The Girl of Ink and Stars
Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Isabella is a mapmaker's daughter on the island of Joya, where a cruel Governor has banned anyone from leaving their village. When a girl from her class is found dead and her best friend Lupe runs off into the forbidden forest, Isabella disguises herself as a boy and joins the search party, using her maps to guide the way.
- Length
- About 60,000 words
- To read it
- About 40 days
- Stage
- Key Stage 2
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 The Girl of Ink and Stars is on the list
- Year 6, Core. The books most schools teach in this year. A good place to start.
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.