Rooftoppers

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several times the claim is made that women rarely play the cello. I am not sure what the intended timeline of the story is, but I would like to point out that my favorite virtuoso on the instrument is Jacqueline du Pre. Rooftoppers reads very much like two separate stories. The London section, while vital to the rest of the book, feels just a bit contrived. The plot point about the National Childcare Agency hot on Charles and Sophie's heels feels like an excuse to go to Paris, reducing Sophie's early childhood to a way station between being rescued and going to Paris. Contrived though it may be, it is still whimsical – Charles' enthusiastic encouragement of Sophie's tree-climbing habit is one example of the book's fanciful style, as is his aphorism to "never ignore a possible." I feel it would take quite a bit to make me want to scramble around on Parisian rooftops. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not scared of heights in any way, and the views… well, they’d be pretty incredible, wouldn’t they? After the sinking of the Victorian liner, Queen Mary, a baby girl with "hair the colour of lightning" is found floating in a cello case in the middle of the Channel. Her rescuer, the eccentric scholar Charles Maxim, names her Sophie, takes her home to London and brings her up – in defiance of the National Childcare Agency – to be as eccentric as he is. She wears homemade, brightly coloured trousers, and lives on chips, fish in tins, cheese and, occasionally, whisky. When inspectors from the NCA observe that she looks a little pale, Charles explains that she is "cut from the stuff of the moon".

The prose may seem at times a little condescending toward kids and preachy, but I must point out again that its intended audience is 10 years old kids, and not fifty-somethings. Adjectives like 'bouncy' , 'twirling', 'skipping'. 'dancing' and 'singing' are a good indicator for a happy story, yet the author is skillful enough to introduce in the text powerful critical comments about the way we treat orphans and the way we stifle imagination in young children. There were a few missteps that pulled me out of the story several times, but they all can be dismissed as grown-up foibles, so I decided to put them in spoilers, and not to detract from the overall positive impression this short story left. Justin Casquejo is an American who has scaled several skyscrapers in Manhattan, New York City, as well as a water tower in his hometown, Weehawken, New Jersey. Think of nighttime with a speaking voice. Or think how moonlight might talk, or think of ink, if ink had vocal chords. Give those things a narrow, aristocratic face with hooked eyebrows, and long arms and legs, and that is what the baby saw as she was lifted out of her cello case and up into safety. His name was Charles Maxim, and he determined, as he held her in his large hands - at arms length, as he would a leaky flowerpot - that he would keep her.Never have we read a story and based our vocabulary exercise on one chapter, let alone the first chapter. WOW! Although it seems very unlikely that Sophie’s mother survived the ship sinking, Sophie never loses hope that she will find her. Rooftoppers drew me in immediately and carried me along straight to the end with its original voice and lively story." -- Sharon Creech, Newbery-award winning author of Walk Two Moons

total dismissal of the numerous wide Paris boulevards that make rooftop crossing an unlikely proposition over long distances, like from Notre Dame to Gare du Nord Charles is clever and unusual . For instance, he and Sophie use books instead of plates, and he let Sophie sleep on the top of her wardrobe when she was young. It's true that this is a children's book, but I think readers of all ages will be able to enjoy it. The setting is in England and France and the descriptions of the cities are gorgeous—French pastry shops, parks, bridges, and streets.a highly improbable traverse on a tightrope between buildings, without any training, described as 'a safer option'. English Year 5 & Year 6​: Evaluate how authors use language, including figurative language, considering the impact on the reader.

I recommend it for children aged 8 and up. I also recommend Rundell's other books, The Explorer, The Wolf Wilder and the Good Thieves. She disliked Sophie's watching, listening face. "It's not natural, in a little girl!" She hated their joint habit of writing each other notes on the wallpaper in the hall.Charles drinks whiskey and offers some to Sophie (she takes a sip but doesn't like it). Sophie mentions previously trying alcohol. Armistice Day: A Collection of Remembrance - Spark Interest and Educate Children about Historical Moments Never ignore life's possibles," Charles teaches Sophie. Some rules may be bent -- and even broken -- if they stand in the way of fairness. People find happiness and comfort in their own ways, Rooftoppers suggests, even though their choices may befuddle observers.