Il Treno dei Bambini is a captivating story, brought to life as a beautiful movie on Netflix, but this isn’t all! It’s also a remarkable book by Viola Ardone, published in 2019 and a finalist for the prestigious Premio Strega award in 2020. This bestseller has chugged its way into hearts worldwide and, hold onto your tickets, it’s one of the two prescribed novels for the Italian Leaving Cert in 2026 and 2027!
This is exciting news for my students, especially because I’ve organized a Book Club where 5th and 6th year students can climb aboard and explore this novel, decoding its quirky characters and those difficult idiomatic expressions that might try to derail them during the book comprehension part of the exam paper. Our work will ensure the best outcome for this section of the exam paper (60 marks out of 220) in the shortest possible time. This will also give them more time to tackle the other parts of the paper and the confidence they need to do it as they will feel in control of their time.
The Book Club welcomes a small group of 5th and 6th year students, and since the book’s the same for both years, it’s a smooth ride for study time and parents’ wallets. Missed a stop? No problem! Recordings and notes keep everyone on track, ensuring no one’s left behind and we all steam toward our best Italian Leaving Cert results!
