Gradually, answers are revealed in this epic spanning environmental insurrection in the icy north and a showdown on a tropical island where the Automators’ deadliest weapon is set to be unleashed. If rebel plots are familiar, Davies’s is fast-paced, lyrical and utterly convinced of an electromagnetic unity that runs through all living things. Leo and Sangeeta are best pals at school. As part of a school trip they visit a cathedral ,where Leo spots his own full name on a war memorial on the door. It's a name with the legend DFC and a lion picture. The Lion Above the Door centres around Leo and his best friend Sangeeta and events that take place in their school in a small village called Whot. Leo's class is studying WWII and on a school visit to a museum and a cathedral is where Leo notices his name (full name) above a memorial. It is this event where the story soon begins to unfold. It's Leo's relentless search to discover the origins of his name that brings the story to life. About News Annual Report and Accounts Venue Hire Filming Who's Who Diocese of Rochester Cathedral Policies and Procedures Development Plan When Leo and Sangeeta’s class begin a project about World War Two, Leo looks at pictures in books of the people that fought for Britain in the war and realises that none of them look like him, even though Sangeeta points out that many of the books also don’t include the experiences of many women – and certainly not women of colour.

Children in Year 6 will be given the opportunity to read the story and take part in activities both at school and at home. It will be used by many high schools as part of their transition programme between primary and high school and gives pupils a shared experience, no matter which high school they go to in September. Read Manchester will be hosting online sessions with Onjali Rauf and Year 7 pupils in the autumn term. Pupils in Special Schools will also receive a copy of the book and an additional title from the See Myself in Books list – My Skin, Your Skin by Laura Henry-Allain.

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But imagine the surprise Leo gets when he sees the name Leo Kai Lim DFC and a golden lion above it carved into the marble with other names of other soldiers who were WWII heroes. Stunned by this discovery, Leo promises to find out all he can about this soldier. Sophie absolutely loved The Lion Above the Door which handled the sensitive topic of race and racism in history perfectly. Leo experiences the impact of racism in many different ways – from direct name-calling by classmates to the missing chapters in a history book and to his own family’s attitude to those around them – and although this is hard to read, it is also eye-opening to see how the many micro-aggressions he encounters every day have formed what he calls an invisible bruise inside him. She also appreciated that not everything falls into place perfectly by the end, as can sometimes happen in middle-grade books. Not everyone learns the error of their ways by the end, just as they don’t in real life. Often historical focus reads are found in adult fiction and we never realise that kids are exposed through the experience of racism, history and curiosity in school. Onjali’s novels seem to have similar themes in regards to a mostly introverted protagonist who is bullied and goes on a mission with friends to highlight a certain cause.

Toby, whose parents have freshly split, wanders into this strange, burning kingdom chasing a cat through a tunnel. Everything is falling apart in this autocracy plagued by floods and earthquakes as well as fire. But who is this spectral girl he meets, and how can he ever get home? On a school trip, which the bullies don't go on as they haven't returned their slip, he finds 'his' name above the door of a Cathedral on a memorial, and Sangeeta finds the name R Singh. This begins an adventure to find out about those that gave their lives for Britain and the allies during the war. They are joined in their quest by Olivia, who reveals that despite her white skin she is mixed race and her Dad family originate from Ghana and her Great Grandfather is one of those forgotten heroes. The fact that Olivia is not afraid of Toby and Catherine helps Leo and his friends. However, Leo’s efforts to find out more information also get him into trouble with his parents (when he calls his Aunty Su in Singapore at midnight) and with his school (when he tries to break into the RAF Museum at Rochester Cathedral). Despite this, Leo’s determination to find out about the ‘Real Leo’ continues, even when a bully sabotages his work! Leo eventually discovers that a lot more people in his class are on his side and want to help him than he originally thought. This is a sincere and timely story that gently turns over themes of prejudice, cultural underrepresentation, racism and the courage to put right societal injustice - while at once holding out the mantle to young readers to invite them to be the catalyst for change.

