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Adam's Starling
A scruffy little starling helps Adam stand up for himself.
Adam is shy and a dreamer. He is picked on at school and he doesn’t know what to do. Then his special starling, who follows him to school, needs his help. Will Adam find courage at last?
An inspiring and captivating story.
Adam is shy and a dreamer. He is picked on at school and he doesn’t know what to do. Then his special starling, who follows him to school, needs his help. Will Adam find courage at last?
An inspiring and captivating story.
149 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
3 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
Gill Perdue
11 books34 followersGill Perdue is the author of If I Tell (previously published as The Interview), the first in the Laura Shaw series of Crime novels published by Penguin, set in the fictional Dublin suburb of Clonchapel. She also writes for children. Her first children’s novel, Adam’s Starling, won a Bisto Award (the Eilís Dillon Memorial) for that year.
A primary school teacher by training, Gill worked for many years in Tallaght and other schools in south Dublin, and this experience informed and inspired her earliest writings, as did her work on a children’s helpline. A lifelong love of dance and music saw her train separately as a dance teacher, and for many years Gill has been teaching Ballet and Modern in a busy school in Rathfarnham.
She is drawn to the exploration of the domestic, behind the façade presented by adults and even very young children, reflecting the real experiences of living in a world where the best and worst of what it means to be human exist side by side.
Gill lives in Rathfarnham with Kevin and Angus (one of these is a dog). They have two adult daughters, one living in London and one recently returned to live here. Inky and Dusty - a pair of disapproving rescue cats - complete the picture.
A primary school teacher by training, Gill worked for many years in Tallaght and other schools in south Dublin, and this experience informed and inspired her earliest writings, as did her work on a children’s helpline. A lifelong love of dance and music saw her train separately as a dance teacher, and for many years Gill has been teaching Ballet and Modern in a busy school in Rathfarnham.
She is drawn to the exploration of the domestic, behind the façade presented by adults and even very young children, reflecting the real experiences of living in a world where the best and worst of what it means to be human exist side by side.
Gill lives in Rathfarnham with Kevin and Angus (one of these is a dog). They have two adult daughters, one living in London and one recently returned to live here. Inky and Dusty - a pair of disapproving rescue cats - complete the picture.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 6, 2023
Brilliant little story about childhood bullying and how your parents aren’t always best equipped to deal with it. Tastefully addresses some of the struggles that children can bring to school with them every morning.
October 31, 2022
It was a school book but it was funny and had a grand story to it
April 13, 2023
Really touching story that deals with a lot of issues children face. Sensitive and meaningful
August 19, 2014
Adam's Starling is a story about a nine year old boy who is being bullied at school. Although he has two close friends and an older cousin who looks out for him, he finds it very difficult to stand up to the three boys who bully him.
He cares a lot for his grandfather who is ill and visits him regularly in hospital. This seems to take his mind off his own troubles. Adam is a bit of a dreamer and whether he is imagining it or not, he finds that a little bird is following him to school in the mornings and watching him from outside the classroom window. This gives him something else to distract his mind from his worry of the bullies and he searches for the starling every day.
Things become very bad for Adam as he is picked on everyday and at one point his money is stolen and he is locked in a bin by an older boy. Although his family and teacher know what is happening, Adam refuses to seek help as he is afraid. In the end, Adam finds the courage to stand up to the boys who bullied him and they leave him alone. He believes that the little starling helped him to do this.
This book is aimed at 9-11 year olds. The plot is simple and easy to read, although at times is somewhat dramatic. Children may relate to this story if they feel that they are being bullied. It may also help some children think about whether they have ever bullied another child themselves and understand how their victim would have felt. Bullying is a serious issue in schools today and I believe this story helps confront the issue for children of this age group. I think that it would be a good book to have on a classroom shelf for independent reading.
He cares a lot for his grandfather who is ill and visits him regularly in hospital. This seems to take his mind off his own troubles. Adam is a bit of a dreamer and whether he is imagining it or not, he finds that a little bird is following him to school in the mornings and watching him from outside the classroom window. This gives him something else to distract his mind from his worry of the bullies and he searches for the starling every day.
Things become very bad for Adam as he is picked on everyday and at one point his money is stolen and he is locked in a bin by an older boy. Although his family and teacher know what is happening, Adam refuses to seek help as he is afraid. In the end, Adam finds the courage to stand up to the boys who bullied him and they leave him alone. He believes that the little starling helped him to do this.
This book is aimed at 9-11 year olds. The plot is simple and easy to read, although at times is somewhat dramatic. Children may relate to this story if they feel that they are being bullied. It may also help some children think about whether they have ever bullied another child themselves and understand how their victim would have felt. Bullying is a serious issue in schools today and I believe this story helps confront the issue for children of this age group. I think that it would be a good book to have on a classroom shelf for independent reading.
November 2, 2013
Adam's Starling
by Gillian Perdue
The book is called Adam's Starling and the author is: Gillian Perdue. Adam's Starling is a children's book with a little bit of drama in it.I decided to read it because, it seemed like a interesting book to read on the go.
The book is about a boy named Adam. He is nine years old. He's being bullied by three boys.The main idea is that he tries to stand up to his bullies. Through the book Adam gets bullied and made fun of. At the end, he lets his anger out and stands up to his bully. The main characters are perfectly described. Every character is different and special in their own way.
The plot is simple although in some places pretty dramatic. It's thrilling and pleasant to read. I liked the style of writing, because it was easy to understand and as I said it earlier the characters were described perfectly. I didn't like the thing that the book was so short. It read it in only 2 and a half hours.
I think that kids might enjoy reading this book, because it's easy to read and the story isn't hard to follow. When you are buying books, or searching for a good book to read, I would suggest this book, because it's fun to read and you will probably enjoy it.
by Gillian Perdue
The book is called Adam's Starling and the author is: Gillian Perdue. Adam's Starling is a children's book with a little bit of drama in it.I decided to read it because, it seemed like a interesting book to read on the go.
The book is about a boy named Adam. He is nine years old. He's being bullied by three boys.The main idea is that he tries to stand up to his bullies. Through the book Adam gets bullied and made fun of. At the end, he lets his anger out and stands up to his bully. The main characters are perfectly described. Every character is different and special in their own way.
The plot is simple although in some places pretty dramatic. It's thrilling and pleasant to read. I liked the style of writing, because it was easy to understand and as I said it earlier the characters were described perfectly. I didn't like the thing that the book was so short. It read it in only 2 and a half hours.
I think that kids might enjoy reading this book, because it's easy to read and the story isn't hard to follow. When you are buying books, or searching for a good book to read, I would suggest this book, because it's fun to read and you will probably enjoy it.
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May 11, 2016its a good book
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews