This stand-alone resource is taken from the opening section of the highly regarded 215-page ‘Writing Unseen Commentaries: A Student Help Book’, a two-year course in the close textual analysis of short prose extracts and poems, designed to help students, within a clear framework, develop the skills of focused reading and critical commentary – skills they will be called upon to demonstrate within most national and international pre-university literature examinations. This is the introductory poetry unit from that course. The prose (fiction) equivalent is also published in the WordSmith Guides series. Both make full use of the innovative SCASI structure (Setting, Character, Action, Style and Ideas), an invaluable tool for the analysis of not only short pieces of literature but also whole works. This is also the Student Edition of the resource: the suggested responses to the study tasks are located in a separate section at the end, so that teachers can dispense them to students as they see fit, for the purposes of self-assessment. In the Teaching Copy they are included in the body of the unit.

This resource is designed for use by teachers planning to adopt the animal adventure story ‘The Meerkat Wars’ by H.S. Toshack as a whole-class (or small group) teaching text. It can be used instead of, or alongside, the free, full and detailed set of literacy resources available at litworks.com/childrens.php (and elsewhere on TES Connect). The series of three books (‘Paka Mdogo’, ‘The Gradual Elephant’ and ‘The Meerkat Wars’) and their accompanying teaching and learning materials are suitable across a wide KS2 ability range.

This resource is designed for use by teachers planning to adopt the animal adventure story ‘The Gradual Elephant’ by H.S. Toshack as a whole-class (or small group) teaching text. It can be used instead of, or alongside, the free, full and detailed set of literacy resources available at litworks.com/childrens.php (and elsewhere on TES Connect). The series of three books (‘Paka Mdogo’, ‘The Gradual Elephant’ and ‘The Meerkat Wars’) and their accompanying teaching and learning materials are suitable across a wide KS2 ability range.

This stand-alone resource is taken from the opening section of the highly regarded 215-page ‘Writing Unseen Commentaries: A Student Help Book’, a two-year course in the close textual analysis of short prose extracts and poems, designed to help students, within a clear framework, develop the skills of focused reading and critical commentary – skills they will be called upon to demonstrate within most national and international pre-university literature examinations. This is the introductory prose (fiction) unit from that course. The poetry equivalent is also published in the WordSmith Guides series. Both make full use of the innovative SCASI structure (Setting, Character, Action, Style and Ideas), an invaluable tool for the analysis of not only short pieces of literature but also whole works. This is also the Student Edition of the resource: the suggested responses to the study tasks are located in a separate section at the end, so that teachers can dispense them to students as they see fit, for the purposes of self-assessment. In the Teaching Copy they are included in the body of the unit.

This stand-alone resource is taken from the opening section of the highly regarded 215-page ‘Writing Unseen Commentaries: A Student Help Book’, a two-year course in the close textual analysis of short prose extracts and poems, designed to help students, within a clear framework, develop the skills of focused reading and critical commentary – skills they will be called upon to demonstrate within most national and international pre-university literature examinations. This is the introductory prose (fiction) unit from that course. The poetry equivalent is also published in the WordSmith Guides series. Both make full use of the innovative SCASI structure (Setting, Character, Action, Style and Ideas), an invaluable tool for the analysis of not only short pieces of literature but also whole works. This is also the Teaching Copy of the resource: the suggested responses to the study tasks are included in the body of the unit, whereas in the Student Edition they are located in a separate section at the end, so that teachers can dispense them to students as they see fit, for the purposes of self-assessment.

