Oliver

by Hilary McKay

Published 3 September 2012
Build your child's reading confidence at home with books at the right level

Follow the life of a little boy called Oliver as he goes from being a workhouse orphan to a life with a group of young pickpockets. Will he ever manage to escape his life of crime? This wonderful retelling of the classic Charles Dickens story was written by Hilary McKay.

This is a Band 11/Lime book in the Collins Big Cat reading programme which has longer sentence structures and a greater use of literary language. This is a retelling of a story by a significant author, and supports literacy learning around extended stories and significant authors. This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader. For more guided reading books in this Collins Big Cat band, try Wild Weather (9780007591282) by Chris Oxlade.


Great Expectations

by Hilary McKay

Published 14 January 2013
Build your child’s reading confidence at home with books at the right level

Follow the life of Pip, a poor lonely orphan in Victorian England. Everything changes when he becomes friends with the wealthy Estella. But can Pip leave his past behind? Written to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens’ birth, this inspired retelling is written by Whitbread award-winning author Hilary McKay.

  • Emerald/Band 15 books provide a widening range of genres including science fiction and biography, prompting more ways to respond to texts.
  • Text type: A retelling of a story by a significant author
  • Curriculum links: History; Citizenship
  • This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.