The Twig Man by Sana Rasoul

This book is a fast-paced, easy read that hooks you right from the start. The creepy Twig Man is introduced quickly, and we soon learn about the missing sister, adding a sense of urgency. The setting feels like a familiar English woodland, perfect for the eerie happenings like hypnotised animals, shadows on walls, crows, mythical voices, and mysteriously open windows. Ari is a standout character—rebellious yet brave, driven not by heroism but by the need to find his sister. His fear feels real, and his willingness to ask for help makes him relatable. At first there was confusion over the character of Timmy and who he was. The twist of him being a ghost added suspense and kept us guessing.

Overall, it’s a thrilling ride through a spooky, magical world that’s both relatable and utterly engaging.

Using This Book in the Classroom

This book offers a wealth of creative opportunities for classroom activities. Students could engage in “role on the wall” to explore character traits and motivations. Drawing or designing their own forests and creating maps of the woods would enhance their spatial and artistic skills. Writing instructions on how to find and destroy the Twig Man encourages critical thinking and problem-solving. Hot seating can help students dive deeper into character perspectives, while crafting prequels to imagine backstories adds depth to the narrative. Creative writing projects like woodland horrors or spooky folklore can stimulate imagination. Additionally, students could write newspaper articles about the missing people or the Twig Man, or diary entries from different characters’ viewpoints, fostering writing skills and empathy.

Find out more about Sana Rasoul on her website https://sanarasoulauthor.co.uk/

The UKLA book group is a group of students and lecturers who meet together to discuss contemporary Children’s Literature that has been longlisted for the UKLA Children’s Book Awards.  The 6 texts chosen are from across the 3-6+, 7-10+ and non-fiction categories. From engaging with the book group, we have all had the opportunity to develop our professional and personal knowledge of recently published literature and through our discussions we have considered how the texts are constructed to support meaning making, the learning opportunities provided by the texts and why each text is an important book within the canon of Children’s Literature. Below you will find reviews of the books we have read; all of which are available in the Curriculum Centre, including The Twig Man.

The 2024 longlist for the book awards can be found here: https://ukla.org/awards/ukla-book-award/.