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When the Mountains Roared

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This book has it all - the mesmerizing wildlife of Himachal Pradesh in North India, from the butterfly migration to the giant rhododendron trees, the magical Holi festival, the ancient Ganges River, Bollywood ...

If you like animals, mysteries or culture, this book is for you. Read this splendid Middle Grade novel and don’t miss out on: Another new start for Ruby this time leads the family this time to the dizzying heights of the Indian mountains where Dad has taken over the running of a hotel but things aren’t quite what they first imagined. A dilapidated building that only serves to exacerbate Ruby’s fears and the surrounding wildlife is even more on the scary side as snakes and scorpions scuttle around her and a bear banging on her door in the middle of the night suggests. But all is not lost as Ruby makes an important discovery that could change her life forever… Within hours she is escaping Australia and travelling to India with her father, grandmother, family dog and a smuggled baby kangaroo. When Ruby's dad uproots her from Australia to set up a hotel in the mountains of India, Ruby is devastated. Not only are they living in a run-down building in the middle of the wilderness surrounded by scorpions, bears and leopards, but Ruby is sure that India will never truly feel like home - not without her mum there.Poaching is the main theme and it's devastating effects on the environment. When Ruby discovers that the owners of the hotel are up to something, she enlists her new friend Paveen and her Grandmother to help her investigate, discovering more about her new home of India along the way. I do wish that we had learnt more about Ruby's home of Australia, as it wasn't mentioned that much. This is both a very sad and heartwarming book that will make your heart race with curiosity. I couldn’t stop reading until I knew what happened with the leopard! My favourite character was Praveen; I liked seeing how they made friends and worked together to try to stop the poachers. If you know any young readers who love animals and adventures then they should enjoy this. The descriptions are beautiful, Ruby’s spirit is admirable (if slightly worrying at times) and the underlying messages of family, friendship and saving the planet are always worth reading. Ruby’s been uprooted from her home in Australia and moved to the mountains of India, where her dad’s got a new job managing a hotel. Australia was everything she knew and loved, and was full of memories of her mum, who died last year. Jean is the mother who is no longer there. She died some time ago, but her memories still haunt the family, from her taxidermy python (She used to study ophiology aka snakes) to her favorite color (orange). How will Ruby ever let go?

Coping with the death of her mother, Ruby is overcome by her fears, afraid of the dark, of travelling by car, going to sleep and not waking up in the morning. She lives with her father and grandmother in a rural hotel in Western Australia, it has fallen into disrepair and her father has borrowed money from loan sharks to save the property. Desperate to escape from their problems they abandon their home, take only a few possessions, their collie dog Polly and drive through the night to Perth. Along the way they collect a baby joey which Nan hides in her luggage. When the Mountains Roared is the much anticipated second novel from Jess Butterworth after her first book, Running on the Roof of the World (available here and also featured on our Best Books for Year 6) went down a storm in Key Stage 2 classrooms. Grandma – You must meet the grandmother! She’s an amazing, supportive hero. She’s the one who would go to extremes just to save an orphaned joey kangaroo. But can she always be there for Ruby? Jess Butterworth is really skilled at capturing setting — I could feel the warmth of that blazing sun and the silence of the mountains. I could sense the seclusion and the danger that lurked. The language is descriptive and engaging, simple enough for young children to understand but detailed enough so that readers of all ages will be lured into this story. List 10 bullet points that summarise ‘When The Mountains Roared’ by Jess Butterworth so far. You have 18 chapters to think about. I don’t just want to see things about the most recent chapter we have read.

