The Willow Man

by SuePurkiss (Author)

• Used

  Paperback
  2006

  $3.31

  When his younger sister Sophie has a stroke, twelve-year-old Tom feels jealous and guilty, impatient and scared all at the same time. His mate Ash is the only one that seems to understand. But Ash has problems of his own. His Dad has unexpectedly returned after years in and out of jail, and the fragile balance of Ash's family crumbles. Sophie believes that the willow man is magical, that he can help them all: her to walk and Ash to read. But the willow man is burnt to the ground, taking with it all her dreams. Only by helping each other can the children mend their fractured lives.

• Used

  Paperback
  2007

  $3.31

  The Hodder Reading Project Level 3-4 identifies blocks to progression and takes pupils from National Curriculum Level 3 to Level 4. It comprises the Teacher's Resource, Pupil's Book and 6 Readers. Reader 5, Level 4, The Willow Man by Sue Purkiss. Tom's life is changed when his younger sister, Sophie, is disabled by a stroke. As the family focuses on their hopes for her recovery, Tom is left to manage his own feelings. He befriends Ash, a classmate who struggles at school and has family problems of his own. Ash offers unexpected inspiration to Sophie who begins to coax her unwilling body back to life, and in return helps Ash with his learning difficulties. Each of them is, in his own way, frozen in his life, looking for a way to break free. Their sensitivity to each other's needs helps them to move forward. The huge willow sculpture of a man in the fields just outside the town becomes a metaphor for their attempts to break free and make a fresh start in their lives.