Welcome to Literacy Time PLUS Ages 9 to 11, finalist in this year’s Educational Resource Awards. Read more.
Stormbreaker
Anthony Horowitz is one of the UK’s most popular children’s authors. His successful novel Stormbreaker has a boy-friendly, James Bond style plot, centring on 14–year-old Alex Rider, who is transformed from schoolboy to super-spy.
By Anthony Horowitz
Ordinary Jack
This is the opening extract from a classic humorous novel written in the 1970s by the late author, Helen Cresswell. It is taken from the first of a series that focuses on the Bagthorpe family. Its realistic family theme allows children to identify with Jack and his desire to shine within his talented family.
By Helen Cresswell
Conversation Poems Part 1
This is the first in a two-part resource by Kevin McCann providing writing frames for different kinds of conversation poems. This month we offer you two frames: ‘Who ate the pie?’ based on the traditional rhyme ‘Who Killed Cock Robin’, and ‘The Story Book’, a fantasy based around a magic book. Both use the Question and Answer structure.
By Kevin McCann — Freelance writer and former teacher
Diaries, letters and journals
The leaflet features a range of recounts – diaries, journals and letters – all with a Family theme: a fictional diary extract from the hilarious Dear Dumb Diary series by Jim Benton (Scholastic); a factual letter from Sir Ernest Shackleton to his daughter Cecily, conveying his emotions during his attempt to rescue his men from Antarctica in 1916; an extract from Queen Victoria’s diary revealing fascinating details of her thoughts on her wedding day in 1860; and, finally, a piece from Roald Dahl’s Boy, focusing poignantly on his time at kindergarten in 1922‑3.
By Helen Watts — Editor, Literacy Time PLUS
Also this month
More great articles published this month.
This month's resources
Conversation Poems, Part 1
Interactive poetry frames, Part 1, featuring two fantastic conversation poems – three more frames follow in next month’s issue
How to write dialogue
There are some top tips for writing effective dialogue in this useful instructions poster
Mum'll be coming home today
This touching family poem by Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen is written in the style of a conversation and is ideal for performance and reading aloud
Stormbreaker
Multimedia resource featuring the same scene from top children’s movie and action adventure novel Stormbreaker, by Anthony Horowitz.
Anthony Horowitz worksheet
Read Anthony Horowitz’s Author Profile, then answer questions about him on this SAT-style worksheet
Other resources this month
- Dialogue in fiction and non-fiction: An evidence bank
- Family rap
- It was as if I was there!
- My secret weapon
- Northern Ireland curriculum
- Primary Framework for Literacy
- Scotland 5-14 Curriculum
- The Curious Cat
- Uncle Parker's idea
- Using Literacy Time PLUS Ages 7-9 Issue 58
- Vocabulary and figurative phrases
This month's calendar
| Calendar for May 2008 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 12 | 13 | 14 |
| Edward Lear’s Birthday | Pope Shot (1981) | Be Nice to Nettles Week |
Latest news
Summer Reading Challenge launched 23 Apr 2008
The Reading Agency has announced details of its Summer Reading Challenge™.
National Join a Library Day 21 Apr 2008
Libraries across England will be running a ‘Join A Library Day’ on Saturday 26 April as part of the National Year of Reading
Children’s book awards shortlist announced 18 Apr 2008
The shortlisted titles for the 2008 CILIP Carnegie and Greenaway medals are revealed
Girl readers overlooked 17 Apr 2008
National Literacy Trust report suggests female reluctant readers are often ‘overlooked’ by policies encouraging children to read.
Dads unlikely bedtime story tellers 16 Apr 2008
Less than half of the fathers surveyed by the National Year of Reading said they regularly read bedtime stories to their children.
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