Rafiq is only nine when Kashmiri Freedom Fighters raid his village in search of new recruits. Tall for his age, he is the first boy to cross the chalk line into a life of brutality and violence.

Jameela cannot forget her brother. While Rafiq is trained to kill in the rebel camp high in the mountains, she keeps his memory alive.

When finally their paths cross again, Rafiq is unrecognisable as the boy who left the village. Will Jameela know him?

To assist teachers to teach A Dangerous Crossing in the classroom, I have developed a teaching guide for the book.

For the purpose of the guide, the novel has been divided into four units, based loosely on the structure of the story. Each unit includes chapter summaries, discussion points and activities, mostly focussed on language development.

A Dangerous Crossing is suitable for use in senior classes of primary school and junior classes in secondary school. It deals in a compelling and sensitive manner with themes such as refugees, discrimination, and gender equality, all of which are relevant in the contemporary world.

A Dangerous Crossing is highly relevant today in light of events in Syria, and in view of current challenges faced by refugee children fleeing areas of war and armed conflict. The subject matter of the story provides plenty of opportunity for discussion, activities, debate and the development of personal opinion. Themes are powerfully explored and carefully researched.

The main discussion areas woven into the fabric of the story include:

The pace at which the novel is read depends on the teacher and the students.

Chalkline

To assist teachers to teach Chalkline in the classroom, I have developed a teaching guide for the book.

For the purpose of the guide, the novel has been divided into four units, based loosely on the structure of the story. Each unit includes chapter summaries, discussion points and activities, mostly focussed on language development.

Chalkline has been chosen for use in the senior classes of primary school and the junior classes of secondary school because it deals in a compelling and sensitive manner with themes such as human rights, armed conflict, and gender equality, all of which are relevant in the contemporary world.

Chalkline is on the Junior Certificate curriculum for English and its subject matter is highly relevant today in light of recent events in places such as Syria, Palestine and Iraq, and in view of the current challenges faced by children living in areas of armed conflict around the world. Teachers and schools have used Chalkline as a base around which to build a programme of lessons on multicultural education.

The subject matter of the story provides plenty of opportunity for discussion, activities, debate and development of personal opinion. The main discussion themes woven into the fabric of the story include:

The pace at which the novel is read depends on the teacher and the students

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©Jane Mitchell. Website updated 2017

I was born in London after my parents emigrated to England from Ireland. We lived there until I was five, when my family moved to Northern Ireland. We moved south to Dublin, Ireland, when I was seven years of age and I have lived in Ireland since.

Hobbies

Travelling is my favourite hobby. I spent a year travelling around the world a number of years ago. Since I started independent travel, I have been fortunate enough to visit many amazing places in the Americas, Asia, Africa, Australasia and Europe.

I love music. I studied classical flute for many years as a teenager and now I play traditional Irish flute, which is very different to classical flute. Ireland has a rich cultural heritage and music plays a large part of Irish life. I have a piano, which I love, but it would be a stretch of the imagination to say that I can play piano: I just have fun with it.

I like to swim, run and go to the gym. I ran the Dublin City Marathon twice, in 2011 and 2012. Although I found it very challenging, I enjoyed the experience immensely and am very proud for having completed the 26 mile (42km!) distance twice.

I also hill-walk. I have climbed through the Sun Gate overlooking the ancient Incan city of Macchu Pichu in Peru. I’ve hiked through the foothills of the Anna Purna range in Nepal, crossed the Tongariro Alpine Crossing in New Zealand and climbed Table Mountain in South Africa. I also climbed snow-capped mountains in Argentina and visited hill tribes in the secretive and isolated country of Burma.

I enjoy cooking and dining out. My favourite cuisine is Middle Eastern, followed closely by Italian or Mediterranean food.

Education and employment

I studied Education in Trinity College, Dublin, and taught primary (elementary) school children before working in the community with at-risk teenagers who had dropped out of formal education. I also worked with young people with physical disabilities.

I studied for a Masters in Disability Management in London, UK, then completed a postgraduate diploma in statistics in Trinity College, Dublin. As if I hadn't enough study, I studied for a Masters in Business Management. I'm finished studying now.

My writing

I have enjoyed writing since I was small — I wrote my first ‘Book of Poems’ when I was six years old, complete with binding and illustrations. I wrote about my friends, my dog Scruffy and my family. I still have it. I also have my creative writing copybooks from when I was 12 and 13 years-old, and it’s funny to read them now. Lots of young people ask me about how to make their writing better so check out my writing tips on this page.