The Silver Sword
Ian Serraillier
In Warsaw during the Second World War, the Nazis take away Ruth, Edek and Bronia's father and mother, and the children are left to survive alone in the bombed-out city. Their only hope is a tiny silver paper knife and a message that their father may be alive, somewhere far away in Switzerland.
- Length
- About 55,000 words
- To read it
- About 37 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 Silver Sword is on the list
- Year 6, 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.