Plot
Johnny Maxwell takes a shortcut through the local cemetery and realises that he can see and hear the dead people that are buried there. He tells them that the council have sold the cemetery land to a large company who intend to build offices on it. Johnny begins plans to stop the destruction going ahead, while the dead make some discoveries of their own.
Authors – Terry Pratchett / Stephen Briggs
The life and works of Sir Terry Pratchett
Discover more about Terry Pratchett
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Themes – universal ideas
Communities, friendship, life after death, progress and change, urban environment.
More to explore – motifs, symbols, context, setting
Aldermen, brass bands, capitalism, care homes, cemeteries, communism, councillors, Day of the Dead, development, Einstein, escapology, Latin, ghosts, Hallowe’en, high rise flats, Marconi, Marx Brothers, occult, own goals, Pals’ Battalions, political correctness. POWs, Rastafarians, reggae, suffragettes, Victorians, World War I
Did you know?
One of the Dead is a First World War soldier. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission was set up to create and look after the graves of men and women from Commonwealth countries who fought in World War I. This includes graves in Motherwell and graves of people from Motherwell who died overseas.
Further reading
Discover these titles and more
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If you liked this dramatised version of Johnny and the Dead, try these titles:
First are the three full length Johnny Maxwell novels by Terry Pratchett: Only you can save mankind, Johnny and the dead and Johnny and the bomb. You can read them in any order. Library copies available for Only you can save mankind, Johnny ad the Dead and Johnny and the Bomb.
Out of the depths by Cathy MacPhail is the story of Tyler Lawless who can see dead people, including dead teachers asking for help. Library copy available.
The graveyard book by Neil Gaiman: what happens when a toddler wanders into a cemetery alone, and the inhabitants decide to adopt him. Novel and graphic novel copies available in the Library.
The 13th horseman by Barry Hutchison, The Bible says there are four horsemen of the Apocalypse, but it never mentioned there’s a recruitment problem. A very funny focus on Death. Library copy available.
Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier. Graphic novel. When they move to a new house in Northern California, Catrina and Maya discover there are ghosts in their new town, and the time of year when ghosts reunite with their loved ones is approaching. Library copy available.
Wildlife around Glasgow : 50 remarkable sites to explore by Richard Sutcliff and Kim Teo. How many wildlife sites are you familiar with? This is a great book for discovering local nature reserves including Baron’s Haugh in Motherwell. Library copy available.
Literacy and Language
reread
Numeracy
???
Health and Wellbeing
Importance of outdoor space
Rights Respecting Schools
Campaigning
Developing the Young Workforce
Teamwork
