Boy In The Tower

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Ade’s mother is afraid to go out which necessitates his seeking help from the few people left in his rapidly collapsing community. Parents are not usually the focus of books for children – they’re not the ones having the adventures, after all! When there is a sort of apocalypse and plants start growing which kill people and destroy buildings, Ade is trapped in the tower and it’s only because of the other survivors (Obi and Dory) who are kind to him that he survives. I read this a few years ago, and loved it - it's a story that's stayed with me and stood out in my mind. As the story progresses and buildings in Ade’s area start mysteriously falling down and people move away, the race is on to find out the cause.

He's best known for playing Billy Grade in the BBC period drama Peaky Blinders and as Brendan Brady in Hollyoaks. He is alone in the last standing building in London, save for his mother who has not left her bedroom in weeks or indeed the flat for much longer. The book could be a fantastic way to talk about their feelings and ideas about the pandemic, as Ade also experiences a type of lockdown and is very isolated alone with just his Mum in their tower block. My class is at the bit when the blutchers come and ade,obey,dory and the other boy from the flashlight. The following weeks we had structured comprehension tasks to complete (this is a set programme, not planned by me).Two elements of the story really impressed me: the unraveling of the narrative and characterisation. In fact, it reads more like a fable about friendship, loyalty and bravery, beautifully told in the voice of a lonely young boy struggling to make sense of all that is going on around him - from the extraordinary events he sees from his window, to his mother's illness. I think that the book shares some similarities with the current Covid situation and experiences the children may have had while in lockdown.

The reason for her reclusiveness is strongly hinted at but not explained in detail, and seen very much from a child’s viewpoint. But you can't deny that some of the most innovative disaster concepts come from the twisted mind of pessimistic Brits. As well as being an acclaimed theatre actress, Cusack has also starred in numerous dramas including Heartbeat in the early '90s, The Virtues, Brassic and Death in Paradise.When Triffid like plants appear and begin eating the buildings around where he lives, Ade and best friend Gaia start to plot their trail of destruction as building after building crumbles to the ground. The resulting investigation and trial of witness PC Lizzie Adama means that the pair's relationship is tense, to say the least. Through the short chapters, Ade shares with us his thoughts and feelings, his habits and fears and his role in the book is made all the more interesting by his emotional absence of his mother. Ade is a lovely narrator, you’re fond of him the moment the story begins and the more he tells you the more you want to crawl into the pages and help him.

Twelve-year-old Maggie embarks on a dangerous journey into a sinister realm to rescue a schoolmate, andencounters bizarre creatures, moon witches and dark horrors. We understand straight away that Gaia is a special friend, and his comments about what happened 'Before' forewarns you that something significant is going to happen. It was a good book but some things seemed way too convenient that reminded you that you are reading a book. She gave me a detailed retelling of the story so far (something she had previously struggled with) and was so much more positive about her own reading ability. I'm also using this book again with my own class this term, and am looking forward to teaching with it again.If you're a parent or carer with depression, the fiction books below may help your child talk about their feelings and understand what's going on a bit better. The story unfolds in a relaxed manner reflecting the calm and stoic way that Ade deals with strange and stressful situations. This felt a little slow to me and a bit desperate to be completely enjoyable for children in year 5-8 but still a lovely story. The plot is set in a dystopian future and is a well written story about friendship and overcoming adversity. This book is amazing and adventurous, it has lots of high vocabulary and also lots of tension which made the book even better.