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www.teachwire.net | 61 T E ACH RE AD I NG & WR I T I NG Loved this? Try these... v Mystery of the Night Watchers by A.M. Howell v The River Spirit by Lucy Strange v Rivet Boy by Barbara Henderson v Darwin’s Dragons by Lindsay Galvin v The Chestnut Roaster by Eve McDonnell stopped the coach. The king decreed that all sweeps were lucky, and the superstition spread throughout Europe. Rewrite the final chapter of The Last Boy so Brewster finds a life of good fortune. As well as being known as ‘Brewster the last climbing boy’, help him find success as ‘Brewster the astronomer’ and a caring home with Dr and Mrs Grubb. What will his calculations help him to predict? What great inventions will he create? What will his life be like when it’s full of hope and happiness rather than soot and darkness? THE REAL BREWSTER Discover more about the real George Brewster, who died from suffocation after climbing a boiler chimney at the Fulbourn Lunatic Asylum, Cambridgeshire, in 1875. Historian Joanna Hudson has applied to have a blue plaque mounted in Fulbourn in February 2025 to mark 150 years since this tragic death. Her research has revealed so much about the life of young sweeps. You can watch a fascinating video where Joanna shares her use of historical sources such as census documents, photographs, diagrams of chimneys, newspaper articles and records to discover more about George’s legacy ( tinyurl.com/tp-GeorgeBrewster ) . You might notice George’s death certificate says he was 14 years old (rather than 11) when he died. It’s likely this document was falsified to make him appear older because the Chimney Sweepers Act of 1834 stated that no child under the age of 14 could work as a chimney sweep. Master Sweep Wyer would have been worried about criminal charges for sending young children up chimneys. George Brewster’s death and the resulting legislation marked a significant transition of British industrial society. Kate Heap is a primary English consultant and children’s book reviewer. She is also the author of the Developing Reading Comprehension Skills series. scopeforimagination.co.uk husband, William Parsons the 3 rd Earl of Rosse, built the real Leviathan Telescope at Birr Castle. Charles Parsons – their son and Brewster’s nemesis – went on to become the inventor of the compound steam turbine. Dr Grubb, who took Brewster under his wing, helped design the huge Leviathan telescope mirror. Sir Robert Ball, the boys’ tutor, was a real astronomer, who went on to have great influence in the world of maths and science. Even Mary Ward, who fell from Lady Rosse’s steam carriage, placing her in history as the first road traffic fatality in Ireland, was a well-known naturalist, astronomer, microscopist and author. What do you think attracted these the scientific impact of the 1833 meteor shower? Why were people so afraid of the comet? When will the Tempel-Tuttle cross our sky again? Use oil pastels to create a night-sky scene. Blending blues, purples and blacks will create an inky sky, then small splatters of white paint stretched across the page with a white colouring pencil will add a stunning meteor shower. Use the book cover for inspiration as you fill the paper with a ‘storm of stars’. Brilliant minds Many of the characters in The Last Boy were inspired by real people who were deeply committed to science. Lady Rosse and her people to Birr Castle? What is their legacy? What impact did they have on Brewster throughout the story? Choose one of these historical figures and create a character profile. Include details from the text, but also research who they were in real life. What was their passion? How did they gain knowledge? What was it about their class, education, wealth or opportunities that allowed them to become experts in their fields? How did they relate to Brewster? Did they help or hinder him in his own scientific quest? Add a sketch of the individual or some symbols to represent them. TP