Varjak Paw is a hugely popular book to read aloud in Year 3 or Year 4. It tells the story of a small Mesopotamian Blue kitten who learns about the Way - a secret martial art for cats. Now Varjak must use the Way to survive in a city full of dangerous dogs and cats and strange goings on. If you’re looking for reading material to inspire your children’s written work, look no further than the exciting tale of feline martial art Varjak Paw has been widely translated. It has inspired a play, an opera and several unofficial animations. Make a Varjak mask and one for another character and recreate a scene from the story (eg when Varjak meets Sally Bones) and have imaginary conversations between the characters. Make a poster

The book is a fantastic mentor text, engaging children through pacey storytelling and the emerging message of the importance of friendship and loyalty. Author SF Said is a writer we can learn from, particularly in the way he creates gripping moments of tension and his detailed descriptive passages. Varjak Paw is written as a series of relatively brief chapters so lends itself to a serialised read over a period of time. This gives you the opportunity to model to upper KS2 pupils how to read aloud with fluency, accuracy and expression. Don’t interrupt the reading by asking questions or for opinions. Read it for enjoyment. Then, return to specific parts of the book to explore and teach particular skills. 1. Reading as a reader The book's title and protagonist's name come from Said's own cat named Varjak, whose name is a reference to the film Breakfast at Tiffany's. In the film, one of the main characters, Paul Varjak, has written a book called "Nine Lives". When he and another character look for the book in the library catalog, it is listed as "Nine Lives by Varjak, Paul".On a big piece of paper draw a map of the places in the story. Talk about the map together and follow Varjak’s journey from the Countessa’s House to the city streets Make Varjak’s city survival guide Jalal the Paw, A Mesopotamian blue cat who ventured out into the Outside and found a home with the Countessa.

in the first book, varjak paw was taught physical fighting skills by the dream-vision of his famous cat ancestor. in the sequel, he learns how to fight a mental game - the psychological tactics that keep a cat alive in a tough world. The answer is that there is no official Varjak Paw film… As well as being a genius artist, Dave is a brilliant film director. Julius Paw is the oldest brother of Varjak, a Mesopotamian Blue. He overtakes the council from Father, and is saved from the Gentleman from Varjak. So far, I've only written those three books, but I'm working on a new trilogy at the moment. The working title for these books is TYGER and I wrote a little bit about it in this blog post.Corgi Books Age 7-9 Varjak Paw is an exciting and imaginative adventure story which is great to read aloud and to look at closely with its striking illustrations. Varjak Paw is a pedigree kitten leading a sheltered life with his family. A bit of a misfit, Varjak looks and behaves differently to the rest of the family and is often ridiculed; but one day, when the family are in danger, he is the one who bravely ventures outside to seek help. Varjak soon finds himself in the city and a world of intimidating street cats and mysterious feline disappearances. In his dreams Varjak meets an ancestor Jalal and learns a mystical martial arts for cats called ‘ The Way’, which helps him survive life in the city. Eventually with new friends and new skills he is able to help his family and solve the mystery of ‘The Vanishings’. The story explores a number of themes and ideas giving lots to talk about including being different, bullying, friendship, courage and determination. Readwhat the author says aboutthe story here.