The Silver Arrow

This middle-grade fiction novel tells the tale of a ten-year-old Kate and her younger brother, Tom, as they embark on a magical adventure after Kate asks her estranged Uncle Herbert for a birthday present. When Uncle Herbert delivers a steam train that takes them to exciting new places, Kate and Tom travel around the world saving animals and finding adventure and a sense of purpose. Suitable as a whole-class or small-group read-aloud, this book may inspire classroom discussions about human impacts on biodiversity and segue into research projects about climate change or animals and their habitats. Students may be encouraged to write about environmental protection and discuss the importance of social-emotional skills as they read about the emotions the animals experience throughout various challenging events.