The Hissing Bush Level 9-11

In The Hissing Bush, two children's curiosity is piqued when they hear strange hissing from a nearby bush. Their suspense-filled investigation leads to an unexpected discovery-a goose guarding her nest. This lively narrative blends realistic adventure with gentle humour and is ideal for building expressive reading skills. The story is structured with dynamic illustrations, strong dialogue, and onomatopoeia to enhance engagement. It supports comprehension strategies such as summarising, prediction, and visual analysis. The use of contractions, colloquial expressions, and narrative climax builds students' confidence in reading with intonation. Features such as ellipses, italics, and thought bubbles further support readers' understanding of emotion and emphasis.

Educational Benefits:

• Reinforces expressive reading with punctuation and dialogue
• Supports comprehension through summarising and inference
• Enhances phonics knowledge through blends and digraphs
• Encourages analysis of visual text features

Classroom Ideas:

• Create thought bubbles for what the characters might be thinking
• Use sound words (onomatopoeia) to write a mystery story
• Act out scenes using expressive language and tone
• Compare reactions before and after the discovery in the bush

Safety & Information:

• Ages: 6+
• Size: 150mm x 210mm
• Reading Level: 9-11 (Blue)
• No safety concerns; suitable for guided or independent reading