The Final Year

Entirely in verse and a very easy read indeed. Compelling, recommended.

A thoughtful and kind story about the final year of primary school. There were a lot of references to Skellig and it would be helpful to be familiar with it. Being a verse novel, a lot of meaning and story is conveyed in fewer words. I would recommend this to any young person who wants the sophisticated content of a standard novel delivered in fewer words.

Standing on the shoulders of Skellig, this book is beautiful and in amongst it all; the most arresting grammar lesson I have ever read.

Here's an acclaimed book that really did match the hype. It's just a great style to quickly engage readers and encourage more reading. I loved the references to David Almond's books too, what a great way to let kids know what to read next :)

A truly beautiful book - bold, brilliant and unapologetic. Tackles some really sensitive topics with humour and honesty.

It was a book about a boy called Nate in his final year of primary school.

This book was really good. There was a bit of drama in it when the youngest brother died and they were sad. The book goes through how they all deal with it. It’s a more serious book but it’s good.

A coming of age poetic narrative book. Will draw in even the most reluctant of readers and is sure to tug on the heart strings.
A must read for year 6 children and parents. There won't be a dry eye in the house.

deep

This is a powerful story told through a variety of poetic forms. With engaging illustrations and a thoughtful layout, it draws the reader in to a story many children will relate to. A book I would wholeheartedly encourage all children to read.

I really enjoyed this book.
At the beginning, it felt like a typical book, but towards the middle, it became more emotional.
I like how the pages were also used to tell the story (a black page to represent grief).

It is such a good book with some sad bits in it but it all turns out good in the end i would definetly recommend it to people who like turn twisters

I liked this book because it was about a boy who goes through a hard time in life without a dad but with his mum, her friend and his 2 brothers.

This book was accessible and engaging for both myself and my students. They loved the characters and felt like they related to them and the story was engaging and interesting.

It just shows how hard life can be for some people, but doesn't give up hope.

Absolutely brilliant. Can't wait to share this with Year 6 - especially those who "don't like poetry" as I think it'll change their minds. Cleverly written and very relatable to the target audience and adults alike

Amazing narrative about a year 6 child moving to secondary school. Told from the perspective of the child in their language - brilliant idea to engage the children.

What a beautiful story or love, friendship and kindness.

My Thoughts on The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow and Joe Todd-Stanton

The Final Year is a fiction book, but it feels very real. It’s written like a poem or a diary, and it’s about a boy named Nate who is going through his last year of primary school. It talks about things like friendship, family, growing up, and dealing with tough times, like his parents splitting up and his grandad being sick.

My Favourite Character:
My favourite character was Nate, the main boy. He’s kind, thoughtful, and honest about how he feels. Sometimes he’s sad or confused, but he keeps going. I liked how he used writing and poetry to help him understand his feelings. He felt like a real person.

Why It’s Interesting:
It’s interesting because it shows what it’s really like to be in Year 6—worrying about SATs, moving to secondary school, and leaving your friends. A lot of the things that happen in the book are things that real kids go through, so it was easy to understand and connect with.

Would I Recommend It?
Yes! I would recommend The Final Year to anyone in Year 6 or about to leave primary school. It helps you feel less alone if you’re going through changes, and it’s written in a way that’s really easy and fun to read. The pictures are great too!

It’s a book that makes you feel all kinds of emotions—happy, sad, hopeful, and proud. I really liked it!

Story told in verse about the challenges of growing up, changing friend groups and coping with illness in the family. Authentic feeling voice of the main character remconed to students in years 5-8

It really boosted my confidence to go to year 6 because teachers will help me

The best book about keeping on going through troubles in your life and having an amazing ending

A lovely book written in verse. The style was new to lots of children in the class when I introduced them to it and they loved it. The story itself is very moving and some delicate topics mean it is more suitable for older primary readers.

Incredible

This powerful verse novel moved me to tears. An emotional but beautiful story about change, friendship, families and the power of words. Brilliant for children and adults alike.

Nate is a boy in the last year of primary school. It should be fine, as long as he has a friend. But he loses his friend and his smaller brother is sick, and all turns out badly. The story is very emotional, although it does not look very interesting.

I really enjoyed this book because of the amazing illustrations, and the emotions it captured. My favourite character is Caleb because of his quiet personality.

Great read

Just incredible. Amazing voice, great scene setting, lovely pace, heartstrings tugged and tears fell. Brilliant brilliant book

Fantastic and heartwarming book. Emotional at times and really relatable to school life. You can tell a teacher has written it as it is very relatable.