Heartbeat or H.I.V.E.? Skulduggery Pleasant or Scarlett? These are the dilemmas that every 11-year-old in the country will face in September when presented with the “Booked Up” list. Each Year 7 pupil chooses one book which they are given free, courtesy of the reading charity Booktrust. In the “Booktime” scheme, five-year-olds will receive two free books. By Christmas, more than two million free books will have been dished out in the government-funded programmes - part of the 2008 National Year of Reading.

The panel tasked with choosing the Booked Up titles includes the bestselling author Malorie Blackman, who described the selection process as “incredibly difficult - but I believe there is something for everyone on the list.” Giving away books, she said, is a good way of getting children “to acquire the reading habit”: “Compared with computer games, books are not that expensive but there are still plenty for whom they are unaffordable. With this scheme, each child will have a brand new book of their own. And that means that the books can be shared and discussed.”

The Booked Up list is officially announced on Monday but The Times has been given an exclusive preview:

Arctic Hero by Catherine Johnson: the incredible story of Matthew Henson, the African-American explorer

Heartbeat by Sharon Creech: a 12-year-old running fanatic attempts to understand her family

H.I.V.E. by Mark Walden: meaning the Higher Institute of Villainous Education

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy: Stephanie teams up with a skeleton detective to battle evil

The Garbage King by Elizabeth Laird: African street children need courage and loyalty to survive

The Black Book of Secrets by F.E. Higgins: the unlucky Ludlow Fitch discovers the currency of secrets

Scarlett by Cathy Cassidy: wild Scarlett is sent off to her dad in Ireland

Foul Play by Tom Palmer: the football detective's first case

The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd: two sleuths on a city-wide search for their cousin

Kiss of Death by Malcolm Rose: the plague is history - isn't it?

Read Me and Laugh funny poems selected by Gaby Morgan

Why Eating Bogeys is Good for You by Mitchell Symons: crazy science

There will be a Times Books group Booked Up special later in the year

www.bookedup.org.uk

www.booktime.org.uk

www.yearofreading.org.uk

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