What are your expectations for this

novel?

Lesson 2 – Meet Link and Shelter

By the end of the lesson...

ALL of you will be able to understand how Robert Swindells “hooks” the reader’s interest in the opening pages of the novel. RAF 5MOST of you will be able to identify how Swindells establishes characters through detailed descriptions. RAF 6SOME of you will be able to use adjective effectively to describe. WAF 7

Read page 1

What do you learn about the narrator from this page?

Put the subheading ‘Facts about Link’ and identify up to five facts about Link from the first page.

You can call me Link. It’s not my name, but it’s what I say when anybody asks, which isn’t often. I’m invisible, see? One of the invisible people. Right now I’m sitting in a doorway watching the passers-by. They avoid looking at me. They’re afraid I want something they’ve got, and they’re right. Also, they don’t want to think about me. They don’t like reminding I exist. Me, and those like me. We’re living proof that everything’s not all right and we make the place untidy.Hang about and I’ll tell you the story of my fascinating life.

Page 1

Who is speaking?

What do you learn about the speaker?

Daily Routine Orders 1Shelter. Yes. I like it. It’s got a ring to it as I’m sure you’ll agree. Shelter, as in shelter from the stormy blast. It’s what they’re all seeking. The street people. What they crave. If they can only find shelter everything will be fine. Well – get fell in, my lucky lads. I’m ready for you.

Page 2

Who is speaking

now?Is this

the same

“voice” as page

1? In the Army the day to day workings of a Unit are controlled by a set of instructions called 'Routine Orders' or RO's.

Read pages 3 - 5

Copy out the table below and pick out the words and phrases that describe Vince and comment on why they are so effective.

Words to describe Vince Impact and effect on the reader

‘grey hair’ Makes you think he’s old and traditional

‘fat belly’ Comes across as lazy, doesn’t care about his appearance

‘likes his ale’ ...

‘leers and winks’ ...

‘nastier and nastier’ ...

‘slapping me around the head’ ...

Descriptive Writing Task

In order to make our writing as detailed and interesting as possible, we need to use adjectives. Adjectives are ‘describing words’ which help to make the meaning of the noun fuller. For example; Fruit (noun) may be ripe, sweet, juicy, bitter, tempting or delicious.

Descriptive Writing Task

Write a short, but detailed, description of any celebrity of your choice but do not write their name. You can comment on the person’s physical appearance and their personality but don’t give away their identity. You may find that on re – reading your description, you can improve it by adding more adjectives. Treat your first attempt as a draft.

Now swap books...

Read another student’s description and try to guess their celebrity. Once you have attempted to guess the celebrity, tick every adjective that is spelt correctly and put the final number at the end of the description.You may want to volunteer to read out you description to the class if your partner cannot guess your celebrity.

What have you learned?

Are you able to understand how Robert Swindells “hooks” the reader’s interest in the opening pages of the novel? RAF 5Are you able to identify how Swindells establishes characters through detailed descriptions? RAF 6Are you able to use adjective effectively to describe? WAF 7

Did you like the opening of this novel? What has the writer, Robert Swindells, done to make his reader

want to read on?