Hodder Reading Project 3-4 Reader: Jacob's Ladder

Summary:
The Hodder Reading Project Level 3-4 identifies blocks to progression and takes pupils from National Curriculum Level 3 to Level 4. It comprises the Teacher's Resource, Pupil's Book and 6 Readers.

Reader 4, Level 4, Jacob's Ladder by Brian Keaney.

Jacob wakes in the middle of a field with no recollection of how he came to be there. The only thing he can clearly remember is his name. Is he alive or dead? Jacob is then taken by Virgil, a mysterious guide, to a featureless place named Locus. He is given a grey uniform and becomes part of a mass of young people, all resigned to their fate and struggling to piece together memories of their previous existence. With two companions Jacob sets out on a journey back towards the life he has left. The journey is uncertain; there is no guide, nor any advice as to decisions that have to be made. Challenges, temptations, fearful encounters with strange characters and creatures lead him to the Palace of Remembrance, the gateway back to the real world, where a final (or is it a first?) choice awaits him.

• Specially selected, motivating reading texts used to develop and consolidate reading skills - appropriate to 'Level'.
• HRP: Accelerates learning and boosts attainment in reading from Level 3 to Level 4.
• HRP: Systematically addresses the needs of pupils working significantly below level.
• HRP: Builds confidence and develops reading strategies through an active, pupil-centred approach.
• HRP: Allows pupils to identify their own targets and track their progress as they work through the scheme.
• HRP: A flexible approach that can be used one-to-one, with small groups or as a series of masterclasses.

Table of Contents:
1. Virgil
2. Locus
3. The Stone Fields
4. Ghosts
5. The Girl in the Courtyard
6. Aysha's Dream
7. The Other Side
8. Making Contact
9. Calvin's Story
10. The Road to Nowhere
11. The Dedanim
12. A Voice in the Wind
13. Nemain
14. The Valley of Bones
15. In the Heart of the Hill
16. The Palace of Remembrance
17. Birdsong

About the Author(s):
Brian Keaney is the author of Family Secrets and The Hollow People.

Readership:
Pupils