This is the thirteenth of seventeen stand-alone literacy units built around the highly acclaimed animal adventure story ‘Paka Mdogo – Little Cat’. Each unit is based on a single chapter from the book, and includes the text itself…so over the course of a term children will be able to enjoy the whole story as a piece of fiction ‘with excellent literary credentials’ (Library Thing review) – appropriate to Years 4 to 6 but offering engagement, suspense, humour and challenge to readers of all ages. The ‘Paka Mdogo’ series has been described as ‘Books for Thinking Children’ but it also has a strong appeal to thinking adults since it addresses, in a wholly refreshing way, a large number of issues important to us all. Each unit includes a summary of ‘the story so far’ sufficient to allow a full understanding of events within the chapter, without prior reading. Teachers can therefore, if they wish, use the units selectively, making use of the ongoing summaries to bridge any narrative gaps and keep the class eager to know what happens next. The units are aligned to the general objectives of the National Curriculum, and teachers making use of them can be assured that their students will be exposed to a wide range of reading, writing, speaking and listening tasks – and thinking activities – designed to promote those objectives with minimal tribulation and maximum delight. ‘Thinking activities’? Imaginative prompts that challenge students to read into, and often beyond, the written text. Study tasks include the full range of question types (single-answer, multiple choice, closed, open, evaluative) and a variety of writing and speaking activities (personal, narrative, expository, analytical, persuasive, interactive). Questions on the illustrations are included to help enhance students’ visual, as well as textual, literacy. Some practicalities: • The units are in printable pdf format, and can be used either on-screen or in photocopy from the master file. • Each page of the unit carries one page of text from the chapter, a study task based on it, and working spaces. Additional, more broadly-based study tasks span the whole chapter. • Students given print copies can use either the working spaces or a separate workbook. Those working on-screen will be able to add their responses by means of a text insertion tool or the comments/sticky notes function, depending on the programme used to open the pdf file – or, again, in a separate workbook. • Two editions of the unit – Teaching and Student – are included in the resource, together with a copy of the Teacher Notes, a map of the fictional Baragandiri National Park and a one-page summary of the whole story.

This stand-alone resource is taken from the opening section of the highly regarded 215-page ‘Writing Unseen Commentaries: A Student Help Book’, a two-year course in the close textual analysis of short prose extracts and poems, designed to help students, within a clear framework, develop the skills of focused reading and critical commentary – skills they will be called upon to demonstrate within most national and international pre-university literature examinations. This is the introductory poetry unit from that course. The prose (fiction) equivalent is also published in the WordSmith Guides series. Both make full use of the innovative SCASI structure (Setting, Character, Action, Style and Ideas), an invaluable tool for the analysis of not only short pieces of literature but also whole works. This is also the Teaching Copy of the resource: the suggested responses to the study tasks are included in the body of the unit, whereas in the Student Edition they are located in a separate section at the end, so that teachers can dispense them to students as they see fit, for the purposes of self-assessment.

This is the thirteenth of seventeen stand-alone literacy units built around the highly acclaimed animal adventure story ‘Paka Mdogo – Little Cat’. Each unit is based on a single chapter from the book, and includes the text itself…so over the course of a term children will be able to enjoy the whole story as a piece of fiction ‘with excellent literary credentials’ (Library Thing review) – appropriate to ages 7 to 12 but offering engagement, suspense, humour and challenge to readers of all ages. The ‘Paka Mdogo’ series has been described as ‘Books for Thinking Children’ but it also has a strong appeal to thinking adults since it addresses, in a wholly refreshing way, a large number of issues important to us all. Each unit includes a summary of ‘the story so far’. Teachers can therefore, if they wish, use the units selectively, making use of the ongoing summaries to bridge any narrative gaps and keep the class eager to know what happens next. The units are aligned to the general expectations of the International Baccalaureate PYP programme and also various national curricula, and teachers making use of them can be assured that their students will be exposed to a wide range of reading, writing, speaking and listening tasks – and thinking activities – designed to promote universal literacy objectives with minimal tribulation and maximum delight. ‘Thinking activities’? Imaginative prompts that challenge students to read into, and often beyond, the written text. Study tasks include the full range of question types (single-answer, multiple choice, closed, open, evaluative) and a variety of writing and speaking activities (personal, narrative, expository, analytical, persuasive, interactive). Questions on the illustrations are included to help enhance students’ visual, as well as textual, literacy. The PYP-specific section on each chapter (‘Sheena the PYP Cat’) is designed to illuminate for young readers the elements of both the PYP Learner Profile and the Transdisciplinary Themes, and to add to their enjoyment of the story and their understanding of some of the important things that happen in it, within a PYP context. Some practicalities: • The units (both the Teaching and the Student Edition, included in the download) are in printable pdf format, and can be used either on-screen or in photocopy from the master files. • Each page of the unit carries one page of text from the chapter, a study task based on it, and working spaces. Additional, more broadly-based study tasks span the whole chapter. • Students given print copies can use either the working spaces or a separate workbook. Those working on-screen will be able to add their responses by means of a text insertion tool or the comments/sticky notes function, depending on the programme used to open the pdf file – or, again, in a separate workbook.

