A verse novel is a narrative told through poetry, blending prose and poetic elements.

Form is the way that a text can be presented.

Free verse is poetry without strict rhyme or metre; it emphasises natural speech rhythms.

A theme is a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a story.

To migrate means to move from one place to another.

Developing understanding of 'Swallow's Kiss' through rich discussions

English

Developing responses to 'Swallow's Kiss' through rich discussions

In 'Swallow's Kiss: book club’, pupils explored a poetic narrative that focuses on the refugee experience and society's response. In ’Poetry about personal experiences’, pupils will read and respond to a range of poems about feelings, emotions and experiences, before creating their own poems.

In 'Leaf: book club’, pupils explored the theme of environmental impact. In ’Swallow's Kiss: book club’, pupils will learn about the refugee experience through exploring and engaging with an illustrated free-verse novella.

In this unit, pupils explore and discuss the text 'Swallow's Kiss'. They learn about verse novels as a type of narrative and discuss the key themes in the text. Finally, pupils will make connections and recommendations to enhance their reading experiences.

'Swallow's Kiss': book club

a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a story

a story told through poetry, blending prose and poetic elements

poetry without strict rhyme; it emphasises natural speech rhythms

Match the following keywords with their definitions.

spinning around quickly in a circular motion

lowering briefly into a liquid or substance

True or False? Blessing finds the bag of wish bird feathers under a table.

Blessing helps her mother out at Uncle Miral’s cafe.

Blessing dreams of finding who the birds belong to.

Blessing meets a boy called Hani who is also missing his father.

Order the following events in the order that they occur in the text.

'Swallow's Kiss' is written in __________?

an important moment that significantly alters the course of the story

a short piece of writing expressing emotions or ideas with rhythm and language

a question that you have about a text - it does not always have to be answered

someone who converts text from one language to another

a writer who writes about someone's life story

a writer who uses verse to convey emotions

Which of these are themes you might find in a poetry collection?

a discussion involving opposing viewpoints to persuade or inform

Which is the most suitable definition for describing a **wish**?

Starter Quiz

What is a poem?