Now it’s time to weave in object number two. Don’t forget to describe it – make it come alive for the reader. How does this object come into the tale? The role of object number two is to help introduce a complication to your story? An obstacle that might prevent your character from achieving what they want. Over to you …. Bruton states she wants her readers to see beyond the label of 'refugee' and 'asylum seeker' and in No Ballet Shoes in Syria, she has succeeded in generating compassion, empathy and understanding. Aya's hopes, dreams and fears are the same as her peers, yet she carries another layer of sadness and trauma as she seeks to make sense of her past. Bruton skilfully draws us into Aya's life; past, present and future but without being 'preachy'; Aya is a girl, just like you or me.

e.issuu.com/embed.html?d=repro_anothertwistinthetale_combined__1_&hideIssuuLogo=true&u=nosycrow Teaching Resources Object number four will probably signal the climax of your story (the great battle, the big chase scene, the night of the prom, or the grand final of the competition…), whilst object five will help you weave your way to resolution (which doesn’t have to mean a happy ending – just a tying up of ends. Do you win the battle – lose the race – catch the villain – kiss the boy on prom night – and what are the consequences? Where and how does everyone end up as a result?) As an English teacher for the past twenty-five years I have had the great privilege of introducing kids to those ‘lightbulb books’ – the stories that expand their capacity for empathy and challenge their preconceptions about the world; that help them look at and come to terms with the most difficult issues of growing up in the world today.

The true story of two brothers and their family whose lives were torn apart by the Nazi plan to rid the world of anyone they considered ‘different’.

Absolutely outstanding story! Made me tearful which rarely happens. Catherine Bruton creates a story of such sadness and pain whilst illuminating hope and joy. She delicately explores what it means to be a refugee and an asylum seeker, particularly amongst children and teenagers. Refugee is not a label for just one group of peoples’ story but for multiple. A children’s book that should be taught far and wide! In terms of the plot and characters, nothing to write home about. It was a fairly generic and simple plot and the ending was a little too neat for my liking, but again, this is likely due to this book being for a middle grade audience. The characters were also not massively fleshed out and many of them (particularly Dotty) sometimes felt like caricatures.When I discussed the idea with my editor at Nosy Crow, we were both conscious of the difficulties of writing about events that are happening now – complex, potentially troubling issues that we would be asking young readers to confront without the distance of history. I have a quote from one of my favourite writers, Alan Gibbons, above my desk: “I never enter a dark room unless I can light the way out.” That’s what I wanted to do – to confront difficult issues, in a way that didn’t offer glib solutions or whitewash the truth, but which did offer the consolation of hope. No Ballet Shoes in Syria tells the story of 11 year old Aya who has come to Britain, along with her mother and baby brother, after fleeing the war in Syria. When she stumbles across a local ballet class, the formidable dance teacher, Miss Helena, spots Aya’s remarkable natural talent and believes she has the potential to win a scholarship to the prestigious Royal Northern Ballet School. But at the same time Aya and her family must fight to remain in the UK, to make new home for themselves and to find Aya’s father – separated from the family during the perilous journey from Syria. I really enjoyed this well-balanced and inspiring story. Aya is a spirited and determined character, often torn between her own ambitions and caring for her family. She makes friends but also experiences jealousy and prejudice and it is not until her full story is revealed towards the end of the book that many of the other characters truly understand the devastation and horror she has overcome.