Midnight is the time when all children are fast asleep, except of course for… the Midnight Gang. That is when their adventures are just beginning… Colouring pencils at the ready - it's time to decorate the London sky!

The activities in Publishing Skulduggery can be used to meet the NC requirements in KS2 English to develop an understanding and appreciation of literary texts, including modern fiction by significant authors. And in particular to: * evaluate ideas and themes that broaden perspectives and extend thinking * respond imaginatively, drawing on the whole text and other reading. This activity can also be used as for a piece of practical work in KS2 Art and Design. In particular to use a variety of methods and approaches to communicate observations, ideas and feelings to make images and artifacts.

1. People are all different, but all people have feelings. Being kind to others is very important. But what does being kind mean and what does it look like? 2. NAMES OF CHILDREN IN THE CLASS & SOMETHING KIND TO SAY ABOUT EACH PERSON. 3. Kindness Poster

(a) Use the storyboard sheet to show the story of Bad Dad. Either draw or make notes in each section. Imagine you are planning on turning the written story into a film and you need to plan the scenes. (b) Storyboard grid

Task: • Choose an exciting scene from The 1,000-year-old Boy and rewrite it into a play script. Then act it out (sensibly!) with your friends. • Ideas to include: • Who are the characters in this scene? • What is the setting for this scene? • What happens in this scene? Will you include all the details in your script or just the main action? • Will you use a narrator? • What actions might you like the characters to perform? Remember to give them stage directions.

TASK: Research and create a fact file about twisters (tornadoes). You can use information from the story as well as research from the Internet to find out about twisters. Use the information you discover to create a fact file that could teach others about twisters. CURRICULUM LINKS: (KS1) Understand both the books that they can already read accurately and fluently and those that they listen to by: drawing on what they already know or on background information and vocabulary provided by the teacher answering and asking questions CURRICULUM LINKS: (KS2) Understand what they read, in books they can read independently, by: checking that the text makes sense to them, discussing their understanding and explaining the meaning of words in context asking questions to improve their understanding

TASK: Imagine you are Scarecrow. You are writing in your diary. Rewrite the chapter about your adventure lost in the forest of the Kalidahs from Scarecrow’s point of view. CURRICULUM LINKS: (KS1) Understand both the books that they can already read accurately and fluently and those that they listen to by: making inferences on the basis of what is being said and done answering and asking questions CURRICULUM LINKS: (KS2) Understand what they read, in books they can read independently, by: drawing inferences such as inferring characters’ feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, and justifying inferences with evidence identifying how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning

Re-read pages 227 to 368 of the story. Retell this section of the story in the style of a super hero comic strip. You will need to identify the main events and summarise them to fit your comic strip.

Imagine that Spock can speak English. Write a recount of the evening’s events in the style of a newspaper report, written from Spock’s perspective. Remember to write in the first person.

Here is some more developed thinking about what can be found in a mystery story (some of these points may overlap with your earlier ideas). a) Tick any number of the ones you agree with and add more to the list if you can. b) With support from the points on the previous page, use the following line, taken from ‘Ivy and Scarlet, The Lost Twin’, to open your own mystery writing scene. Then in no more than 500 words either produce an entirely new opening to a story or a scene from the middle of a story.

(a) Create a fact file on Banger Racing. Use information from the story, research from the Internet or library books as well as your own imagination. When you have made your fact file, you could use the information to make a leaflet, a website or a presentation to teach others about Banger Racing. (b) Plan and research your fact file here:

Task: Research and create a timeline that shows historic periods of time in British history. Saxons, Vikings, Romans, Victorians! Do you know which period of time was first and which was the most recent? Carry out research to create a timeline of British history. Use the cards and create your own. Decorate them with illustrations showing artifacts typical of that period. Cut out the cards and stick them in the correct order on a long strip of card or paper.

Task: Imagine you are Alfie. Write a letter to Jack McGonagal to express your feelings about the demise of your friendship. The letter could be from immediately after you ceased being friends, or from when Jack returned to take chickens, or from the time that you met his son at the beach. Use information from the story and your own imagination.

TASK: Can you find all of the words below from the book in the word search? The words can go up, down, left, right or diagonal.

Write your own story about the next adventures of Spock and the boat-raft full of guinea pigs!

What would you wish for? Write a poem about your own shooting star wish. Aim to include some techniques often used in poetry such as metaphors, similes, imagery, rhyme and alliteration to enhance the style and effect of your poem.

Come join one busy dog on her journey to find her place in the world in Odd Dog Out, the third sublimely illustrated book from the bestselling, award-winning Rob Biddulph. There are 12 seasonal words hidden in this picture. Can you find them all?

Think about mystery stories and poems that you have already read or listened to and films with elements of mystery that you have watched. What ingredients (features) do you expect to find in the mystery story that you are about to read? Put your ideas in the text boxes below. Add more boxes if you need to. When finished compare your ideas with a partner.

A 10 x 10 letter wordsearch to find the words: Tea, Tiger, Sophie, Mummy, Daddy, Buns, Sandwiches

A constellation is a group of stars that make an imaginary shape in the night sky. In different parts of the world, people have made up different shapes out of the same group of stars. It is like a game of connecting the dots. They are often named after mythological characters, people, animals and objects.