Coram Boy
Jamila Gavin
In 18th-century England, a cruel man named Otis Gardiner takes money from desperate mothers, promising to carry their unwanted babies to the Coram Hospital in London. His gentle son Meshak knows the terrible truth, while Alexander Ashbrook, heir to a grand estate, dreams of a life in music his father has forbidden.
- Length
- About 95,000 words
- To read it
- About 64 days
- Stage
- Key Stage 3
Reading time at 1,500 words a day, the pace we start from until we know your child’s own.
Where it is taught
Why Coram Boy is on the list
- Year 8, Stretch. A step up in length or difficulty, for a confident reader.
Reading it here
What your child does with it
- 1
Choose it and set a finish date
You get a suggested target from the length of the book and your child's reading pace.
- 2
Check in along the way
A longer book has short check-ins every week or two, so it keeps moving and nothing is forgotten.
- 3
Answer two questions
When they finish: a review of the book, and a deeper question about how it works.
- 4
Get it marked, and redraft
Every answer is marked against the rubric for their year, with a reason for every score.