Each River Boy Class Pack contains 15 copies of the Rollercoasters edition of River Boy by Tim Bowler and 15 River Boy Reading Guides to support the students in their study of the novel.Grandpa is dying. He can barely move his hands anymore, but stubborn as ever, refuses to stay in hospital. He's determined to finish his last painting, 'River Boy', before he goes. A poignant story that explores the subject of grief and loss in an accessible and affecting way.Themes: grief, bereavement, testing physical limits, artistic challengeTeaching Focus:BLLanguage rich in metaphor and other rhetorical devicesBLStrong chracterisation and sensitive portrayal of relationshipsBLCreation of mood and setting through descriptive languageBLKey images woven through the narrative and plotRecommended for students in Years 8 and 9The Rollercoasters series is a set of imaginative and exciting books that your students will not want to put down. All books are supported by extensive teacher resources online, in print and on CD-ROM, and contain themes that will appeal to girls, boys and mixed-ability classes. Each book is also accompanied by Reading Guides to provide essential background material for students on the novel of the same title, and include a letter to the student from the author of the novel, thematicactivities, wider reading references and short reviews.