A letter from Ivan...

 'Ivan slipped out of bed and pulled on his boots. Then he took his fur parka and moved quietly to the door. Moments later he was across the warm, dark kitchen and out into the freezing cold.'

Write a letter as Ivan to your Mum and Dad. Explain where you have gone and why. Remember to try and persuade them that you will keep safe and return soon.   

Include all of the important features of a letter: Your address, date under address, begin with dear/hello/hi, chatty friendly style, paragraphs, ask questions, end with a friendly statement, finish with – bye for now, see you soon, lots of love and finally your name at the bottom.

Brother banished!

'One night when an icy wind whined through the black trees, and powdery snow sifted under everybody's doors, Starjik came to Ivan's house, and when Ivan awoke in the morning his little brother was gone.'

1. Where do you think his little brother had gone? 

2. How do you think Ivan and his family felt?
3. Who or what had taken him?

4. What do you think Ivan will do next?

Icy landscapes

'If you turned your head into the east wind, and you could see for ever you
would see Ivan’s land.'

Watch the video below and imagine Ivan's land. 

What do you see? Have you ever visited a place which is similar? Where was it? How could you describe this setting?  

Our next book will be...

Ice Palace by Robert Swindells

 Now, look carefully at the image and the title. Use these to make predictions about the story...

Think about:
- Who might the main character be? What is he/she like?
- Where is the story set? How do you know?
- When did this story happen?
- What adventures might happen in the story?