The Lion Above the Door

Product Information

Leo and his best friend Sangeetha are the odd ones out in their school. In fact, they seem to be the odd ones out no matter where they go in their small town. But as Leo's dad is always telling him, it's only because he's extra-special, and Sangeetha is extra-extra-special. Only thing is, if they're so special, how come Leo never sees anyone who likes him in the history books he loves to read? Although, Onjali does highlight the racism and prejudice faced by ethnic soldiers during World War Two in her notes in the end. It would have been better had this been incorporated in the story. For example, Leo, Sangeets and Olivia decide to incorporate the racism faced by coloured soldiers during the assembly finale despite their teacher disapproving.

Toby, whose parents have freshly split, wanders into this strange, burning kingdom chasing a cat through a tunnel. Everything is falling apart in this autocracy plagued by floods and earthquakes as well as fire. But who is this spectral girl he meets, and how can he ever get home? The Lion Above the Door’s story covers themes about friendships, fitting in and family and fits in with Read Manchester’s See Myself in Books campaign which champions representation in books: However, Leo’s efforts to find out more information also get him into trouble with his parents (when he calls his Aunty Su in Singapore at midnight) and with his school (when he tries to break into the RAF Museum at Rochester Cathedral). Despite this, Leo’s determination to find out about the ‘Real Leo’ continues, even when a bully sabotages his work! Leo eventually discovers that a lot more people in his class are on his side and want to help him than he originally thought.

Summary

My mum said she could relate to the main character Leo as she grew in a small town where she was the only brown person. She said she and her family felt similar to Leo and Sangeeta. My favourite character was Olivia because I think she is a lovely character and she draws all over herself.

Sophie absolutely loved The Lion Above the Door which handled the sensitive topic of race and racism in history perfectly. Leo experiences the impact of racism in many different ways – from direct name-calling by classmates to the missing chapters in a history book and to his own family’s attitude to those around them – and although this is hard to read, it is also eye-opening to see how the many micro-aggressions he encounters every day have formed what he calls an invisible bruise inside him. She also appreciated that not everything falls into place perfectly by the end, as can sometimes happen in middle-grade books. Not everyone learns the error of their ways by the end, just as they don’t in real life. This is, on the surface, a great story about a school project, and the scrapes they get into along the way. However it would also be a fantastic vehicle for discussing with children the way people are treated and the casual racism found too often in schools. Read Manchester’s third year of the transition read is now underway. Following two successful years reading the humourous The Kid Who Came From Space by Ross Welford, a new title has been chosen. The award-winning author, Onjali Q Rauf has been chosen as our author and her brilliant book, The Lion Above the Door is being given to every year 6 pupil in Manchester. That’s 7,500 books for 144 primary schools! And because this is a Onjali Q. Raúf novel, there is one surprising turn of events when Olivia Morris, the coolest most popular girl in class offers to help Leo and one very zany episode when Leo and Sangeeta break into the RAF museum. Explore Cathedral collections - Libraries & Archives - Priory & Gardens - Textus Roffensis Historic Rochester Diocese of Rochester HeritageSeeing Leo and his loving family have conversation, being supportive and having their own identity was a big win for me. Worship & Music Services Worship online Prayer Music Weddings Baptism, Confirmation & Holy Communion Funerals Christmas and Advent

That's the problem with being the only ones who look different to everyone else. There's always someone who look different to everyone else. There's always someone who doesn't like you, and then doesn't like you even more when you can do something that they can't."

Although, I found the displays becoming vandalised to be a interesting turn of events. There wasn’t any punishment given to Catherine after confessing. Also, the fact that they didn’t win the “real kidz rule show” competition in the end was underwhelming. This was especially the case as it was constantly brought up through the entire story. I felt that the museum staff calling all their parents and Mr.Scott sounded overwhelming for Leo only boarding the simulator when it was closed. I really would have like to see a chase scene in the museum with Leo and his friends and the museum staff. It would also have been great if Leo had added names to the wall to include forgotten heroes he felt had been censored. As the children embark on their research they find that there isn’t much written in the history books so they enlist the help of their families and relatives around the world. Leo and his best friend Sangeeta often feel like the odd ones out at school and in the small village they live in, where everyone else is white. Leo certainly feels the stares at him and his family as they do the shopping and walk to school, and wonders why his dad never wants to make a fuss about the mean things the kids at school sometimes say. This book shares their journey of bringing forward the stories of Forgotten Heroes. This moving read is wonderful and I doubt you will want to put the book down once you start.