This stand-alone resource is taken from the opening section of the increasingly popular 280-page ‘Reading Between the Lines: A Student Help Book’, a two-year course in the close textual analysis of non-literary prose and graphic communication, designed to help students, within a clear framework, develop the skills of focused reading and critical commentary – skills they will be called upon to demonstrate within most national and international pre-university language or language and literature examinations. This is the introductory unit from that course. It makes use of the universal CAPS (Context, Audience, Purpose and Style) structure to explore factual and persuasive writing, and other forms of non-literary communication including graphic. This is also the Student Edition of the resource: the suggested responses to the study tasks are located in a separate section at the end, so that teachers can dispense them to students as they see fit, for the purposes of self-assessment. In the Teaching Copy they are included in the body of the unit.

This is a stand-alone literacy unit to be printed out for class use (or displayed on-screen, if whole-class computer access is available). It is based on a short chapter from the animal adventure story ‘The Meerkat Wars’ by H.S. Toshack, and is designed to enrich the reading experience for students across a wide grade and ability range by engaging them in thinking, reading, writing, listening and speaking activities in line with the Common Core State Standards for Language Arts. It can also serve as an introduction to the Paka Mdogo series of children’s stories (themselves supported by equally challenging teaching and learning resources).

This stand-alone resource is taken from the opening section of the increasingly popular 280-page ‘Reading Between the Lines: A Student Help Book’, a two-year course in the close textual analysis of non-literary prose and graphic communication, designed to help students, within a clear framework, develop the skills of focused reading and critical commentary – skills they will be called upon to demonstrate within most national and international pre-university language or language and literature examinations. This is the introductory unit from that course. It makes use of the universal CAPS (Context, Audience, Purpose and Style) structure to explore factual and persuasive writing, and other forms of non-literary communication including graphic. This is also the Teaching Copy of the resource: the suggested responses to the study tasks are included in the body of the unit, whereas in the Student Edition they are located in a separate section at the end, so that teachers can dispense them to students as they see fit, for the purposes of self-assessment.

This is a set of cross-curricular links for the animal adventure story ‘The Meerkat Wars’ by H.S. Toshack. It is designed to assist teachers using the story as a class text to integrate it into the wider curriculum.

