SuitabookAngel on the Roof
Shirley Hughes
- Reading
- Read it together if possible, pausing when the angel appears or a character’s behaviour changes. Ask what Lewis notices, what remains mysterious, and whether the ending feels convincing.
- Themes
- Being noticed and included: Lewis wishes that someone would notice him, then forms a friendship with the angel and is taken on an adventure connected with seeing the world differently. The book leaves its stance open to more than one reading.
- Community change: Residents of Number 32 Paradise Street are described as behaving differently after the angel arrives: arguments stop, a teenager removes his headphones and Miss Babs begins singing. The changes may invite discussion about how people relate to one another, but the book’s evaluative explanation for them is unclear.
- Magic, belief and uncertainty: A silent angel lands on the roof, and Lewis alone notices at first. The angel later takes Lewis on an adventure and moves among people without being recognised. The angel is presented as a magical presence within a modern residential setting, leaving room for imaginative or symbolic interpretation.
- Worth knowing
- A parent may wish to notice whether the story treats these experiences thoughtfully.