Pupils could try to write their own story-within-a-story, based on another myth or legend they know. Pinocchio by Pinocchio During his long career, Sir Michael Morpurgo has served as Children’s Laureate and written more than 150 books. He’s sold more than 35 million copies worldwide, touching the lives of many readers.

Michael Morpurgo Month takes place every February. What’s the theme for Michael Morpurgo Month 2023? Each of our Michael Morpurgo activities have been designed in collaboration with our team of experienced teachers, especially for children aged 7-11 years old. They’re ideal for developing your learners’ literacy skills in a fun and engaging way. In my first year teaching, I adopted the same approach with Kensuke’s Kingdom, my class howling when we had to stop each day at home time. Retelling the same scene from the perspectives of both Michael (the stranded boy) and Kensuke (the inhabitant of the island) can help children to explore how different characters see the same situation. Explore how this can be communicated by a skilful writer. Running WildWhile listening to the story, groups of children could be given different topics from the books to research: the Camargue, the occupation of France during WWII, flamingos, carousels.

Pupils could then be challenged to use the word in their own writing. Tales retold Arthur, High King of Britain When war comes to Omar’s Afghan village, 10-year-old Omar and his mother set off on a long and dangerous journey. They’re heading for England and Uncle Said’s café. Michael Morpurgo OBE is the former Children's Laureate and best-selling author of over 130 books for children, including Private Peaceful, Kensuke's Kingdom, The Butterfly Lion, and War Horse, which first performed at the National Theatre in 2007. Michael, and his wife, Clare, started the charity Farms for City Children, which runs three farms around the country, each offering children and teachers from urban primary schools the chance to live and work in the countryside for a week. www.michaelmorpurgo.com.; Kerry Hyndman is an illustrator and mapmaker. She has a Fine Art degree from Newcastle and a Master's in Illustration from Kingston. In the studio, she works on a range of projects across editorial, advertising and publishing. She has recently illustrated David Long's Survivors (Faber, 2016). Out of the studio she enjoys snowboarding, climbing and cycling. She is also a lecturer in Illustration at Goldsmiths University. www.kerryhyndman.co.uk As a child, I remember listening with baited breath as our headteacher read Friend or Foealoud in assembly. He was sure to always stop on a cliffhanger so we’d have to wait a whole week to find out what happened next. This year, the theme is horses. This is to celebrate 40 years of the Morpurgo’s modern classic, War Horse. Use this month to introduce pupils to this beautiful tale.This story of adventure, survival and friendship is a staple of the KS2 classroom. As well as being a masterclass in evocative descriptive writing, it provides an excellent opportunity for teaching narrative point of view. This text can provide a great model for first-person writing. Children can invent new adventures for Pinocchio or retell another familiar story with themselves in the role of the protagonist. Times of war Friend or Foe The suggested books and classroom activities below are perfect if you want to take part in Michael Morpurgo Month. Or use them to enjoy the richness of his stories at any time of the year. The natural world Kensuke’s Kingdom

This resource features three printable worksheets for three Morpurgo books: Sparrow: The True Story of Joan of Arc, Alone on a Wide Wide Sea and A Medal for Leroy. Inspire KS2 pupils to write their own story using a classic tale to raise awareness of an issue that matters to them, with advice from Sir Michael Morpurgo himself.

Author in your Classroom podcast and activities

This BBC radio play of the story is free to listen to, which makes this a valuable text for comparing play scripts and prose, and how the same story can be told in different ways. A highly unusual picture book to satisfy the heart of anyone who enjoys making the natural world part of a Christmas celebration. Explore the spark of an idea in starting the writing process, map out your poetry project in your local area and create an inspiration scrapbook with this free PDF of classroom ideas.