A Gypsy Secret (Level 2)
Jane Hammett
This exercise is an extract from a self-published middle-grade novel aimed at children aged 8–11 years.
It provides practice in:
- editing children's fiction
- improving style and flow while retaining the author's voice
- ensuring consistency
- deciding whether to change text or query it
- creating a style sheet for a novel.
Please note: The CIEP recognises that the word 'Gypsy' is considered offensive by some communities and in some countries. However, it is also a term by which many traveller communities in the UK self-identify. The novel from which this extract is taken is set in Britain and the word is used as a neutral term for a community that uses it of themselves. The CIEP believes that self-ascription should be the decisive factor in determining the terms used for any identity community, as to 'sanitise' such a choice would be to marginalise and deny voice to them.
