Why the Whales Came

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First of all, Gracie doesn't want to know the Birdman, scared the rumours are true, not only about the Birdman, but about Samson too. As the story continues, Gracie and the Birdman become closer and closer, especially when Gracie'a dad is missing in action. Another fantastic book! I just love the way Morpurgo crafts his writing so that it paints a picture so vividly in your mind as if you are there sharing the same experiences with the characters. The story itself is extremely heart warming and leaves cliffhangers after each chapter. Morpurgo added: “Storymakers and storytellers like Barrie, and like all the previous winners of this award, have given us the hope and faith children need, we need, to keep flying, have sustained us through dark and troubled times, have banished doubt. To touch the lives of children, to witness their listening and reading silence, is reward enough in itself. This is simply the icing on the cake.”

Why the Whales Came by Michael Morpurgo | Goodreads

David Wood, chair of Action for Children’s Arts, said Morpurgo is “one of our greatest storytellers”. Gracie Jenkins —At the beginning, Gracie was a habitually fearful girl that believed any story told to her about the Birdman. She also believed in ghosts and the curses on Samson Island. Her best friend is Daniel Pender. Why the Whales came is a tale with mystery, suspense, and echoes of history from World War I. The emotions it encompasses run the gamut from fear, to loss, to anger. Gracie and Daniel, the two main characters, are courageous and in many ways more mature than those around them. Their actions touch the heart. This story is quite brilliant. I love the way how the start is quite boring so it grips the reader to the edge of their seat. Then the story becomes more active. I really enjoyed this book as it had a very interesting plot that took a lot of twists and turns along the way. The plot consisted of lots of different sub stories that kept the book interesting. I also liked how the book was set during the war as it showed how bad the war was and because in class we had been learning about World War One and now I knew a little about World War Two. The book showed that if you believe in something enough your belief will come true because only four people didn't want the whales to die and the same four people managed to save the whales.

A son and grandson of actors, Michael has acting in his blood and enjoys collaborating and performing live adaptations of his books at festivals, concerts and theatres.

Why the Whales Came by Michael Morpurgo | Teaching Resources Why the Whales Came by Michael Morpurgo | Teaching Resources

Why the Whales Came written by Michael Morpurgo is a lovely story about a girl who lives on a small island off the coast of Britain during World War 1. Can Gracie and Daniel work out the birdman's warnings of Samson Island being cursed? Find out why the whales came with this delightful story!

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With the opening extract included, this comprehension resource includes questions and answers for this popular text by Michael Morpurgo.

Why the Whales Came - Michael Morpurgo

Why the Whales Came is a children's story written by Michael Morpurgo [1] and first published in 1985 by William Heinemann (UK) and Scholastic (US). [2] It is set on the island of Bryher, one of the Isles of Scilly, off the coast of Cornwall, in the year 1914. It was adapted into the 1989 film When the Whales Came.Of the main characters I liked Gracie and the Birdman the most. Daniel, yeah... He is a nice one, but he is surpassed by the other two in my mind. You can also read about his life in War Child to War Horse,a collaborative biography with Maggie Fergusson. Overall I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others younger than me and others around my age. Suitable for children working towards/at the expected standard in Y5/6, the questions are closely linked to the National Curriculum and therefore adequately develop their comprehension skills. It can be used as a guided reading text, an assessment piece or as an introduction to the text in general.