A Writing Root for Resist

Outcomes:

resistance recruitment posters, diary entries, journalistic pieces, persuasive leaflets, fictional biographical paragraph

Main Outcome:

a biography of Audrey Hepburn

Length:

15 sessions, 3 weeks

Overview and Outcomes:

This is a three week Writing Root for Resist by Tom Palmer. The novel is based on the true childhood story of Hollywood star, Audrey Hepburn and her involvement in WW2 in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands. Children will enter the classroom to discover a mysterious suitcase containing an orange handkerchief, copies of a resistance newsletter (de Oranjekrant) and a letter from a freedom fighter. They then make predictions and develop their vocabulary around the concept of resistance, taking part in a debate about the pros and cons of joining the resistance. As they begin reading the book, children are supported to unpick complex themes and emotions and write a range of outcomes including recruitment posters, diary entries in role, journalistic pieces for the de Oranjekrant resistance newsletter, persuasive leaflets and a character description before researching more about the life of Audrey Hepburn and writing her biography. We would like to extend our thanks to author Tom Palmer for kindly permitting us to use his resource ‘de Oranjekrant’ newsletter – more resources for Resist can be found on his website: https://tompalmer.co.uk/schools-librarians/literacy-resources/

Synopsis:

Multi-award-winning author Tom Palmer shines a light on life under wartime occupation, in a beautifully told story inspired by the childhood of Hollywood legend Audrey Hepburn. As the brutal Second World War stretches on with no end in sight, life for ordinary Dutch people in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands is fraught with peril and hardship. There is very little to eat and the population lives under the constant threat of arrest and enslavement. After the murder of her beloved uncle and the capture of her brother by the Germans, Edda is determined to do anything she can to help the resistance fight back against their oppressors. But what can a teenage girl do and how much risk is she willing to take?

Text Rationale:

Resist has been nominated for and won multiple awards including the Historical Association Young Quills award 2023 and the Carnegie Medal 2023. Tom Palmer is a significant and multi-award winning author with a diverse back catalogue. Exploring themes such as protest and activism, Resist is part of a series of engaging historical fiction texts, covering a number of personal stories around the Second World War. This text, centered around the childhood of Hollywood icon Audrey Hepburn and her role in the Dutch resistance, is a superb text to engage children in the personal struggles of someone fighting Nazi occupation - not with weapons, but rather through covert operations, a love of and talent for dancing and caring for others.

Links and themes:

Protest, resistance, justice, family, friendship, courage, oppression, creativity, passion

NB: Due to the time period in which Resist is set and the context of the book, this text understandably contains a number of sensitive themes and topics throughout. The most sensitive of these are highlighted within this Writing Root in purple with reflection suggestions and discussion points . 

Date written: November 2024