This is the twelfth of seventeen stand-alone literacy units built around the highly acclaimed animal adventure story ‘Paka Mdogo – Little Cat’. Each unit is based on a single chapter from the book, and includes the text itself…so over the course of a term children will be able to enjoy the whole story as a piece of fiction ‘with excellent literary credentials’ (Library Thing review) – appropriate to Years 4 to 6 but offering engagement, suspense, humour and challenge to readers of all ages. The ‘Paka Mdogo’ series has been described as ‘Books for Thinking Children’ but it also has a strong appeal to thinking adults since it addresses, in a wholly refreshing way, a large number of issues important to us all. Each unit includes a summary of ‘the story so far’ sufficient to allow a full understanding of events within the chapter, without prior reading. Teachers can therefore, if they wish, use the units selectively, making use of the ongoing summaries to bridge any narrative gaps and keep the class eager to know what happens next. The units are aligned to the general objectives of the National Curriculum, and teachers making use of them can be assured that their students will be exposed to a wide range of reading, writing, speaking and listening tasks – and thinking activities – designed to promote those objectives with minimal tribulation and maximum delight. ‘Thinking activities’? Imaginative prompts that challenge students to read into, and often beyond, the written text. Study tasks include the full range of question types (single-answer, multiple choice, closed, open, evaluative) and a variety of writing and speaking activities (personal, narrative, expository, analytical, persuasive, interactive). Questions on the illustrations are included to help enhance students’ visual, as well as textual, literacy. Some practicalities: • The units are in printable pdf format, and can be used either on-screen or in photocopy from the master file. • Each page of the unit carries one page of text from the chapter, a study task based on it, and working spaces. Additional, more broadly-based study tasks span the whole chapter. • Students given print copies can use either the working spaces or a separate workbook. Those working on-screen will be able to add their responses by means of a text insertion tool or the comments/sticky notes function, depending on the program used to open the pdf file – or, again, in a separate workbook. • Two editions of the unit – Teaching and Student – are included in the resource, together with a copy of the Teacher Notes, a map of the fictional Baragandiri National Park and a one-page summary of the whole story.

This is the tenth of seventeen stand-alone literacy units built around the highly acclaimed animal adventure story ‘Paka Mdogo – Little Cat’. Each unit is based on a single chapter from the book, and includes the text itself…so over the course of a term children will be able to enjoy the whole story as a piece of fiction ‘with excellent literary credentials’ (Library Thing review) – appropriate to Years 4 to 6 but offering engagement, suspense, humour and challenge to readers of all ages. The ‘Paka Mdogo’ series has been described as ‘Books for Thinking Children’ but it also has a strong appeal to thinking adults since it addresses, in a wholly refreshing way, a large number of issues important to us all. Each unit includes a summary of ‘the story so far’ sufficient to allow a full understanding of events within the chapter, without prior reading. Teachers can therefore, if they wish, use the units selectively, making use of the ongoing summaries to bridge any narrative gaps and keep the class eager to know what happens next. The units are aligned to the general objectives of the National Curriculum, and teachers making use of them can be assured that their students will be exposed to a wide range of reading, writing, speaking and listening tasks – and thinking activities – designed to promote those objectives with minimal tribulation and maximum delight. ‘Thinking activities’? Imaginative prompts that challenge students to read into, and often beyond, the written text. Study tasks include the full range of question types (single-answer, multiple choice, closed, open, evaluative) and a variety of writing and speaking activities (personal, narrative, expository, analytical, persuasive, interactive). Questions on the illustrations are included to help enhance students’ visual, as well as textual, literacy. Some practicalities: • The units are in printable pdf format, and can be used either on-screen or in photocopy from the master file. • Each page of the unit carries one page of text from the chapter, a study task based on it, and working spaces. Additional, more broadly-based study tasks span the whole chapter. • Students given print copies can use either the working spaces or a separate workbook. Those working on-screen will be able to add their responses by means of a text insertion tool or the comments/sticky notes function, depending on the program used to open the pdf file – or, again, in a separate workbook. • Two editions of the unit – Teaching and Student – are included in the resource, together with a copy of the Teacher Notes, a map of the fictional Baragandiri National Park and a one-page summary of the whole story.

