A Monster Calls

What a brilliant book!  I didn't think this was my kind of book but I was wrong.  After guided reading, I frequently talk with the class about books they are reading at the moment which has had a huge impact on the profile of reading.  Children are now lending each other books, buying books recommended by friends and generally getting excited about books.  I have a few special books including 'A Monster Calls' and  'The boy in the striped pyjamas' which I lend out to children - we now have a queue of children waiting for them.  The Hunger Games is proving to be popular amongst the boys. The adults in the class are sharing their books too and reading the same books as the children.
All in all, we have a much more healthy approach to reading in our class with only a few more children to crack!
Suzanne
New King's School
Fulham

The Lady of Shallot

I used this teaching sequence and although I was apprehensive about using such a difficult text, it proved highly effective in raising the profile of poetry in class and raising the achievement in writing in terms of the imagery children were creating in their writing.

Ofsted visited during this sequence.  The inspector commented on children's enjoyment of the poem which was obvious through their reading of it at the start of the session, also their effective use of language (some borrowed directly from the poem) to provide imagery. 

I would recommend that other year 6 teachers give this sequence a try, even if you feel it is beyond your children's capability. It can produce some impressive results.

Suzanne
New King's School
Fulham

The Boy in Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne

I've seen the film but remembered very little about to the extent that somehow the ending came as a surprise to me. I'm really pleased that I was 'made' to read this book, as I don't think I'd have ever read it otherwise. In some ways it's such a simple book but it reminded me never to forget the horrors of war and the concentration camps. Reading it has challenged me to read more fiction, and perhaps non-fiction, about world events, so that I don't forget how fortunate I am.

Rachel
Bigland Green

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

A wonderfully written story which uniquely depicts the horrors of the holocaust through the eyes of a young boy. I found myself charmed by the boys naivety. It also serves as reminder that in every life situation there are multiple realities.

Tom
Brunswick Park Primary

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

I had seen the film before reading the book, but it didn't detract from the poignancy of the story. It is a truly moving one, made more powerful by the simplicity with which it is told. The child-like language; mis-pronunciations and mis-understandings portray the innocence of childhood while a darker, more sinsister narrative plays out in the background. It is definitely worth reading even if you have seen the film!

Liza Sinclair (Holy Trinity School)

Message from Peterborough Power of Reading group

The sequences are really useful to use in class.  The children loved the active learning, the drama and role play linked to Gregory Cool. Jo Sewell Duke of Bedford

I'm so excited to go back to class and use the materials - it's really igniting enthusiasm. Laura Brough Eye Primary

Children have been very insightful about the picture books it's fostering empathy with characters. Nia Talbot  Newark Hill.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

I have never read the book before or seen the film but I had heard from different people that it was very sad. I started reading it the day after Boxing Day and I could not put it down. It was interesting to see the world through Bruno's eyes and to see the friendship he developed with Shmuel. A very sad ending but a well written book.

John Boyne - The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

I really enjoyed (that word seems entirely inappropriate) this book, and it reminded me somewhat of 'Book Thief' and 'Room' in the way it was told by a child, enabling the author to leave the reader thinking of the terrible things which are happening, without actually having to write about them at all. 

I had previously seen the film (a while ago, so I don't remember it well), and I was slightly concerned that I'd be in tears by the end of the book.  This was not the case, as Bruno has no clue about what is happening right up until the end, so, in a way, I felt a lack of emotion - but I liked that.  I think this was also compounded by the fact that nobody realised what had happened right away (it wasn't until a year later!)...not that I'd have had an ounce of sympathy for Bruno's father anyway, even if he had realised. 

Since reading this, I have recommended it to a child in my class, assuming she gets parental consent.  Our topic is WW2 at the moment, and we've watched the Anne Frank BBC production.  The only reason I've recommended it to only one child, is not due to the content of the book (a few of them would be mature enough to deal with that), but because she's the only one who I think would really 'get' what was going on.  Incidentally, this is a book I would have recommended to her had I read it for any reason, not just because we're reading it for PoR! 

Jenna Mills
Deansbrook Junior School

message from Barnet POR

I really enjoyed the Readers' Theatre and involving everybody in the room was great!!!!
Edgware juniors

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

I had already read the book and watched the film, but was very happy to re-read it as it is fantastically written. I think this book is a great way for children to understand more about the Holocaust. Writing from a child's view on the outside of the Concentration Camp offers a different perspective on life in Nazi Germany. Throughout the book Bruno is trying to make sense of the world around him, and particularly the strange goings-on in 'Out-With'. The jealousy that he feels because Schmuel has friends to play with in the camp shows the loneliness he is experiencing. His friendship with Schmuel shows how natural it is for humans to get along, and how crazy the Nazi anti-semetic policies were.

This is a book I would recommend to anyone.

Johnny Worthington (Grove Primary School)

Boy In The Striped Pyjamas

I like the fact that John Boyne did not shy away from the brutality of the subject matter through Bruno's fate at the end of the story. It makes you appreciate the power of the author as Boyne makes the reader care so much about Bruno and by seeing events in relation to a character we are close to, we are then able to comprehend the suffering of others. In this respect, stories based on real life events like this are vital as they help the reader to understand what happened in a way that can't be achieved with impersonal facts. (Or is Boyne criticising what society will tolerate as long as the victims are anonymous?)

I haven't studied this book with children but can see that, in contrast to the naivety of the two boys, the motivations of the other characters offers a lot of potential for exploration.

Kay Spratt
Haymoor Middle School

'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' by John Boyne

I put off reading this book for a while as I had already seen the film and, although I enjoyed it, had found it upsetting.  However, viewed through Bruno's eyes the writing conveys humour, boredom and excitment despite the context. As an adult reader Bruno's blinkered, naive response to the world around him and especially 'Out-with' is hard to believe, but without it the story wouldn't work. 
Overall I would recommend it to anyone, aged over about 11, to challenge your perception of your life and how you view others 'over the fence'.
Debbie 
Thorntree Primary School

message from Barnet

wow, wow, wow, wow