KS: Lower KS2
Year Group: Year 4
Literary Theme: Darkness & Light
Author(s): Phillip Pullman
This is a 14-session Literary Leaf for The Firework Maker's Daughter by Phillip Pullman in which children begin by investigating vocabulary and the effect it is has in particular contexts, as well making inferences about characters' actions and motives.
We chose this book for a Literary Leaf as it is a classic and we adore the language Phillip Pullman uses here. There is also a playscript version which we would recommend looking at with a group to identify how the narrative has been converted into direct speech.
Lila is a firework-maker’s daughter, who desperately wants to follow in her father’s footsteps. Lalchand is her father, who believes that, despite her talents, it is not a job for a girl. Lila can’t accept her father’s decision, so she goes off on a quest to face the Fire-Fiend and collect the Royal Sulphur she needs to be able to make the finest fireworks. On her journey she encounters pirates, wild animals and rocky mountains. Finally, she has to walk on fire to discover the secrets she needs to follow her passion. Luckily, she is trailed throughout by her friend Chulak, and Hamlet the sometimes-billboard, royal elephant, who save her from the flames with magic water. On their return, Lila and Lalchand have to prove that they are the very best firework-makers one more time, in order to save Lalchand from death.
Fireworks, pirates
