SuitabookA very unusual pursuit
Catherine Jinks
- Reading
- If the monster danger feels intense, read a passage together and pause to check how Birdie is coping. The questions of work and independence also lend themselves to a conversation after reading.
- Themes
- Birdie’s work and independence: Birdie works as bait for Alfred Bunce, and the story’s concerns include work ethics and the importance of a girl being able to make a living for herself. The premise places a girl’s work and independence within an adventure about a life she has always known being challenged.
- Suspenseful monster adventure: Birdie draws bogles from hiding places so Alfred can kill them; the premise says the monsters eat children who get too close, and the adventure is described as suspenseful. The danger surrounding Birdie’s work as bait gives the adventure its suspenseful, peril-focused setup.
- Worth knowing
- Monsters are said to eat children who get too close, and Birdie serves as bait while Alfred kills them. The story also involves missing young pickpockets and suspenseful danger.