The award-winning author Ele Fountain visited us today to meet Upper Two to Fourth Form pupils. As well as being another chance to celebrate reading, Ele’s books explore themes and places that pupils study in Geography, so this was a wonderful opportunity to see how reading can directly support the curriculum. Ele has a real gift for weaving real-world issues into genuinely thrilling adventure stories.
With U2 and 3F, Ele talked about her book ‘Wild’, which explores tropical rainforests, deforestation and climate change. Jack, whose appetite for danger has lead him into trouble at school and got him mixed up with a bad crowd, is unexpectedly taken to a remote region of the Amazon jungle where he is caught up in a whole different kind of adventure. It’s a heartfelt, riveting eco-adventure.
With 4F, Ele spoke about ‘Boy 87’, which explores forced migration and the experience of refugees. It is also an uplifting and thrilling story of survival against the odds. Shif is just an ordinary boy who wants to play chess with his friends, but one day soldiers arrive at the door and he’s no longer safe. Forced to leave his family, Shif embarks on a dangerous journey across North Africa, where he encounters both cruelty and extraordinary kindness.
