Joan Furlong : Schools' Adviser, Diocese of Lichfield.
What a joy to read a really good adventure story about good and evil - I couldn't put it down! Christian concepts underpin the story, yet are in no way intrusive to the imaginative context - the world of birds and humans inter-acting, both in the past and the present. Good is triumphant, as in all good fiction for young people. The characters are explained at the beginning and Juniors will enjoy getting their tongues round the names and sorting out the 'goodies' from the 'baddies'. Line drawings, well-spaced throughout the text, add richness and insight to the developing plot and keep the reader interested. The story lends itself to a series - I believe number 2 is already in the mind of the author!
This story can be used in a variety of ways in school:-
1) as a library book to be read by individuals
2) as a group reader in the 'literacy hour' to be discussed for its literary and moral attributes
3) as a class book to be used in Religious education or PSHE or 'Circle time' - e.g. themes such as responsibility, power - its use and abuse, good and evil, friendship, sacrifice, courage, symbolism are all readily available for discussion within the book.
