read this month because it offers a beautiful and reflective journey into identity, memory, and belonging — all woven through the power of storytelling and landscape. It’s a gentle but thought-provoking novel that invites children to consider who they are, where they come from, and how connection to land and story shapes us. Ideal for confident readers age 9.

This story was chosen because it explores the quiet courage it takes to find your place when you feel on the outside. It's a gentle, age-appropriate reflection on friendship, identity and the very real challenge of feeling like you don’t quite belong.

This stunning non-fiction choice encourages children to think about how every creature plays a role in the larger whole — reinforcing that everyone has a place and purpose in a wider community.

Selected because it weaves themes of friendship, wildness, and finding your place — both in the natural world and among people. A compelling, adventure-driven story for confident readers, rooted in the beauty and complexity of Sri Lanka

We chose this because it speaks with honesty about change, uncertainty, and finding belonging during a big transition. Written in verse, it’s emotionally resonant.

This beautifully illustrated book connects a sense of belonging to the natural world. It shows that restoring nature can restore our place within it — a powerful message for this age group as they begin to shape their values, voice, and environmental agency. The real-life rewilding story at Knepp Estate is inspiring and full of hope.

Core Book: Pax by Sara Pennypacker

This is a story about separation, loyalty and the powerful instinct to return to those we love. It speaks beautifully to the quiet strength it takes to find, and fight for, where you truly belong.

Stretch Book: The Giver by Lois Lowry

This book invites readers to consider the cost of safety and sameness when belonging is stripped of authenticity.

Dyslexia-Friendly:  Ghost by Jason Reynolds (Barrington Stoke)

This story talks deeply about identity and self-worth, mirroring the emotional arc of so many young people navigating adolescence.

Non-Fiction: Belonging by Amanda Thomsona

We’ve included this beautifully written memoir because it offers a rich, reflective lens on place, identity, and roots. It challenges readers to consider how history, culture, and landscape shape who we are — and how we find where we truly belong.

Core Book: The Boy Who Steals Houses by C.G. Drews

Chosen for its honest portrayal of yearning, vulnerability and the desperate search for a place to belong. It’s a powerful story of found family, love and acceptance.

Stretch Book:  One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

We selected this because it explores how easily people are misjudged — and what it means to show up authentically in a world full of assumptions. It’s also a great hook for students who need plot-driven challenge.

This compelling read opens up conversations about online identity, friendship and the difference between connection and belonging. It’s short, sharply relevant and written with inclusivity in mind. 

Non-Fiction: Belonging: Natural Histories of Place, Identity and Home by Amanda Thomson

This was chosen for its thoughtful exploration of what it means to belong — not just to people, but to place, language, ancestry and story. A quietly profound read for students who think deeply.

Wilding by Isabella Tree

We’ve chosen this extraordinary book for December because it offers a powerful invitation to reimagine our relationship with the natural world, a perspective that aligns so closely with the values we hold dear at LWS. Isabella Tree’s account of ecological restoration is both humbling and hopeful. It’s a grounding read for parents reflecting on what it means to raise children with a deep connection to place, purpose, and the planet.