This is the eleventh of seventeen stand-alone literacy units built around the highly acclaimed animal adventure story ‘Paka Mdogo – Little Cat’. Each unit is based on a single chapter from the book, and includes the text itself…so over the course of a term children will be able to enjoy the whole story as a piece of fiction ‘with excellent literary credentials’ (Library Thing review) – appropriate to Years 4 to 6 but offering engagement, suspense, humour and challenge to readers of all ages. The ‘Paka Mdogo’ series has been described as ‘Books for Thinking Children’ but it also has a strong appeal to thinking adults since it addresses, in a wholly refreshing way, a large number of issues important to us all. Each unit includes a summary of ‘the story so far’ sufficient to allow a full understanding of events within the chapter, without prior reading. Teachers can therefore, if they wish, use the units selectively, making use of the ongoing summaries to bridge any narrative gaps and keep the class eager to know what happens next. The units are aligned to the general objectives of the National Curriculum, and teachers making use of them can be assured that their students will be exposed to a wide range of reading, writing, speaking and listening tasks – and thinking activities – designed to promote those objectives with minimal tribulation and maximum delight. ‘Thinking activities’? Imaginative prompts that challenge students to read into, and often beyond, the written text. Study tasks include the full range of question types (single-answer, multiple choice, closed, open, evaluative) and a variety of writing and speaking activities (personal, narrative, expository, analytical, persuasive, interactive). Questions on the illustrations are included to help enhance students’ visual, as well as textual, literacy. Some practicalities: • The units are in printable pdf format, and can be used either on-screen or in photocopy from the master file. • Each page of the unit carries one page of text from the chapter, a study task based on it, and working spaces. Additional, more broadly-based study tasks span the whole chapter. • Students given print copies can use either the working spaces or a separate workbook. Those working on-screen will be able to add their responses by means of a text insertion tool or the comments/sticky notes function, depending on the program used to open the pdf file – or, again, in a separate workbook. • Two editions of the unit – Teaching and Student – are included in the resource, together with a copy of the Teacher Notes, a map of the fictional Baragandiri National Park and a one-page summary of the whole story.

This is the sixteenth of seventeen stand-alone literacy units built around the highly acclaimed animal adventure story ‘Paka Mdogo – Little Cat’. Each unit is based on a single chapter from the book, and includes the text itself…so over the course of a term children will be able to enjoy the whole story as a piece of fiction ‘with excellent literary credentials’ (Library Thing review) – appropriate to Years 4 to 6 but offering engagement, suspense, humour and challenge to readers of all ages. The ‘Paka Mdogo’ series has been described as ‘Books for Thinking Children’ but it also has a strong appeal to thinking adults since it addresses, in a wholly refreshing way, a large number of issues important to us all. Each unit includes a summary of ‘the story so far’ sufficient to allow a full understanding of events within the chapter, without prior reading. Teachers can therefore, if they wish, use the units selectively, making use of the ongoing summaries to bridge any narrative gaps and keep the class eager to know what happens next. The units are aligned to the general objectives of the National Curriculum, and teachers making use of them can be assured that their students will be exposed to a wide range of reading, writing, speaking and listening tasks – and thinking activities – designed to promote those objectives with minimal tribulation and maximum delight. ‘Thinking activities’? Imaginative prompts that challenge students to read into, and often beyond, the written text. Study tasks include the full range of question types (single-answer, multiple choice, closed, open, evaluative) and a variety of writing and speaking activities (personal, narrative, expository, analytical, persuasive, interactive). Questions on the illustrations are included to help enhance students’ visual, as well as textual, literacy. Some practicalities: • The units are in printable pdf format, and can be used either on-screen or in photocopy from the master file. • Each page of the unit carries one page of text from the chapter, a study task based on it, and working spaces. Additional, more broadly-based study tasks span the whole chapter. • Students given print copies can use either the working spaces or a separate workbook. Those working on-screen will be able to add their responses by means of a text insertion tool or the comments/sticky notes function, depending on the program used to open the pdf file – or, again, in a separate workbook. • Two editions of the unit – Teaching and Student – are included in the resource, together with a copy of the Teacher Notes, a map of the fictional Baragandiri National Park and a one-page summary of the whole story.

