I did this as a read-aloud in my class after a few students had read it and said I HAVE to read this to the class. Everyone did love it. I had some reservations about it but I read it to the end.
These were my reservations:
- This book was originally published in Chinese and the translation is a little painful. It really needed an English speaker to edit it and make it more like we speak. The translation wasn't wrong, it was just not comfortable and not what we'd say in English. It could have really been tightened up with details that are irrelevant to the main story taken out.
- There is a lot of killing! In the first chapter Dilah's parents die. Later, a young couple is killed. It's a lot for grade three. Dilah meets other characters along the way but then they're gone and don't reappear again.
- The ending makes it impossible to not read the next book. Main issues are not resolved!
I don't think I'll read book two (or any after that). You just never know what kids will love though. The book has potential but if it's going to stick around it will need some editing.
Our sign post tracking was mostly involved with keeping track of all the characters. There are a lot! There are some themes that come up again and again.
Goodreads says:
A young white fox called Dilah returns home to find his mother gravely injured. Before she dies, she tells him about a treasure with the power to make animals human. The clues to its location are contained in a moonstone buried beneath their den. But wicked blue foxes seek the treasure too and Dilah must race to find it first. Along the way, he meets all sorts of other creatures: a friendly seal, an ancient tortoise and a fierce leopard - but can he stay one step ahead?
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