It’s 1944 in Wallsend, Tyneside, and the shipyard at the end of Jack’s street has a new visitor. A massive warship called HMS Warspite is in need of repair and the workers at the yard are working night and day to fix her. The close-knit locals teach the navy lads from the ship a thing or two about football and, when disaster strikes, what true strength and resilience looks like.
Illustrated by Isabella Grott
This book is part of the Big Cat Read On series, which supports fluent readers to improve their reading skills and nurture a love of reading. Consisting of a wide range of engaging chapter books, the Big Cat Read On series improves reading stamina and comprehension, develops vocabulary, and introduces children to more sophisticated narrative structures and themes.
Author, Chris Callaghan says …
“I grew up playing in the cobbled streets and back lanes of a small shipyard town on Tyneside in the 70s. Cranes dominated the skyline while horns, hooters and clanking metal provided the soundtrack. At the change of shifts, workers would stream through the streets with black and white striped haversacks draped over their shoulders and worn-out expressions over their grimy faces. The town was fiercely proud of the yard’s history, where it had built the most impressive and important ships the world had ever seen. But over the years, the industry declined as the work was sold off abroad until, sadly, it was all gone. I wanted to write a story that shone a light on these workers, their families and the town who had sweated and slogged, with so much skill, experience, warmth and pride. I hope I have done them justice.”
“I’m incredibly grateful to Zoë Clarke, Holly Woolnough and Laura White at Collins Big Cat for their wisdom and encouragement in writing this story.”
Publisher, Collins Big Cat, says …
Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.
Collins Big Cat is a whole-school reading programme that provides complete support for primary reading. Children will become fluent readers through hundreds of high-quality fiction and non-fiction banded books by award-winning authors and illustrators. In-depth teaching resources support you in developing and assessing key reading skills at all stages from early reading through to phonics, to guided, whole-class and independent reading for more confident readers.
About the Author and Book Talk questions invite the reader to think more deeply about the themes in the book and reflect on their reading experience. Online lesson plans provide guidance in using this book in a range of settings, including independent, social and whole-class reading – all designed to support the reader to connect with the book and encourage a positive attitude to reading.
Where to buy ‘When the War Comes In’
