With the help of her loving Nan, and her Uncle Tony and his husband Sebastian, Violet learns to face her fears and turn her whisper into a roar! It’s illustrated by Clara Anganuzzi and published by Lantana. This is a story for the children who never saw themselves in fairy tales and for the LGBT+ teenagers, who like me, grew up feeling excluded from the literary space. Today we welcome Clare Campbell, the headteacher at St Charles RC Primary School, to talk about how she has been using NEN AND THE LONELY FISHERMAN in her school!

What do you make of the conversation about younger children not being aware of LGBTQ+ topics, or being “shielded” from them? Nen spends his days exploring his underwater kingdom, but something is missing: his heart is empty. So, Nen ventures to the forbidden world above and it is here that he meets Ernest, a lonely fisherman. But can two people from different worlds be together and what will happen when a terrifying storm gathers?One lovely way to explore identity with this book would be through the origin of names. Nen is a name of Egyptian origin that means ancient waters. Nen’s father is Pelagios of Greek origin meaning from the sea and Ernest is of German origin meaning serious and warrior. Names chosen with meaning and purpose by the author. There is a Spelling Seed session for every week of the associated Writing Root. Coverage: Word List Words

There are bits of myself into all the characters. I very rarely listen to advice or suggestions – much like Nen constantly ignoring his father! I’m also relatively quiet and shy too, being lonely and on my own for a long time, like Ernest. I also love creating and making things like him too. Nen and the Lonely Fisherman by Ian Eagleton (author) and James Mayhew (illustrator) is a classic ‘little mermaid’ tale focussing on a beautiful and blossoming LGBTQ+ relationship. Nen is a merman in search of true love, he sends a song of hope across the sea where it is heard by Ernest. Ernest is a gentle and caring fisherman who hopes to find warmth in his heart, and when the two meat they form a special connection. However, Nen’s father Pelagios isn’t happy with this special friendship and creates a wild storm at sea to protect his son and his ocean home. Will Nen be able to save Ernest from his father’s dismay? Like the oceans, this picture book has hidden depths. It is a story about companionship and love - a love that, for many, is forbidden. It is a quiet lament about the how humankind is disregarding the seas. It is a wistful evocation of how life could be if we loved and accepted everyone for who they are instead of through our own misconceptions and judgements. It's a balm for loneliness. This three-week Writing Root begins with a treasure chest of mysterious objects which children explore and discuss to support them in making predictions about the story. The sequence of learning continues by exploring the text through a range of tasks which include reading skills, book talk, explicit grammar teaching in context, vocabulary building and shorter written outcomes. Children will make predictions and explore the themes of the text, before developing their understanding of the characters to support them to write a character description in the form of a lonely-hearts advert. They will infer characters’ thoughts and feelings through freeze-framing, thought bubbles and diary entries. Children will also develop their literary bank by exploring how to use language to change atmosphere and create deeper imagery through the use of different descriptive literary techniques. Finally, they will finish by writing their own version of Nen and the Lonely Fisherman, with twists to the original plot and characters and making comparisons to the traditional tale The Little Mermaid. Synopsis of Text:Spelling Seeds have been designed to complement Writing Roots by providing weekly, contextualised sequences of sessions for the teaching of spelling that include open-ended investigations and opportunities to practise and apply within meaningful and purposeful contexts, linked (where relevant) to other areas of the curriculum and a suggestion of how to extend the investigation into home learning. James Mayhew, the illustrator, felt that we would have no concerns or worries about showing a prince and a mermaid holding hands. Why should we shy away from depicting a loving relationship full of hope and wonder?