The War of the Worlds
H. G. Wells
Late in the 19th century, a strange cylinder falls from the sky onto a common near Woking in Surrey. Curious crowds gather to see it, and the narrator is among them when it slowly begins to open, revealing that something has travelled all the way from Mars.
- Length
- About 60,000 words
- To read it
- About 40 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 The War of the Worlds is on the list
- Year 8, Challenge. Demanding books for a strong reader who wants a real challenge.
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.