That said, I found Leo just not great as a main character. He doesn't seem to have any other interests apart from finding this Leo guy (does he not have any other hobbies?) but the thing that really made me almost dislike him was how negative he was about everyone he met. I'm not talking about his racist classmates, but he just has a very pessimistic view of everyone around him. His parents, his friends at school, his teachers, he would have a not-so-great interaction with them and then would immediately be down about them. He didn't question his dad, he didn't try to persuade any of his other classmates, he didn't try to tell his brother about his likes and dislikes. I wouldn't have minded if he had tried and failed, but he didn't even bother trying. I would have preferred to have Sangeeta as a main character because she looked like such fun.

Even though the story is suppose to highlight racism. I felt that Leo’s struggle to prove that he had a world war “hero” for Britain enforces the good immigrant notion placed on ethnic children. It would have been better had Leo’s ancestor been a army hero or inventor in Indonesia who’s achievements were ignored. Leo has always wondered where his name comes from. Growing up in the small village of Whot, there isn’t much help for Leo to find out. However, on a school trip to a cathedral Leo uncovers his name emblazoned on the list of World War Two heroes. With his interest piqued, Leo begins a long journey to uncover his own history. The story broaches the topic of cultural blindspots in history education, posing questions about the missing and ignored figures from the history topics taught in schools. Young Leo is intrigued to find a WW2 memorial in which he recognises his own name; being of Singaporean heritage he has become used to rarely seeing people like himself reflected in the history books. As Leo and his classmates research their relatives' roles in the war, important stories come to surface and it's up to the children to make sure these histories get the spotlight they deserve.The curiosity of Leo got him into a journey of learning more than just about forgotten heroes but racism, people's attitude towards history, family dynamic and understanding about himself too. The month of Remembrance Day, Veterans Day, and Armistice Day felt like an appropriate one for Sophie to read The Lion Above the Door by Onjali Q. Raúf, a middle-grade novel that looks at not only how we remember past conflicts, but also who gets to be remembered. The author is an excellent writer; this book is mysterious and a really good read. I’d recommend it to children who are about 10 years old! This serious subject is balanced by the humour and madcap adventure aspects of the story (something big gets broken... ) Leo faces all sorts of challenges but there is a huge sense of fun to this book. Help your child develop kindness and empathy with these middle grade books that inspire compassion: whether that’s towards animals, friends, or people in very different situations to your own.

Onjali Q Rauf's loyal fanbase will be pleased to hear of a new novel. True to form, the Lion Above the Door explores important social issues while capturing voices from the younger generation in a most relatable manner. it's a really good book but not much of my type. it's about how you shouldn't treat others diffrently because of how they look or dress or where there from because in the end were al really the same. I really enjoyed reading The Lion Above the Door and found myself reluctant to put it down when I had to do other things. Leo's first-person narration is appealing and so endearing in its innocent truthfulness, even as Raúf threw themes of family and family history, cultural underrepresentation, contemporary and historical racism, perseverance, courage, and teamwork his way, but all with a sensitive hand and a combination of seriousness and humor. Then, on a class trip to a nearby cathedral, Leo’s attention is drawn to a large marble slab high above the doors of the hall. Right there, bang in the middle of a list of war heroes, Leo finds himself staring at something incredible: his own name. I bought this middle grade novel at the start of the year and finally got around to it seven months later. This book is about Leo, who sees his name on a WWII memorial and wants to know all about it, especially when their history class or textbook doesn't teach them about heroes who look like him. I am aware that I am not the audience for this book and I think it would be well suited for the middle grade audience.Although, Onjali does highlight the racism and prejudice faced by ethnic soldiers during World War Two in her notes in the end. It would have been better had this been incorporated in the story. For example, Leo, Sangeets and Olivia decide to incorporate the racism faced by coloured soldiers during the assembly finale despite their teacher disapproving.