Title: Private Peaceful
Author: Michael Morpurgo
Link: http://amzn.to/2py6KHh
Suitable KS/Age/Year: Key Stage 3
Key themes: horrors of war, injustice, childhood, loss of innocence, friendship, family loyalty.
Teaching ideas: exploring narrative structure and voice; research/presentations World War 1; exploring pivotal/key life experiences as stimulus for writing; report/article writing; diary writing as character; drama activities (such as role play and hot seating).
Title: Noughts and Crosses
Author: Malorie Blackman
Link: http://amzn.to/2pOxEds
Suitable KS/Age/Year: Year 9
Key themes: ethnic diversity, prejudice, race, equality, democracy, teenage relationships
Teaching ideas: exploring differing social, cultural and historical traditions; comparisons with similarly themed poetry and texts; exploring narrative styles; visual representations of experience as stimulus for writing; report/article writing; rewriting events from perspective of different characters; drama activities (such as thought tracking).
Challenges: challeging themes.
Title: Bog Child
Author: Siobhan Dowd
Link: http://amzn.to/1XGzwBO
Suitable KS/Age/Year: Year 9 (mature)
Key themes: political conflict (N.Ireland), prejudice, adolescence, life choices, friendship, loyalty, sacrifice.
Teaching ideas: exploring narrative styles; visual representations of experience as stimulus for writing; report/article writing; rewriting events from perspective of different characters; drama activities (such as thought tracking).
Challenges: mature themes (sex); lengthy.
Title: Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Author: Mark Haddon
Link: http://amzn.to/1XGxOjG
Suitable KS/Age/Year: Key Stage 3
Key themes: Autism, Asperger’s, stereotypes, individuality, bullying, death, family relationships.
Teaching ideas: exploring narrative styles; visual representations of experience as stimulus for writing; report/article writing; rewriting events from perspective of different characters; drama activities (such as thought tracking).
Title: Boys Don’t Cry
Author: Malorie Blackman
Link: http://amzn.to/1XJYd0t
Suitable KS/Age/Year: Year 9
Key themes: homosexuality, homophobia, teenage pregnancy and parenting, family relationships, bereavement
Teaching ideas: debate; TV Talk Show; Courtroom Custody Scene; report/article writing, informative writing and writing/speaking to argue/persuade
Challenges: mature, complex themes; lengthy.
I’ve recently realised that all those of you out there teaching and training to teach English could do with a place to access info about great texts you could use with classes. So, this is a bit of an experiment to see what I can create in terms of a central place containing info and recommendations. Let’s see how it goes!
Class Readers 