Book Nine

Junior Year

2029 to 2030

A photograph of an old classroom on a November morning, seen from the back: rows of students in jumpers and coats from behind, cast-iron radiators under tall windows, shafts of low sun slanting across the desks, and at the front an old roll book lying open on the teacher's desk; in the middle row one fair-haired student sits a little straighter than the rest. Crown on the Potomac Junior Year Book Nine 2029 to 2030

September 2029. Frederick goes back to Mr Abernathy's homeroom for junior year, three months after Santa Monica, with the same roll book and the same radiators and one new name in it. His father, on the sixth floor of New Westminster General, has begun to talk again, and to walk, ten steps at a time.

Junior Year follows him through the State Opening and the Eleventh to Westminster Abbey on a Saturday in November, where he is crowned King of Great Britain at sixteen, with his friend carrying the train, and home again across the Atlantic under the one word nobody has said aloud since September 2028.

Each chapter opens with a short extract from the Universal Register, the encyclopedia of the world the book is set in. The extracts are quoted from the Register as it stands; the chapters show what happened in the rooms it was not in.

Begin reading: Chapter One, The Roll → Characters

Part One: Autumn (4 September to 2 November 2029)

  1. 1 The Roll Frederick. 11 min.
  2. 2 Ten Steps Frederick. 11 min.
  3. 3 The Fourth Duty Frederick. 12 min.
  4. 4 Boxes Frederick. 13 min.
  5. 5 The State Opening Frederick. 11 min.
  6. 6 The Fitting Frederick. 10 min.
  7. 7 A Year Frederick. 7 min.
  8. 8 Pomona Frederick. 8 min.

Part Two: Westminster (11 to 19 November 2029)

  1. 9 The Eleventh Frederick. 8 min.
  2. 10 Sceptre East Frederick. 8 min.
  3. 11 The Abbey Empty Frederick. 8 min.
  4. 12 Breeches Frederick. 7 min.
  5. 13 Rennie Frederick. 8 min.
  6. 14 The Eve Frederick. 6 min.
  7. 15 The Oath Frederick. 9 min.
  8. 16 Behind the Screen Frederick. 7 min.
  9. 17 Homage Frederick. 10 min.
  10. 18 Kittyhawk Frederick. 7 min.

Part Three: Winter (December 2029 to February 2030)

  1. 19 Home Frederick. 7 min.
  2. 20 The Green Book Frederick. 8 min.
  3. 21 Solliden or Here Frederick. 8 min.
  4. 22 The List Frederick. 9 min.
  5. 23 Kingdom Day Frederick. 8 min.
  6. 24 The Other Thing Frederick. 7 min.
  7. 25 Midterms Frederick. 6 min.
  8. 26 February Frederick. 8 min.

Part Four: Spring (March to 14 June 2030)

  1. 27 The Investiture Frederick. 11 min.
  2. 28 Señora Ruelas Frederick. 6 min.
  3. 29 Easter Frederick. 7 min.
  4. 30 Seventeen Frederick. 8 min.
  5. 31 Prom Frederick. 8 min.
  6. 32 A Year On Frederick. 8 min.
  7. 33 Finals Frederick. 7 min.
  8. 34 The Committee's Letter Frederick. 7 min.
  9. 35 The Last Thursday Frederick. 7 min.
  10. 36 The Roll Frederick. 11 min.