I’ve recently finished reading A Boy Called M.O.U.S.E  by Penny Dolan. It is FANTASTIC . How it didn’t win any awards or nominations is beyond me. 

I’m going to give it a plug for Year 4 up…..

Comparable to Oliver Twist in some ways, it is set in Victorian England and takes in life in the countryside and city, along with lots of high drama, heroes and villains, the rich and the poor, but avoids falling totally into cliches despite being suitable for 9 years up roughly. There are a few animals that are integral to the story, which are nice touches and which lots of children also find engaging, but aren’t at all irritating.  

The book does demand some emotional maturity but these scenes (there are a couple of goodies and baddies who die) are brief.  It feels like the sort of story which can help kids grow. It is bitter sweet, but not too bitter and not too sweet. A lot of it is adventurous and fun.  I’m a big fan of Michael Morpurgo, but this offers an earlier period of history compared to most of his stories and would be a really good next step. It also provides more climactic moments than most Morpurgo stories. Having taught GCSE English (Language and Literature) I’m really excited by it, as it gives a great sense of the historical period that many pupils sorely lack, which really makes it hard for them to access the types of texts they have to deal with.  Those who can begin to access stories such as Goodnight Mr Tom (set in WW2 and also excellent) The Secret Garden or The Railway Children by Year 5-6, stand a better chance (in my humble opinion/experience), whether it is stories being  read to them, or independently, or a mixture.  However, A Boy Called M.O.U.S.E is so much more accessible and ‘swashbuckling’ that I give it a much better chance at drawing children or even teens into the story. It is long (over 400 pages) , so it will certainly give a sense of achievement but it is very much worth it.  It ticks the boxes for teachers, especially with the all important element of challenging vocabulary but plenty that is accessible, plus an interesting narrative structure.  There are plenty of strong and positive male and female characters, and it doesn’t feel to me like either a ‘boys’ or a ‘girls’ book, which is great.  Even if you don’t discuss the meaning of words as you go, most Year 5-6s will pick up enough of the story. Read it to them if they are not going to read it independently! 

It is also a novel that could be enjoyed many times and will grow with the reader. I’d happily recommend it for Year 8-9s who might have stalled at their Year 6 reading level!  When I searched the author, I found lots of stories for younger readers. Don’t be put off by this: A Boy Called M.O.U.S.E is an ‘absolute gem’ as they say.