Marceline, Defender of the Sea

Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Levelled for guided and independent reading, each book includes ideas to support reading. Teaching and assessment support and eBooks are also available.


Nearly everyone in Marceline’s class is going away for the holidays, but she has to go into hospital for an operation instead. However, Marceline loves books and she has lots of stories to keep her company. She learns all about the history of fairy tales and thinks about how she would retell a fairy tale herself.


Diamond/Band 17 books offer more complex, underlying themes to give opportunities for children to understand causes and points of view.


Pages 54 and 55 allow children to re-visit the content of the book, supporting comprehension skills, vocabulary development and recall.


Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.