Sky Hawk

Product Information

The book ‘Sky Hawk’ is about a boy and a girl, Callum and Iona. The two discover something amazing. The amazing thing is that there are ospreys on the farm Callum lives on. Iona wants to keep it a secret, even from him but she tells him and he agrees to keeping it a secret too. For awhile this discovery is only known by Callum and Iona but soon the whole village in Scotland knows. My favourite part of the book is when Callum promises Iona that he will take care of Iris. Iris pl... The novel is written as a fiction genre. The book is full of continuous themes linking to nature: the hawk, landscapes, bird nest, deserts and mountains The mapping of the birds flight path is engaging enough to read- the vivid description of each new destination flew over naturally entices reader to create mental images. Allowing the class to explore their imagination through art, movement and music and then spending some time online, or in the school library, researching the destinations to compare their thought with could really engage children in the story and further develop their enjoyment and relatability with the rest of the story. Additionally, troubles around friendship etc. could be taken from another characters point of view; some children could be encouraged to view this point of view through a diary entry, some through drama- a wide range of differentiated, perhaps PSHE related, tasks could extend the pupils views of the different characters, as well as improving written and verbal communication skills. The way that love of animals often seems to bring out the best in people, e.g. Callum and his friends.

This book is full of beautiful imagery describing the hawk and nature. I loved the important messages that were portrayed in the book: kindness, friendships and love. Sky hawk is a realy good book. It's about this boy called Callum and this girl called Iona and Iona finds a realy rare bird thats not been seen for over 100 years and they lookafter it. And a couple days later they dicide they're going to camp out but Iona didn't make it but the problem is callum dicovers Iona dies. its absolutely amazing! Its the best book I have eeeeeeeeeeeeeevvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr read. I would also look Lewis’ use of ellipsis to build suspense and create tension in the story, for example: “I CAN’T! One. . . Do it. Go. . . The ground was gone. I was flying. . . falling.”. Using this technique keeps the reader on the edge of their seat and teaches children that when writing an exciting story, it can be a more effective way of writing because the reader has to wait longer to find out what has happened. We would come up with own examples of ellipsis to display on the board and then we would have a go at writing suspenseful paragraphs in Lewis’ style. I loved this slow-burning but gripping story of friendship, trust, and determination to do the right thing, in which a bird is lost but a friend is found. It raises moral questions about caring for our neighbours, our wildlife and our planet.I really want this book it seems really good and interesting! It looks brilliant to read I can't wait if I receive this book Powerful, evocative writing about landscape and the natural world, and delicately drawn characters existing within the complex nexus of human relationships in a small village are sensitively combined in this absorbing, very moving novel.

I think that 'sky hawk' was a great read! I loved the cliffhangers and and the breathtaking parts that only made you want to read more. I disliked the use of some words and word choices. I feel as if Gill Lewis could of used I little bit more of a variety of language. All in all a great read! When Callum and his friends find Iona Mcnair on the farm they chase her off - the McNairs are virtual outcasts in the village. Afterwards, worried, Callum follows her and Iona reluctantly reveals her secret: an osprey nest. Terrified of egg-stealers, she’s fiercely protecting it. Drawn to this deeply independent girl, Callum promises help.It dealt with implying that there were problems with Iona's home life, this meant that more mature readers would understand the implications of what was said but not younger. This book was a good read. It's main focusses are on nature and birds, in particular osprey's, and friendships and how they can change and be adapted. The story also touches on emotions and death and therefore the story pulls on the reader's heart strings as they can become attached to characters once they have got to know a bit about them. When Col is evacuated, his sister Rose stays behind in London to help with the war effort. But when he learns Rose is in danger, Col and his guardians - his childhood imaginary friends - must embark on a quest to save her. This book took me two days to read as I just couldn’t put it down. It was just such an easy journey to follow and be a part of. There is so much you can do with characterisation: Callum is such an interesting character as he is incredibly subtle and reserved in his speech but as a narrator, you can really connect with him and understand his internal thoughts and feelings towards Iona and the ospreys. Callum and Iona dedicate themselves to such a heartwarming and resilient journey to ensure the safety of the ospreys and even without Iona, Callum remains strong and determined to fight for Iris until the very end. We could play a fun prediction game when we finish a chapter of the book, for example in chapter four Iona and Callum’s secret is finally revealed to us, and so after reading the previous chapter we could all think about what the secret could be and draw a picture or write about what each child thinks it is.

From this point on I enjoyed the book less and less, it was a quaint story but it didn't feel as believable. The Africa side of the story felt like a sequel to the book instead of a second half. It felt much more aimed at younger children from chapter 28 or so onward. Then there was the sad moment in the book, I was heart broken when I read that Ioana had simply died, in one way it was predictable, but at the same time I did not expect it. I have mixed feelings on how the book dealt with it, from a child's point of view it felt like a good explanation of what happened. However for older readers it felt almost glossed over, it happened and then it was forgotten. An adventure story with a strong theme of friendship and loyalty. This book has the most wonderfully vivid descriptions of the Scottish landscape, and would appeal to anyone interested in wildlife and conservation.This story is about leaving childhood and entering a world where, as George says, 'things are not simple anymore'. Children will love the adorable tale of friendship between boy and dog and Gizmo’s doggie memoirs, which are peppered throughout. Worried for Iona’s safety, Callum follows to find her shivering with cold but refusing to leave. She is guarding a secret hidden in the forest above the dark waters of the loch. So they make a deal.