Okay, maybe it’s just me being a fan of authors' notes, but don’t you sometimes feel curious about the story behind the story? Ruby and her family soon settle into life on the mountain; Ruby meets Parveen, a local boy and the pair form an instant friendship. He is a sweet boy and he cares for animals as much as Ruby does. But Ruby’s new life is not not all plain sailing. The locals have stories about the mountain and they believe that some of the unpleasant events occurring in their village are the wrath of the Goddess Durga because there are people living on the mountain again. Parveen introduces Ruby to some of the local customs and helps her to build a shrine to the Goddess to help. They do face some disagreements in their friendship and it was interesting to see how they approached and worked through these. When the Mountains Roared teaches young readers about Tibetan and Indian culture. It also educates readers on animal protection and poaching, but that education feels like osmosis. Jess isn’t beating readers over the head with information, but rather, allowing children to learn the culture and the importance of animal protection slowly as the plot develops. This is fantastic for a children’s novel, because the last thing kids want is to feel like they’re *learning* when reading a fictional novel. If you've ever watched these movies, then you'll know that I'm talking about deeply moving, entertaining and important story concepts.

The story as a whole was quite sweet, and had an important lesson about facing fears and standing up for what you believe in. However, I found the writing quite jerky and stuttering, and I wish there'd been more character development. At times it also felt like everything was tied up a bit too conveniently. Catherine Lang is a teacher at Wellsprings Primary School in Taunton. She writes a book-review blog, wellsprings.edublogs.org, and tweets @ClassBookCorner As a teacher, I was drawn to the rich description of culture, especially when Ruby visits an Indian city during the festival of Holi. But I can see this book becoming a classroom staple for more than the mesmerising snapshots of India. The determined characters who persevere, who show a growing independence of mind to overcome difficulties and strive to achieve a goal by working together, all while being part of a spellbinding story, make this a must-have book for every classroom of 9- to 12-year-olds. Jess has blended so many different emotions into Ruby’s characterisation — grief, loss and wonder. Ruby is forced to navigate this new life, whilst also learning how to let go of her old life. She has to understand that she can enjoy life without her mother being in it, and even though life will never be the same again, that doesn’t mean it won’t be enjoyable and full of wondrous experiences. I think that When the Mountains Roared was a brilliant mystery book. I really don’t like poachers. If you love animals, then you should read this book.

Education Shed Ltd, Severn House, Severn Bridge, Riverside North, Bewdley, Worcestershire, UK, DY12 1AB I think this story is about losing and finding things. There is a girl called Ruby who is trying to stop leopard poaching. Like the leopard, she has lost her own mum. Ruby leaves everything behind, but by the end of the story, she has found friends in a new country. Children will relate to Ruby and Praveen and their ability to see beyond what adults see when it comes to making a difference in the world. It was very animal heavy and the main character has a lot of love for animals but the book didn’t really make me feel this. For example a missing dog is not cared about until it is important to the plot. This is a middle grade book and would be engaging and appropriate for that level. I enjoyed the descriptions of India and it was obvious the author has a lot of affection for India.

This is a really great book for middle-grade readers, and I actually think it’s a lot stronger than her debut. The characters are more evocative and three-dimensional, and the story is much richer and much more pacy. Young readers will love this story. Animal lovers will devour it.There are a lot of things Ruby is scared of since her mum died, and it is not easy for her to overcome her fears, though she tries her best. This gives a strong message to readers that it’s okay to be scared of things and that facing your fears isn’t always as simple as it sounds. Buy from our bookstore and 25% of the cover price will be given to a school of your choice to buy more books. *15% of eBooks. Home > A vivid, warm and atmospheric adventure set in the mountains of India, about a girl who is determined to protect the wild leopards of the mountain from poachers, perfect for fans of Katherine Rundell. I thought we'd live here forever ... but then, I thought Mum would be here forever too. When Ruby's dad uproots her from Australia to set up a hotel in the mountains of India, Ruby is devastated. Not only are they living in a run-down building in the middle of the wilderness surrounded by scorpions, bears and leopards, but Ruby is sure that India will never truly feel like home - not without her mum there. Ever since her mum died, Ruby has been afraid. Of cars. Of the dark. Of going to sleep and never waking up. But then the last remaining leopards of the mountain are threatened and everything changes. Ruby vows to do all she can to protect them - if she can only overcome her fears... About This Edition ISBN:

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