This is the sixth of seventeen stand-alone literacy units built around the highly acclaimed animal adventure story ‘Paka Mdogo – Little Cat’. Each unit is based on a single chapter from the book, and includes the text itself…so over the course of a term children will be able to enjoy the whole story as a piece of fiction ‘with excellent literary credentials’ (Library Thing review) – appropriate to Years 4 to 6 but offering engagement, suspense, humour and challenge to readers of all ages. The ‘Paka Mdogo’ series has been described as ‘Books for Thinking Children’ but it also has a strong appeal to thinking adults since it addresses, in a wholly refreshing way, a large number of issues important to us all. Each unit includes a summary of ‘the story so far’ sufficient to allow a full understanding of events within the chapter, without prior reading. Teachers can therefore, if they wish, use the units selectively, making use of the ongoing summaries to bridge any narrative gaps and keep the class eager to know what happens next. The units are aligned to the general objectives of the National Curriculum, and teachers making use of them can be assured that their students will be exposed to a wide range of reading, writing, speaking and listening tasks – and thinking activities – designed to promote those objectives with minimal tribulation and maximum delight. ‘Thinking activities’? Imaginative prompts that challenge students to read into, and often beyond, the written text. Study tasks include the full range of question types (single-answer, multiple choice, closed, open, evaluative) and a variety of writing and speaking activities (personal, narrative, expository, analytical, persuasive, interactive). Questions on the illustrations are included to help enhance students’ visual, as well as textual, literacy. Some practicalities: • The units are in printable pdf format, and can be used either on-screen or in photocopy from the master file. • Each page of the unit carries one page of text from the chapter, a study task based on it, and working spaces. Additional, more broadly-based study tasks span the whole chapter. • Students given print copies can use either the working spaces or a separate workbook. Those working on-screen will be able to add their responses by means of a text insertion tool or the comments/sticky notes function, depending on the program used to open the pdf file – or, again, in a separate workbook. • Two editions of the unit – Teaching and Student – are included in the resource, together with a copy of the Teacher Notes, a map of the fictional Baragandiri National Park and a one-page summary of the whole story.

This is the seventh of seventeen stand-alone literacy units built around the highly acclaimed animal adventure story ‘Paka Mdogo – Little Cat’. Each unit is based on a single chapter from the book, and includes the text itself…so over the course of a term children will be able to enjoy the whole story as a piece of fiction ‘with excellent literary credentials’ (Library Thing review) – appropriate to Years 4 to 6 but offering engagement, suspense, humour and challenge to readers of all ages. The ‘Paka Mdogo’ series has been described as ‘Books for Thinking Children’ but it also has a strong appeal to thinking adults since it addresses, in a wholly refreshing way, a large number of issues important to us all. Each unit includes a summary of ‘the story so far’ sufficient to allow a full understanding of events within the chapter, without prior reading. Teachers can therefore, if they wish, use the units selectively, making use of the ongoing summaries to bridge any narrative gaps and keep the class eager to know what happens next. The units are aligned to the general objectives of the National Curriculum, and teachers making use of them can be assured that their students will be exposed to a wide range of reading, writing, speaking and listening tasks – and thinking activities – designed to promote those objectives with minimal tribulation and maximum delight. ‘Thinking activities’? Imaginative prompts that challenge students to read into, and often beyond, the written text. Study tasks include the full range of question types (single-answer, multiple choice, closed, open, evaluative) and a variety of writing and speaking activities (personal, narrative, expository, analytical, persuasive, interactive). Questions on the illustrations are included to help enhance students’ visual, as well as textual, literacy. Some practicalities: • The units are in printable pdf format, and can be used either on-screen or in photocopy from the master file. • Each page of the unit carries one page of text from the chapter, a study task based on it, and working spaces. Additional, more broadly-based study tasks span the whole chapter. • Students given print copies can use either the working spaces or a separate workbook. Those working on-screen will be able to add their responses by means of a text insertion tool or the comments/sticky notes function, depending on the program used to open the pdf file – or, again, in a separate workbook. • Two editions of the unit – Teaching and Student – are included in the resource, together with a copy of the Teacher Notes, a map of the fictional Baragandiri National Park and a one-page summary of the whole story.

