Kensuke's Kingdom question

As my first time reading this book, I really enjoyed following Michael's journey and the different experiences and emotions he go through in this book. His Mother, Father and Stella Artois, the dog, go sailing around the world. When his father decided to sell his house and buy a boat called the Peggy Sue, Michael’s adventure across the world begins. As part of Michael’s schoolwork, he keeps journals about what he’s seen and where he’s been every now and then. Until one day Michael and his family come across a terrible day at sea…

Michael wakes up by the sounds of screaming sounds and finds himself on the sand. Michael realises that he is standing on an island with no way out, with Stella Artois by his side. Michael notices he is not the only human living on the island because there is somebody providing him with food and water.

Michael meets a man called Kensuke, at the beginning of the book. However, when Kensuke sees Michael he seems to isolate himself away from Michael, instead of welcoming him or asking about his feelings. Kensuke sets rules for Michael which are not lighting a fire when he sees a boat and staying on his part of the island. Michael felt more alone, more frustrated with the old man’s rules, however, over time we can see how Michale and Kensuke's friendship evolves. Michael teaches Kensuke how to speak English and Kensuke teaches Michael how to survive on the island.

One day Kesuke finally asks Michael about how he got on the island and Kensuke shares his story with Michael the next day. Kensuke was once a doctor and had a wife and son, however, one day Japan went to war with America where all men had to join the army. Kensuke worked as a doctor there. Kensuke was the only person to survive on the whole ship and found the island where he is currently on, this is where he got all the things he currently has. After all these years Kensuke reveals the ship is drowned under the sand, still a part of the island.

A year ago Americans come to the island again, and Kensuke is shocked when he sees men killing orangutans and taking babies. This is where Kensuke really started to hate humans and wanted to stay on the island. This explains why Kesuke was not a friendly person at the beginning because he was hurt by other humans.

Because of Kensuke's very bad experience with Americans on the island, this explains why Kensuke was not kind to Michael at the beginning of the story, including why he does not want a fire. Unfortunately, one morning Stella goes up the way hill and barks, Michael finds junk. Working with Kensuke, Michael tried to light a fire but Kesuke changes his mind and gets terrified by the junk he sees, thinking it is the “killer men”. Kensuke and Michael gather all the orangutans into the cave safely so they are hidden.

After some time Kensuke finally spots two white sails in the distance of the sea, the two boats head their way. Kensuke and Michael are filled with joy and hug each other. Michael gets so happy, and realise it was Peggy Sue and his parents. Suddenly, Michael finds Kensuke at the edge of the hilltop, not wanting to come back to the world. Kensuke explains that the island is his kingdom now and if he were to go back, he is like a ghost, not knowing this is the last time he is going to see Kensuke. His mother and father were searching for him for a year. His mother had a hope he was alive, his father had thought he’d died. They’d sailed from island to island searching for him and finally found him.

The writing style though out the book is written as if it is a journal written in the first person from Michaels's point of view. Describing every experience, the journey, the water, the ocean and the incident from how it happened from the very beginning to the end is very descriptive. The author uses vivid imagery to really capture the reader’s attention and would definitely want to make them read on.

There is a clear contrast between the beginning, middle and end of the book. The character is going through sensations of joy and excitement at the beginning, but suddenly this is turned into fear and constant struggle, anxiety and depression throughout the book.

I believe this book can be used in many ways for trainee teachers. It can be used in English, looking at the writing styles in the book. And also do what the main character did and keep a logbook of all the places children have cost in their lifetime. For KS2 and geography because it covers a wide range of countries. We can also use this in different DT lessons where we can use this book to focus on creating our own island with the description that is used in the book.

I could even use this book in a music lesson where I can focus on one part one the book to help children create their own sounds using musical instruments to express the emotions and atmosphere that may go on. For example ‘ The howling had started up again far away in the Forest, a chanting that went on and on until darkened covered the island. Insects whirled and whined from the forest. There was hallow tapping, like a frantic woodpecker. There was scraping, scratching, and a grunting granting noise that sounded like frogs.’ This will really help children envision themselves in the same atmosphere as the main character would really help them with relating to the same feelings the main character will go through.