The Lion Above the Door

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Another triumph from an incredible writer. Onjali Ralf has done it again. It sounds cliched to say “I laughed, I cried” but I genuinely laughed out loud whilst reading, got choked up by the emotional ending, and stayed up way past my bedtime to finish it. It’s safe to say that I loved it. Although, Onjali does highlight the racism and prejudice faced by ethnic soldiers during World War Two in her notes in the end. It would have been better had this been incorporated in the story. For example, Leo, Sangeets and Olivia decide to incorporate the racism faced by coloured soldiers during the assembly finale despite their teacher disapproving. Touching on themes of historical racism, The Lion Above the Door shines a light on the stories our history books have yet to contain and the power of friendships that can last through generations. directorio de fundaciones volumen i fundaciones docentes de investigaci n y deportivas volumen ii fundaciones culturales

Overall, “the lion above the door” is a factually accurate novel detailing the importance of forgotten soldiers and their impact. It is very clear that Onjali put a lot of time, effort and work into researching historic records of World War Two for this novel. It can definitely be utilised in schools to educate students on the diverse soldiers who served in World War Two. Leo and his best friend Sangeeta are the odd ones out in their school. But as Leo's dad is always telling him, it's because they're special. Only thing is, if they're so special, how come they never see anyone who looks like them in their school history books?

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This is, on the surface, a great story about a school project, and the scrapes they get into along the way. However it would also be a fantastic vehicle for discussing with children the way people are treated and the casual racism found too often in schools. But on a special class trip to a nearby cathedral one day, Leo's attention is drawn to a large marble slab high above the doors of the hall, featuring a short list of names. Because right there, bang in the middle of the list, Leo finds himself staring at his own name... Touching on themes of historical racism, The Lion Above the Door shines a light on the stories our history books have yet to contain and the power of friendships that can last through generations. Following Leo's story, the first edition of this book contains a special collection of historical photos and stories of real life 'forgotten' heroes from World War Two. About This Edition ISBN:

Leo has always wondered where his name comes from. Growing up in the small village of Whot, there isn’t much help for Leo to find out. However, on a school trip to a cathedral Leo uncovers his name emblazoned on the list of World War Two heroes. With his interest piqued, Leo begins a long journey to uncover his own history. Leo, a boy living in the UK but of Singaporean descent, cannot see anyone who looked like him when studying World War 2- all the names sound like British royalty, and he feels like his ancestry are lesser to his classmates. Until, he spots a name on the cathedral wall honouring the soldiers from WW2, and not just any name- his own name. Suddenly, Leo wants to know, who was this soldier, what is his story, and could he have been named after this Leo? The race is on, especially as his class have been chosen to prepare an assembly and display board which might even make it onto TV. Can he find out the information in time, to make everyone remember a forgotten hero? But imagine the surprise Leo gets when he sees the name Leo Kai Lim DFC and a golden lion above it carved into the marble with other names of other soldiers who were WWII heroes. Stunned by this discovery, Leo promises to find out all he can about this soldier. Leo and Sangeeta stand out from their class because of their skin colour and culture – and at times they are bullied because of this. Leo’s Dad says they need to be on their best behaviour at all times and he seems willing to tolerate the racism; the accumulated effect of prejudice leaves Leo feeling emotionally (and sometimes physically) bruised. On a class trip an RAF museum, Leo sees pictures of heroes like the ones in the history books – no one who looks like him. But on that same trip, he sees a commemoration stone of an RAF hero who had the exact same name as him –Leo Kai Lim. So begins the quest to find out more about this hero and others like him. The TV series Real Kidz Rule Remembrance Day competition seems exactly the right forum to tell these forgotten heroes’ stories. Going on a trip to a war museum, Leo envies his classmates that have stories to tell about their great-grandparents and family members who fought in the war. Yet, when he finds his own name on a war memorial, he is amazed. Who was this brave soldier, and is he related to Leo in any way? With Sangeeta’s help, Leo starts an amazing investigation that will highlight some of the hidden history of World War Two – and his own family.Then, on a class trip to a nearby cathedral, Leo's attention is drawn to a large marble slab high above the doors of the hall. Right there, bang in the middle of a list of war heroes, Leo finds himself staring at something incredible: his own name. As the children embark on their research they find that there isn’t much written in the history books so they enlist the help of their families and relatives around the world.

When Leo and Sangeeta go on a class trip to Rochester cathedral, Leo spots a name on one of the war memorials that is identical to his own. He begins to wonder about the “real” Leo - who he was and what he did during the war. When the class embark on a project following on from the trip, they decide to focus on the forgotten heroes of the war - which includes soldiers from Asia and Africa.

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Often historical focus reads are found in adult fiction and we never realise that kids are exposed through the experience of racism, history and curiosity in school. Children in Year 6 will be given the opportunity to read the story and take part in activities both at school and at home. It will be used by many high schools as part of their transition programme between primary and high school and gives pupils a shared experience, no matter which high school they go to in September. Pupils in Special Schools will also receive a copy of the book and an additional title – Super Duper Me by Sophie Henn.