Hello everyone.

It's good to be with you.

My name is Ms. Afzal, and I'm feeling very pleased and excited because we're gonna be exploring a fantastic novel together.

It's called "The Girl of Ink and Stars," and it looks like this.

So I'm gonna pause here for a moment while you go off and get your copy of the novel.

Okay, you're back, you've got your copy.

I hope that you are feeling ready and excited to share your ideas and your responses, and let's get into it.

The outcome for today's lesson is I can develop my own response to "The Girl of Ink and Stars." Written keywords to look out for in today's lesson.

Let's go through them.

My turn, your turn.

Character trait.

Connection.

Recommendation.

Let's find out more about these words.

Character traits are the special qualities that make a character in a story unique and interesting.

How a text relates to a reader, another text, or the wider world can be called a connection.

A recommendation is a suggestion for a text that is well suited to a reader's age and their interests.

Let's listen out for these words.

Let's think carefully about them.

Let's be curious about these words.

So today's lesson has two parts to it.

First, we'll be exploring characters and relationships and, next, connections and recommendations.

First of all, characters.

"The Girl of Ink and Stars" is written by Kiran Millwood Hargrave with illustrations by Helen Crawford-White.

Look at that amazing cover illustration there.

Wow.

"The Girl of Ink and Stars" is a novel which blends the genres of myth and magical realism.

The text has strong links to location.

Maps are a central part of the narrative.

Illustrated pages break up the text into three parts, plus the final chapter, which acts as a coder.

So this is a concluding part of the text that adds some closure to the story.

The text is set on the island of Jora and begins in the town of Gromera, which is ruled by Governor Adori, who has forbidden any journey beyond the forest that border the town.

Here's my first question for you.

Who do you think the main characters in "The Girl of Ink and Stars" are? Pause video while you share your thoughts with someone nearby.

Okay, let's find out some responses here.

What does Sophia say? "The tech centres on Isabella, Isa, and her father, Da, Isabella's twin brother, Gabo, and mother passed away before the story begins." Here's Jacob.

What do you think? Hmm.

"Lupe is Isabella's best friend and daughter of the governor of Gromera.

Pablo is Isabella's 15-year-old neighbour who accompanies her on the expedition." And here's Jun.

"Later in the text, we meet Ana and Doce, a mother and daughter who are part of the Banished, people exiled by Governor Adori." Okay, thank you for sharing that one, Jun.

I wonder who your main characters were that you came up with.

Isabella is the protagonist of the story.

She's been protected by her father for lots of her life.

When he's incarcerated and he's locked up by the controlling governor, she takes matters into her own hands and sets off to save her friend and the island of Joya.

How would you describe Isabella at the beginning of the text, in the middle, and at the end? What character traits and emotions does she exhibit? Pause the video while you think about your answers and share them with someone nearby.

So at the beginning, Isabella is inquisitive.

She's curious.

She wants to find out what the commotion is all about.

Then later on, she's skilled.

She's able to consult maps and navigate the group through the forgotten territories.

And then Isabella is fiercely independent and brave.

She guides Lupe through the labyrinth and maze, which is filled with dangers.

Wow.

What a journey she goes on.

Check for understanding.

Match the following characters to their description in the text.

So we have Masha, Doce, and Marquez, and here's the descriptions of the characters.

The daughter of the leader of the Banished.

Isabella and Lupe meet her when they're finally reunited.

Pablo's mother and Riosse's neighbour.

She looks after Isabella when Cato's murder is announced.

The leader of Governor Adori's guards.

He looks at Isabella with disdain.

So pause video while you match up the characters to their description in the text.

Well done if you linked Masha and description of her as Pablo's mother, Doce is the daughter of the leader of the Banished, and Marquez is the leader of the guards.

Well done if you made these connections.

Lots of Isabella's character traits and skills are also shown in her father.

She has learned lots from him.

Refer to the text.

Which character traits or skills do you think have been passed down to Isabella by her father? Pause the video while you refer to the text and reflect on this question.

What did you come up with? Maybe something like this.

