The Universal Register

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. Published 2 November 2026.
  2. 2 Ten Steps Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  3. 3 The Fourth Duty Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  4. 4 Boxes Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  5. 5 The State Opening Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  6. 6 The Fitting Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  7. 7 A Year Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  8. 8 Pomona Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.

Part Two: Westminster (11 to 19 November 2029)

  1. 9 The Eleventh Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  2. 10 Sceptre East Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  3. 11 The Abbey Empty Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  4. 12 Breeches Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  5. 13 Rennie Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  6. 14 The Eve Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  7. 15 The Oath Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  8. 16 Behind the Screen Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  9. 17 Homage Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  10. 18 Kittyhawk Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.

Part Three: Winter (December 2029 to February 2030)

  1. 19 Home Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  2. 20 The Green Book Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  3. 21 Solliden or Here Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  4. 22 The List Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  5. 23 Kingdom Day Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  6. 24 The Other Thing Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  7. 25 Midterms Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  8. 26 February Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.

Part Four: Spring (March to 14 June 2030)

  1. 27 The Investiture Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  2. 28 Señora Ruelas Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  3. 29 Easter Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  4. 30 Seventeen Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  5. 31 Prom Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  6. 32 A Year On Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  7. 33 Finals Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  8. 34 The Committee's Letter Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  9. 35 The Last Thursday Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.
  10. 36 The Roll Frederick. Published 2 November 2026.