This short story was taken from Michael Morporgo’s collection of shorts and used as a text for Year 6 when the National Literacy Strategy came out. Its related activities can still be found online, and are highly recommended to encourage a deep understanding of the text.
The story has many clues throughout as to Cherry’s fate, but it isn’t understood until the end. When you reread the text with your child, they can infer true meaning from what the protagonist is told by the miners, and identify the many opportunities to deduce the real outcome for Cherry.
As a year 6 teacher I used this text for years as both a reading source and basis for writing diary/ news report/ characterisation/ play script etc. It would be a useful text for homeschooling during lockdown - as you can use it as a good quality text, and then for writing blurb, news report, diary, etc - or grammar, spelling and punctuation as there’s lots of examples for work on synonyms, antonyms, similes, frontal adverbial sand so on.
Alternatively, you can simply enjoy this as a short story with reluctant readers - it’s not long and should make a comfortable read for any 9-11 year old.
Only negative- illustrations are slightly awkward and childish. Maybe they’re supposed to look like the protagonist has drawn them, but I think they’ve missed an opportunity for beautiful artwork to reflect a beautiful tale!
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Serial Shopper
Great short ghost story
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 January 2021Verified Purchase
niki
Tense tale about Cherry's adventures in an old tin mine
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 November 2016Verified Purchase
Tense tale about Cherry's adventures in an old tin mine
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 November 2016
• Note: The supplier kindly sent me a review sample for evaluation, the opinions expressed here are entirely my own •Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 November 2016
This is a well written story about a little girl called Cherry who has 4 older brothers. The brothers enjoy joking with Cherry and she gives back as good as she gets. One day Cherry decides to go to the beach on her own as she needed more shells to complete her every growing long giant necklace. The family are at their rented holiday cottage and the beach is very close to the house. It is the day before they are due to go home so Cherry heads down to the beach in a hurry.
The weather turns bad and little Cherry who is 11 years old begins to panic but soon finds an old "unused" tin mine to take shelter. The journey through the mine takes on an interesting adventure for her. Soon it is time for her to leave the mine and return home.
I think children would enjoy reading this book around a camp fire. It is a thrilling ghost story that I think children would enjoy, probably best for children a little older and my estimate would be from 10 upwards.
The illustrations are very good and really give you a sense of how Cherry would have been feeling throughout the book. There are lots of illustrations and they are all lovely and add to the charm of this book.
This is not the type of book I would have chosen for my children when they were 10 or 11 and depending on the child, they would probably love or hate it. Without giving too much away, both my son and daughter who are now grown adults would not have enjoyed this book when they were little. I guess it depends on how sensitive the nature is of the child that is going to be reading it.
I have added photographs.
Images in this review
Lorna Firth
A story to think about !
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 October 2020Verified Purchase
A_K92
One of my favourites
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 November 2020Verified Purchase
Lesley
Great book with a twisty end
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 January 2018Verified Purchase