Read On – Gladiator - Softcover

‘Boys were very excited and I haven’t seen boys of this ability as engaged in their reading. Students had no idea what a gladiator was and were impressed when they found out. All wanted to be gladiators by the end of it! Much better than the competition.’

Kristy Sheeran, Queensbury School, Bradford on Gladiator by Alan Gibbons and Robbie Gibbons

‘At the end of the session, three boys asked if they could take Lone Wolf home. This has never happened before.’

Fiona Dyson, Southfields Academy, London on Lone Wolf by Alan Gibbons and Robbie Gibbons

‘Students loved Lone Wolf. The pace was good and they enjoyed the illustrations. The amount of text per page was good and lent itself to listening to children reading aloud in a group. My dyslexic children found the pages easier to read because of the line spacing. Some great opportunities for extension work.’

Sarah Beach, Langham Primary School, Rutland on Lone Wolf by Alan Gibbons and Robbie Gibbons

‘Liam by Benjamin Zephaniah was very enjoyable and funny for teenagers: high interest level and clearly written, accessible and engaging, with topics that young people can relate to. Would appeal to weak readers at KS4 as well as KS3 which is a major strength.’

Fiona Dyson, Southfields Academy on Liam by Benjamin Zephaniah

‘This is the only book I have ever wanted to read.’
‘I like reading stories about people like me.’

Two students at Southfields Academy on Point Danger by Catherine MacPhail

‘I trialled this story with my Year 8 dyslexic group and a Year 9 bottom set. It was an excellent text with which to develop inference skills: students had lots of ideas about the twist as we picked up clues. Good chapter lengths and cliff-hangers at end of sections. Humour appealed. One reluctant reader asked to take it home to finish. Another said “can I get a read?”– unheard of! One of the best.’

Fiona Dyson, Southfields Academy on The Passenger by Dan Tunstall

Inside, the helmet was dark and stuffy. I couldn’t see a thing. The sounds of the waves and the sea breeze had suddenly stopped. I got this weird feeling, like the air was bending around me. Like the ground was shifting under my feet.

You find an old helmet on the beach. It’s rusty and looks as if it’s been there for years. You slip it over your head to see how it feels.

When you take it off again, you’re inside a dark tunnel. Someone hands you a sword. You’re a gladiator. And the crowd outside is baying for your blood.

·Help Key Stage 3 students move from Level 3b to Level 3a in reading.
·Support comprehension with the exciting, age-appropriate illustrations.
·Help readers explore the world of Roman gladiators and Roman soldiers using the lively non-fiction section.
·Encourage shared and guided reading using the ready-made tasks and discussion points on the activity pages at the back of the book.