This week in writing, the children have been stepping straight into the world of our class novel Viking Boy, writing powerful letters from the perspective of its brave protagonist, Gunnar.
Their challenge was to persuade the mighty Viking god Odin to return Gunnar’s father from Valhalla so he could help on his dangerous quest, and let’s just say that Odin would have found it very hard to say no. The children focused on persuasive techniques such as emotive language and rhetorical questions, carefully choosing words to tug at Odin’s heart (if gods have hearts!) and make their arguments as convincing as possible.
There was drama, passion, bravery, injustice, and even a hint of Viking fury, all wrapped up in beautifully crafted letters that were both moving and memorable. We had huge fun writing them, and a few of the letters were so emotional that they genuinely brought a tear to a couple of readers’ eyes. If Odin has a postbox, it is definitely overflowing by now.
Help at home: Ask your child to explain the persuasive techniques they used in their writing, such as emotive language and rhetorical questions, and see if they can give you examples from their Viking letter.