‘Listen up!’ shouted Officer Tuohs. ‘This is the first day of operation The Watch. We will find all litterers and rubbish-droppers.’ I listened carefully as the officer shouted about how we were to stay at our posts and watch for people dropping rubbish. While this was important, I did not understand why he needed to … Read more
Written by Arthur Ransome, Pigeon Post is the sixth book in the Swallows and Amazons series. The Swallows, Amazons and Ds arrive at Beckfoot for the summer holidays and plan to mine gold for Captain Flint. After meeting three requirements (the ability to get milk and water, and for pigeons to deliver messages), the group … Read more
23/8/2024 Dear Sebastian, Hope you are well. Thanks for the letter. Which Clumber walk did you do? On my holiday, we walked all the way round the lake: 6 miles! However, our route did change to avoid a field full of cattle. I think they were all male. Please don’t ask why! On a brighter … Read more
In my English task for today, I was given three extracts and told to write a diary entry for one of the characters. I selected Mr. Otis from The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde. Enjoy! 23rd December My dear Diary, This morning, I woke with a grand idea. I will purchase some oil for the … Read more
Aim: Over the past four days, our goal has been contributing to the Big Butterfly Count. This nationwide survey aims to ‘assess the health of our environment simply by counting the amount and type of butterflies’. Equipment: The only two pieces of equipment we required were a method of telling time and the Big Butterfly … Read more
Last December, I wrote a story called The Rhyming Heroes of Antarctica (click here to see). Today, I have rewritten it as a narrative poem: a poem that tells a story. Enjoy! Fangs of stone across the desert,Ghosts of majestic towers of ice,Skeletons of mysterious beasts,Song of fear riding harsh winds: ‘Antarctica is shrinking,Ice is … Read more
‘Rats with brains. Rats who can think. Rats who don’t turn and run. Rats who aren’t afraid of dark or fire or noises or traps or poison.’ A Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett, The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents takes the idea of the Pied Piper of Hamelin and flips it on its head. … Read more
Five Limbs, Five Facts: Red howler monkeys live across South America in rainforests, deciduous woodlands and mangrove swamps. These New World monkeys (monkeys that live in North and South America) live for around 18 years. Unlike humans, red howlers frown when happy and smile when upset. Like some other monkeys, red howlers have a prehensile … Read more
The only children’s book by Robert Browning, The Pied Piper of Hamelin is illustrated by Kate Greenaway. Compared to the tale’s original recording, Browning’s narrative poem was written fairly recently: the legend first appeared in a church window around 1300 AD and this version of the story was written in 1842. The Pied Piper of … Read more
General Facts: Red kites, Milvus milvus, can be found in woodland, grassland and heathland. Despite being apex predators and being at the top of the food chain, red kites feed on scavenged carrion, invertebrates and small mammals. While buzzards have a wingspan of 109-140cm, red kites have a wingspan of around 185cm. They also weigh … Read more