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Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J K Rowling
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J K Rowling
When mysterious letters start arriving on his doorstep, Harry Potter has never heard of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They are swiftly confiscated by his aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry’s eleventh birthday, a strange man bursts in with some important news: Harry Potter is a wizard and has been awarded a place to study at Hogwarts.
And so the first of the Harry Potter adventures is set to begin...
Why this text?
By studying this book, children will continue to develop their understanding of the fantasy genre, identifying common themes and literary conventions. They will also engage with language and imagery to make inferences about the authorial intent of JK Rowling. By doing so, children will deepen their understanding of the text and its characters and their motivations. Children will be encouraged to make links with other texts read by comparing themes, characters and events. Furthermore, children will be challenged to make sensible predictions about what they have read, not what they may have seen in the film adaptation. In addition, studying this text will allow children to begin to develop an understanding of how characters (and by extension, people) are often more/very different to how they may first appear. Through the characters of the Dursley family, children will also gain an understanding that not all families are kind, and that this does not reflect on Harry Potter’s worth as a person.
Themes
Magic, Difference, and Belonging
Love, Family, and Friendship
Power, Greed, and Desire
Humility and Self-Sacrifice
Rules and Rebellion
Wonder by R J Palacio
Wonder by R J Palacio
Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, August Pullman wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can't get past his extraordinary face. Wonder begins from Auggie's point of view, but soon switches to include the perspectives of his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others.
Why this text?
Children will benefit from reading this narrative because they will be taught to appreciate difference and diversity. They will also gain an understand the root cause of bullying and prejudice, beginning to develop social awareness of the needs of others and the benefits of an inclusive society. This text challenges notions of traditional beauty norms, encouraging children to look beyond appearance to see the beauty within.
Themes
The difficulty of kindness
Independence and growing up
Status and bullying
Identity
Parenting
Holes by Jonathan Litton
Holes by Jonathan Litton
Holes: discover a hidden world!
Children will delve into this fascinating book of holes to discover a world of burrows and boreholes, subways and sinkholes. From the mythical and mysterious to household and human holes, find out what makes a hole a hole and how they shape our world.
Why this text?
This fascinating non-fiction text will build on learning about volcanoes (in year 3) and makes links across the curriculum. Children will learn about holes in the earth, see, space, art, literature and even mythology! By doing so, they will gain a sense of intrigue and wonder about the world around them. This excellent, high quality reference text will help children to appreciating that the non-fiction genre does not need to be read linearly. This inspiring text will foster a love of learning for learning's sake!
Black Powder by
Black Powder by
England, 1605.
12-year-old Tom must save his father from hanging. He falls in with a mysterious stranger – the Falcon – who promises to help in exchange for his service. But on the long journey to London, Tom discovers the Falcon's true mission – and a plot to blow up Parliament with barrels of black powder!
Tom faces a terrible decision: secure his father's release, or stop the assassination of the king...
Why this text?
This text will allow children to engage with themes of prejudice, persecution and terrorism in a mature and age-appropriate manner. They will begin to develop an appreciation for nuance and moral ambiguity, understanding the religious tensions of the time, linking this to our British values of tolerance and the rule of law.
Themes
• Courage against the odds
• Friendship and loyalty
• Standing up for what you believe is right
• Family and love
• Bullying and prejudice
• Grief and acceptance of death
• Inequalities of power and wealth
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