Let's see what Aisha's got to say.

"Isabella and her father are both not afraid to stand up for injustice.

Isabella has learned how to read the constellations, how to read the stars, and read maps from her father.

Both characters have a deep love of exploration.

Isabella's father wants to explore far off lands, while Isabella prefers to know more about Joya, especially the unmapped parts of the island." Even though they're not physically there for Isabella, Gabo and her mother play important roles in the story.

Refer to the text.

Why do you think the author, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, includes reference to characters who are not present in Isabella's life? Pause video while you refer to the text and reflect on your answer to this question, and share with someone nearby.

I wonder if you have a response like this or maybe something else.

I think that it gives the reader background information about Isabella's life.

She disguises herself as Gabo and mentions to the reader fond memories that she has of her twin.

These help her in challenging moments.

The map was the last of Isabella's mother's belongings.

When it is destroyed, you can't help but feel distraught for Isabella.

On page 74, Isabella and Pablo have an interesting conversation about what makes a hero.

A hero is a protagonist with noble qualities, often saving or helping others.

Pablo suggests that this cannot be Isabella because she's a girl.

Refer to page 74.

Why do you think Isabella might find Pablo's response annoying? Pause the video while you refer to this page and reflect on your answer to this question.

Here's Andeep.

"Isabella knows she has many heroic qualities.

It annoys her that girls are not seen as equal to boys." Thank you, Andeep.

Of course, girls and boys are equal.

Check for understanding which of the following might be considered heroic character traits that Isabella demonstrates in the text? Courage, selfishness, cowardice, resilience.

Pause the video while he select the heroic character traits that Isabella demonstrates.

Yep, you got it, courage and resilience.

She has so much of these two wonderful heroic character traits.

The governor is a tyrannical leader and is not well liked by his people.

Even his daughter, Lupe is critical of his actions and is desperate to prove to Isabella that she's not rotten like her dad.

Tyrannical an adjective and it means acting in a harsh manner, forcing others to obey their orders.

How does governor Adori's character change from the start of the text to the end? Pause the video while you reflect on your answer to this question and share with someone nearby.

Here's Alex.

Let's see what he's got to say.

"At the start of the text, Governor Adori does not seem to care for the people he governs.

During the climax, he stands with the Banished to protect his daughter and Isabella.

Lupe finds out that he knew about Yote all along." At the end of the novel, Lupe is left by Isabella on the other side of the rockfall as she sets off to find your Yote.

Do you think Isabella is right to do this? Would you have done the same thing? Why or why not? Pause the video while you reflect on these questions and share with somebody? It's a tricky one.

Let's see some answers here.

I think Isabella should have told Lupe what she had planned to do.

Lupe might have been able to offer advice.

I would've done the same as Isabella, even though it would've been incredibly dangerous.

The fate of her island home and lives of her friends and family were at stake.

Oh, it's tough, isn't it, in these crunch moments to know what to do? True or false? The reader's impression of Governor Adori changes throughout the text.

Pause video while you decide if this is true or false.

well done if you selected true.

Absolutely, our impression of the governor does change through the text.

And now justify your answer.

Governor Adori is not fully redeemed.

The locket that Lupe has worn around her neck explains that he knew all about what was likely to happen.

Governor, Adori's character traits change at the climax of the story.

He gives his life to protect others.

Pause the video while you decide which justification best matches your answer.

Well done if you selected the second statement.

This one directly links to your answer.

And now, for your task, I'd like you to consider the following questions.

What do you think it takes to be a truly great leader? What qualities do you think a leader should possess? Are there any natural born leaders in a novel? You might like to consider character traits, how characters develop within the text, memorable moments in the story, and examples of leaders you know in real life.

You could start your sentences with, "I think a great leader must be.

." or "I think so-and-so is a leader in the text because.

." and then give your reasoning.

So take a few moments here and I'll pause and answer these questions, share your answers with someone nearby.

Okay, so what does it take to be a truly great leader? What are those qualities needed? I think a great leader must be empathetic, fair, and inspire others.

I think Isabella is a good example of this as she cares deeply for her family and local community.