This is the fifth of seventeen stand-alone literacy units built around the highly acclaimed animal adventure story ‘Paka Mdogo – Little Cat’. Each unit is based on a single chapter from the book, and includes the text itself…so over the course of a term children will be able to enjoy the whole story as a piece of fiction ‘with excellent literary credentials’ (Library Thing review) – appropriate to Years 4 to 6 but offering engagement, suspense, humour and challenge to readers of all ages. The ‘Paka Mdogo’ series has been described as ‘Books for Thinking Children’ but it also has a strong appeal to thinking adults since it addresses, in a wholly refreshing way, a large number of issues important to us all. Each unit includes a summary of ‘the story so far’ sufficient to allow a full understanding of events within the chapter, without prior reading. Teachers can therefore, if they wish, use the units selectively, making use of the ongoing summaries to bridge any narrative gaps and keep the class eager to know what happens next. The units are aligned to the general objectives of the National Curriculum, and teachers making use of them can be assured that their students will be exposed to a wide range of reading, writing, speaking and listening tasks – and thinking activities – designed to promote those objectives with minimal tribulation and maximum delight. ‘Thinking activities’? Imaginative prompts that challenge students to read into, and often beyond, the written text. Study tasks include the full range of question types (single-answer, multiple choice, closed, open, evaluative) and a variety of writing and speaking activities (personal, narrative, expository, analytical, persuasive, interactive). Questions on the illustrations are included to help enhance students’ visual, as well as textual, literacy. Some practicalities: • The units are in printable pdf format, and can be used either on-screen or in photocopy from the master file. • Each page of the unit carries one page of text from the chapter, a study task based on it, and working spaces. Additional, more broadly-based study tasks span the whole chapter. • Students given print copies can use either the working spaces or a separate workbook. Those working on-screen will be able to add their responses by means of a text insertion tool or the comments/sticky notes function, depending on the program used to open the pdf file – or, again, in a separate workbook. • Two editions of the unit – Teaching and Student – are included in the resource, together with a copy of the Teacher Notes, a map of the fictional Baragandiri National Park and a one-page summary of the whole story.

This is the eighth of seventeen stand-alone literacy units built around the highly acclaimed animal adventure story ‘Paka Mdogo – Little Cat’. Each unit is based on a single chapter from the book, and includes the text itself…so over the course of a term children will be able to enjoy the whole story as a piece of fiction ‘with excellent literary credentials’ (Library Thing review) – appropriate to Years 4 to 6 but offering engagement, suspense, humour and challenge to readers of all ages. The ‘Paka Mdogo’ series has been described as ‘Books for Thinking Children’ but it also has a strong appeal to thinking adults since it addresses, in a wholly refreshing way, a large number of issues important to us all. Each unit includes a summary of ‘the story so far’ sufficient to allow a full understanding of events within the chapter, without prior reading. Teachers can therefore, if they wish, use the units selectively, making use of the ongoing summaries to bridge any narrative gaps and keep the class eager to know what happens next. The units are aligned to the general objectives of the National Curriculum, and teachers making use of them can be assured that their students will be exposed to a wide range of reading, writing, speaking and listening tasks – and thinking activities – designed to promote those objectives with minimal tribulation and maximum delight. ‘Thinking activities’? Imaginative prompts that challenge students to read into, and often beyond, the written text. Study tasks include the full range of question types (single-answer, multiple choice, closed, open, evaluative) and a variety of writing and speaking activities (personal, narrative, expository, analytical, persuasive, interactive). Questions on the illustrations are included to help enhance students’ visual, as well as textual, literacy. Some practicalities: • The units are in printable pdf format, and can be used either on-screen or in photocopy from the master file. • Each page of the unit carries one page of text from the chapter, a study task based on it, and working spaces. Additional, more broadly-based study tasks span the whole chapter. • Students given print copies can use either the working spaces or a separate workbook. Those working on-screen will be able to add their responses by means of a text insertion tool or the comments/sticky notes function, depending on the program used to open the pdf file – or, again, in a separate workbook. • Two editions of the unit – Teaching and Student – are included in the resource, together with a copy of the Teacher Notes, a map of the fictional Baragandiri National Park and a one-page summary of the whole story.