‘This original and exciting novel...will hold the reader’s attention throughout. The world-building here is so seamless it’s almost unnoticeable’
-School Reading List
School Reading List
This children’s book is ideal for: looking at how world-building is achieved in children’s fiction, and how the introduction of tension and jeopardy means that middle grade stories are often more detailed and character-led than those written for younger readers.
Teaching points and book club discussion ideas:
Effra is befriended by Bow, a lubber who assists her – and her pet rat, Clay – on their quest. Would Effra have been successful without their help?
The description on the back of the book mentions it is set ‘in a time and place which might be now’. What did you notice that proves or disproves this statement?
What would it be like to live by a river? Would you prefer to be a Larker or a lubber?
Larker is a shortened version of mudlarker, while lubber stems from landlubber. What do these two words mean? Did you know either of them before reading this book?
Effra and Clay communicate using Larker Bubble language, which the rat sometimes gets a little muddled up! If you could talk with one animal in a similar way, which would you choose and why?
One minute Introduction to The Girl with Gills