As the danger to Ade grows, and the sinister nature of the bluchers becomes more scary,we see what he's really made of. All the time we are wondering how on earth he is going to escape the inevitable doom unscathed. When Ade faces his most dangerous fate, we are terrified with him, knowing what an ordeal he has endured to survive to that point. The suspense is almost suffocating, and not only do we care about Ade and Mum, but also his new found friends who have helped each other.

Something happen to Ade’s mother that made her fear the outside, and when the outside really does become dangerous Ade is left to look after her. When they first arrived, they came quietly and stealthily as if they tip-toed into the world when we were all looking the other way. A science fiction fantasy story set in a familiar urban environment, a story about courage and friendship. Spelling Seeds have been designed to complement Writing Roots by providing weekly, contextualised sequences of sessions for the teaching of spelling that include open-ended investigations and opportunities to practise and apply within meaningful and purposeful contexts, linked (where relevant) to other areas of the curriculum and a suggestion of how to extend the investigation into home learning. Polly used to be a primary school teacher in London and while she was teaching there she used to get up very early in the morning to write stories. The first of those stories is now a book called Boy in the Tower.When I began reading The Boy in the Tower I wasn't hooked like I thought I would be. Honestly, I carried on reading to find out more about these strange plants, and wondered what would happen to Ade and his Mum. I felt like the lead up and introduction to these plants and what was going on felt too long, and when the 'real stuff' starts to happen it felt over far too fast. I wanted to know more about the plants, the reason for their appearance, and why they did what they did. But I didn't get any of that, just that the plants are there, that they damage building and kill people.

This is athree-session spelling seed for the book Boy in the Towerby Polly Ho-Yen. Below is the coverage from Appendix 1 of the National Curriculum 2014. Polly Ho-Yen writes wonderful characters, not just Ade and his mother (I grew very attached to his mother in this book). Ade’s friends are just as special as him. I thought the other tenants were perfect. I didn’t know where this story was going to take me but I loved the journey. Friendship is a big feature throughout the novel, as Ade and Kaia are incredibly close; finding a friend in another outcast. Even when Ade is separated from her, Kaya is always in his thoughts and he clings to fragments of forgotten conversations from the time before. With carefully adapted text, new illustrations, language practise activities and additional online resources, the Penguin Readers series introduces language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction.

Lots to discuss for readers of all ages. What caused his mother's withdrawal (there are hints)? Is there anything either Mum or Ade could have/ should have done earlier? Would you, dear reader, have been one of the first evacuees, or one of the holdouts? Would your decision depend on how well or poorly other refugees were being treated in your country? What does keep one going in the face of such overwhelming challenges? Etc. etc. 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. There are moments when he feels as real a person as someone you meet. His monologues and observations of life are ones which some children will associate with and these are elements which I think draw us to him so strongly. This book is totally amazing, I am reading it at the moment and I love it. It is mysterious and exciting, even if you found out one thing you always need to know more 😁😄. It is also very scary and deep (it makes you think a lot)