Why the Whales Came

Product Information

When Gracie's father goes off to the war her family become very poor so she and Daniel go fishing to try to catch some fish to sell at the market. A sudden storm rolls in and they become lost. Then they see a light that leads them to an island that they know is Samson. They were cursed. I really enjoyed this book as it had a very interesting plot that took a lot of twists and turns along the way. The plot consisted of lots of different sub stories that kept the book interesting. I also liked how the book was set during the war as it showed how bad the war was and because in class we had been learning about World War One and now I knew a little about World War Two. The book showed that if you believe in something enough your belief will come true because only four people didn't want the whales to die and the same four people managed to save the whales. A son and grandson of actors, Michael has acting in his blood and enjoys collaborating and performing live adaptations of his books at festivals, concerts and theatres. Morpurgo's stories are great for children. Here we have messages written in shells upon the sand from the The Bird Man in the summer of 1914.

Why the Whales Came by Michael Morpurgo | Waterstones Why the Whales Came by Michael Morpurgo | Waterstones

LoveReading4Kids exists because books change lives, and buying books through LoveReading4Kids means you get to change the lives of future generations, with 25% of the cover price donated to schools in need. Join our community to get personalised book suggestions, extracts straight to your inbox, 10% off RRPs, and to change children’s lives. I first read this when I was about 8 years old. I remember being very moved by it. I no longer own the book, but when I stumbled across a copy in the library whilst helping my daughter choose a book, I decided to bring it home to reread it. My daughter is only 5, so she isn't ready for it yet, but I am glad that I reread it. Suitable for children working towards/at the expected standard in Y5/6, the questions are closely linked to the National Curriculum and therefore adequately develop their comprehension skills. It can be used as a guided reading text, an assessment piece or as an introduction to the text in general. Gracie Jenkins —At the beginning, Gracie was a habitually fearful girl that believed any story told to her about the Birdman. She also believed in ghosts and the curses on Samson Island. Her best friend is Daniel Pender. Of the main characters I liked Gracie and the Birdman the most. Daniel, yeah... He is a nice one, but he is surpassed by the other two in my mind.

It's set on the Scilly Isles at the outbreak of WWI. The story is narrated by Gracie and she, her best friend Danny and 'the Birdman' are the main protagonists. The writing is fairly straightforward, which is ideal in a children's book. The story is interesting (even if you have read it before) and the characters are well done (I still cannot abide Big Tim). Gracie and her friend Daniel have a fleet of toy boats they have made. When the lake where they usually sail the boats is taken over by bad-tempered swans, Daniel talks Gracie into coming with him to a cove near the Birdman's cottage. She's scared, but she finally agrees. Soon they find themselves on the most frightening adventure of their lives. Gracie's dad also goes to war and is reported missing in action. Mr. Wellbeloved—Gracie and Daniel's teacher who judges every student by arithmetic. He also predicted that the war will come. That came true later in the story.

Why the Whales Came - Michael Morpurgo - Google Books Why the Whales Came - Michael Morpurgo - Google Books

Pretty nice. Better than many novels if I may say. My only complaint is I didn't like how gracie was portrayed and the superstitious child while daniel was portrayed as much older for his age.This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. This story is quite brilliant. I love the way how the start is quite boring so it grips the reader to the edge of their seat. Then the story becomes more active. Clemmie Jenkins—The mother of Gracie who possesses a calm but "weird" personality. Not so much an actor in the story, but she is really fearful. Why the Whales Came' is about ten-year-old Gracie Jenkins, who lives on Bryher, a small island off the western coast of Britain, in the year 1914. "You keep away from the Birdman," Gracie's Father had warned her. The Birdman lives alone in a cottage that stands all by itself on a hill in the south part of the island. Gracie's father knows stories about him that he thinks are too horrible to tell her. The Birdman used to live on Samson Island, which people say has a curse on it.