Big News, Small World by Sarah Allen (Big Cat Read On)

Big Cat Read On supports fluent readers to improve their reading skills and nurture a love of reading. Consisting of a wide range of engaging chapter books, the Big Cat Read On series improves reading stamina and comprehension, develops vocabulary, and introduces children to more sophisticated narrative structures and themes.

Dear Diary,

It’s 1970 and there are lots of really big things going on in the world, like the war in Vietnam. My older sister, Cecily, has been on protest marches, trying to get President Nixon to stop the war, but it feels like I’m too young to do anything about it. Or can I? Maybe to do something big, I need to do something small.

Ask the author and Book talk questions invite the reader to think more deeply about the themes in the book and reflect on their reading experience. Online lesson plans provide guidance in using this book in a range of settings, including independent, social and whole-class reading – all designed to support the reader to connect with the book and encourage a positive attitude to reading.