Overview and Outcomes:

This is a three-week Writing Root for Kaspar, Prince of Cats by Michael Morpurgo.  Children will create a range of fiction and non-fiction writing opportunities including letter writing, narrative writing an alternative ending, newspaper articles, recounts and researching The Titanic and its voyage.

Synopsis of Text:

A heart-warming, colour-illustrated novel about Kaspar the Savoy cat, from the award-winning author of Born to Run and The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips

Kaspar the cat first came to the Savoy Hotel in a basket - Johnny Trott knows, because he was the one who carried him in. Johnny was a bell-boy, you see, and he carried all of Countess Kandinsky's things to her room.

But Johnny didn't expect to end up with Kaspar on his hands forever, and nor did he count on making friends with Lizziebeth, a spirited American heiress. Pretty soon, events are set in motion that will take Johnny - and Kaspar - all around the world, surviving theft, shipwreck and rooftop rescues along the way. Because everything changes with a cat like Kaspar around. After all, he's Prince Kaspar Kandinsky, Prince of Cats, a Muscovite, a Londoner and a New Yorker, and as far as anyone knows, the only cat to survive the sinking of the Titanic…

Text rationale:

This novel by one of the UK’s most significant children’s authors combines an enchanting cast of characters with compelling prose to tell a classic tale rich in literary language. Set against the real historical backdrop of Edwardian London, the story serves as a jumping off point for children to explore the history of the Titanic and London’s Savoy hotel.  Providing a gentle exploration of the class system, themes of kindness, friendship and challenging expectations are also woven throughout and will act as thought-provoking starting points for discussion. 

Links and themes:

Titanic, Edwardians, Victorians, London, New York, class, friendship, challenging expectations, belonging

Date written: December 2016