Yeah, well said.

I think Pablo is a natural born leader in the novel because he puts his life on the line to protect and help others.

He stands up for injustice.

Wow, amazing qualities there in both of these characters.

I wonder what answers you came up with, and now onto connections and recommendations.

Connections are ways in which you connect personally with the text.

The way that one reader connects might be different to another based on their own life experiences.

Connections can be from text-to-self, from text-to-text, or from text-to-the-world.

So text-to-self is when the content of the text relates to personal experiences, feelings, or thoughts.

Text-to-text is when the content of the text relates to another text.

And this could be anything that you've seen, read, watched, or heard.

And text-to-the world is when the content relates to events and issues happening in the real world.

Connections can also relate to patterns that you spot when reading.

Making connections and recommendations can significantly enhance the reading experience and broaden our understanding of literature.

Here are some recommendations based on the themes, form, and connections in "The Girl of Ink and Stars." "Finding Bear," "The House with Chicken Legs," "Asha and the Spirit Bird," "The Way Past Winter," and "The Wolf Wilder." Let's take a moment to really absorb these covers and these titles.

I wonder what your first impressions are.

And let's explore these texts in a little more detail.

So first of all, "Finding Bear." With themes of exploration and the environment, a joy to return to the wilds of Svalbard in the Arctic.

Inspired by Slavic folk and fairytales passed down through generations, a magical illustrated novel is "The House with Chicken Legs," "Asha and the Spirit Bird" is an adventure-filled and exciting story exploring Asha's journey across the Himalayas.

And then we have "The Way Past Winter." Mila and her sisters live with their brother Oskar in a forest cabin in the snow.

One fateful night, a mysterious stranger arrives.

And then in "The Wolf Wilder," a story of rebellion and revolution.

Feodora is a fierce heroine hoping to rewild tamed animals and stand up to injustice.

So the connections that I make to the text "The Girl of Ink and Stars" are to the animated film "Moana," which says similarities in its strong female protagonist island setting, chicken companion, and dual narrative based on island mythology.

And to real-world geography and volcanoes La Gomera is an island in the Atlantic Ocean.

What about you? What connections do you make to the text? And are they text-to-self, text-to-text, or text-to-the-world? Share with someone nearby your connections.

I hope you enjoyed sharing your connections and listening to those from your neighbours.

So which text would you recommend for Laura? Laura says, "I would love to explore other magical realism texts, especially ones linked to myths and folklore." Pause the video while you decide which would be a good fit for Laura.

Well done if you decided "The House with Chicken Legs." Yes, absolutely, this text includes myth and folklore.

So that's why it would probably make a really good recommendation for Laura.

For your task, I'd like you to research one of the recommended texts, discuss with your partner which one would you like to read, and do you have a text that you'd like to recommend, and why? Here are our texts once again.

So pause video while you research one of these texts, and then share with your partner which one you'd like to read, and if you have a text that you'd like to recommend, Which one did you go for, I'm wondering.

Oh, this is what Aisha went for.

"Asha and the Spirit Bird." I'm really looking forward to exploring the setting of "Asha and the Spirit Bird," which explores themes of family alongside an action-packed plot.

Yeah, good combo.

And how about Lucas? "Wolf Wilder interests me because it links to rewilding animals, which I think is really important.

I can't wait to read it." Yeah, great.

Oh, I'm pleased for you that you're gonna get to read that book, Lucas.

In our lesson today, we've covered the following.

Readers can gain an impression of a character through the words they use, the actions they make, and their interactions with other characters.

During the story, characters and their relationships change and evolve.

Connections are ways in which you connect personally with a text.

The way that one reader connects might be different to another based on their own life experiences.

Connections can be from text-to-self, text-to-text, or text-to-world.

Making connections and recommendations can significantly enhance the reading experience and broaden the reader's understanding of literature.

Well, I really enjoyed exploring this wonderful example of literature with you today, and thank you so much for joining in, for sharing your responses and for being so present and enthusiastic.

I'll see you at next lesson.

Bye for now.