There is also an interest in Nature in the book which can be connected to Science. Activities such as, creating a fact-file of Osprey’s or getting children to explore their local environment through researching what birds they have near them could be influential in expanding their knowledge of living things and their habitats which is of significance in the Science National Curriculum. Lewis’ ‘Sky Hawk’ is a story of friendship, perseverance, hope and mystery set in the countryside of Scotland. It is about two unlikely friends, protagonist Callum and fiery Iona, who share an incredible secret that pushes their emotions to the edge as they struggle to protect it. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and found myself in tears at one point because I was so invested in Lewis’ very real characters. The book would go into the adventure and animal category and would be suitable for children 9 and older (Upper Key Stage Two). Due to Skyhawk being an enjoyable story, the book would also be suitable to read as a class story with any KS2 class. The chapters aren’t too long so at least one could be read at a time. There is a repetitive language phrases ‘kee, kee used in the text, this helps the reader to understand the noises of the hawk and how she tries to communicate with the characters. The truth that the internet can forge long distance friendships that are real (some people argue/ worry that time spent on the internet deprives children of "real" friendships)

Then there was the sad moment in the book, I was heart broken when I read that Ioana had simply died, in one way it was predictable, but at the same time I did not expect it. I have mixed feelings on how the book dealt with it, from a child's point of view it felt like a good explanation of what happened. However for older readers it felt almost glossed over, it happened and then it was forgotten. The teacher could also read certain phrases with a good use of adjectives, the teacher could read the adjectives to the children and then encourage them to come up with their own adjectives for the actions and looks of the hawk. The mapping of the birds flight path is engaging enough to read- the vivid description of each new destination flew over naturally entices reader to create mental images. Allowing the class to explore their imagination through art, movement and music and then spending some time online, or in the school library, researching the destinations to compare their thought with could really engage children in the story and further develop their enjoyment and relatability with the rest of the story. Additionally, troubles around friendship etc. could be taken from another characters point of view; some children could be encouraged to view this point of view through a diary entry, some through drama- a wide range of differentiated, perhaps PSHE related, tasks could extend the pupils views of the different characters, as well as improving written and verbal communication skills. I really enjoyed the various intertwined stories that all wrapped around Callum’s life and the journey of the Ospreys. I think these side stories kept the text engaging and allowed the time scale of the birds journey to become relatable. Callum and Iona form a deep bond of friendship. Callum has the strength of mind to stand up to his friend to defend Iona and she then shares an amazing secret with him about a wild creature that is living on his father's farm. Callum and Iona become very close friends and together they will do anything to protect the beautiful creature.A good activity that could develop the children’s knowledge of the book may be to ask the children to illustrate the front cover and consider the main themes that they think are important in the book. The courage of the author in killing off a quirky lead character early in the book. Meningitis is a very abrupt death. The author's choice to end a prominent character's role without much warning is tribute to the fact that this is a dangerous disease that strikes fast and invokes fear in the community when it occurs. I happen to know a beautiful, genuinely good, healthy young college graduate who died suddenly overnight after falling asleep with a fever as Iona did, and there is no foreshadowing possible. The truth can be painful. That the author chose to include this very rare occurrence in a child's life, while having a fragile, wounded migrating bird survive against all odds, is a risky decision as an author, but one that had a huge impact on Callum's character development. This book was a good read. It's main focusses are on nature and birds, in particular osprey's, and friendships and how they can change and be adapted. The story also touches on emotions and death and therefore the story pulls on the reader's heart strings as they can become attached to characters once they have got to know a bit about them.

The book had a few patterns of pain and sadness: when the bird hurt her foot, when Iona got ill and passed away and when Jeneba was ill and hurt her leg. Therefore, I think this gives the reader an important message that life is not always happy and joyful, but there can be moments of pain and sadness. The reader may then understand that sometimes pain and sadness can be sorted out and resolved but sometimes it can leave people with despair. For example, the main characters may have felt loss of hope when the bird cut her leg, they may have been worried and lost hope that the hawk would not be able to look after her eggs. We could play a fun prediction game when we finish a chapter of the book, for example in chapter four Iona and Callum’s secret is finally revealed to us, and so after reading the previous chapter we could all think about what the secret could be and draw a picture or write about what each child thinks it is. This book took me two days to read as I just couldn’t put it down. It was just such an easy journey to follow and be a part of. There is so much you can do with characterisation: Callum is such an interesting character as he is incredibly subtle and reserved in his speech but as a narrator, you can really connect with him and understand his internal thoughts and feelings towards Iona and the ospreys. Callum and Iona dedicate themselves to such a heartwarming and resilient journey to ensure the safety of the ospreys and even without Iona, Callum remains strong and determined to fight for Iris until the very end. In the novel there was a continuous pattern of love and friendship: Callum developed a loving and caring friendship with Iona and Jeneba. There is also patterns of kindness and care: Callum continues to care and look after the bird and he cares for his family and friends.The way that love of animals often seems to bring out the best in people, e.g. Callum and his friends. In the novel Gill Lewis has given the reader clues about what the story will be about; introducing one of the main characters: the girl Iona and it also introduces the dark rivers and forests. This landscape is introduced to give the reader an idea of where the novel will be set. I disliked the fact that Iona died in the book as I felt that it wasn’t necessary to the book and it made the book a little sad. This could affect children if the book was being read to key stage 1. However, the rest of the story is lovely to read with a happy ending. It didn’t feel like there was a clear link to the story for Iona to die therefore it didn’t feel as if it was needed. This book is full of beautiful imagery describing the hawk and nature. I loved the important messages that were portrayed in the book: kindness, friendships and love. While I usually find book reading uncomfortable and difficult, due to dyslexia and visual stress, the short chapters and widely spaced text made for an easy flow of reading.