Year 7′s Online

I just found this notice about a new book by James Roy which will be launched soon at the Children’s Book shop at Beecroft on August 18.

If you visit James’ blog, there is a post about it all. The book, Edsel Grizzler – Voyage to Verdada., certainly has an interesting title and book cover.

If you read the short blurb below (by UQP, his publisher), then you will also become even more intrigued in what it may be all about! It will be interesting to see what sort of issues James deals with in this story, which you can expect to be set in a quite different location than ‘Captain Mack’.

“PIZZA FOR BREAKFAST
NO BEDTIME
SKATEBOARDING ENCOURAGED
AND … NO PARENTS!

Welcome to Verdada.

When Edsel takes an unexpected voyage to a parallel dimension, Verdada, his life is transformed overnight. Suddenly, his over-protective parents are nowhere to be seen and rules are a thing of the past.

Or so he thinks. “

Source: University of Queensland Press, http://www.uqp.uq.edu.au/book_details.php?id=9780702237188

In line with themes in the book, pizza will be served at the launch at the Children’s Bookshop, but even if you can’t make it to the launch on August 18, it would be great to get your hands on this new book. And to keep an eye out for a graphic novel James is currently working on at the moment. It is called A New Kind of Alchemy.

To keep track of what James is doing, you could also follow his blog, Head vs Desk, where he gives an insight to the things which go through a busy writer’s head, and some of the quirky things he thinks about!

It has been an interesting exercise, while reading ‘Captain Mack’, to try creating headings for each chapter. Also, as we finish reading ‘Captain Mack’ there is a selection of questions across the whole story which could be answered. Try your hand at some of these, posted under suggested chapter headings in the posts below, and a General category as well:

General (Pravi, Brock)

 1. Why doesn’t Danny get an eye operation?

2. Why doesn’t Danny’s dad let him go to another school?

3. How did Danny’s mum die?

4. Why does Shaun bully Danny?

5. Why does Caleb always stick up for Danny?

6. What did you think of the book? Is it a good representation of life at school, bullying and friendship? Explain why. 

The Mystery or the Mystery behind Captain Mack – (Rick, Maurice, Steph)

1. Wher do you think Captain Mack went after the ‘great escape’?

2. Why do you think the author left a mystery at the end of the book?

3. Why did Mr Cullen talk about something different than the Snowy River?

4. Why doesn’t Captain Mack tell anyone besides Danny about the war?

5. Why didn’t Danny tell Captain Mack he was being bullied?

Great Escape – (Spiro)

1. Do you think the ‘great escape’ was worth it?

2. If you were Danny, would you be in trouble with your parents for helping Captain Mack?

The Mysterious Medal – (Alex, Maddie)

1. What was the medal called? How rare was it? Who received these awards?

2. Why did Danny have it? Why was he eager to keep it from Shaun?

3. Why didn’t Captain Mack tell someone Danny was being bullied?

4. Why did Danny stay home from school on Friday?

Captain Mack - (Josephine)

1. Why didn’t Danny or his dad stop the bullying straight away?

2. Why didn’t he want to take the photo and why did he change his mind?

Danny visits Captain Mack or the Breakout- (Nick, Joshua)

1. Why did Danny have the butterflies when he was about to talk to the receptionist?

2. Why did Captain Mack want to break out of the retirement village?

The Moving -  (David)

1. Why did they move Captain Mack?

2. Why did Danny care?

3. Why doesn’t Danny bully Shaun for dropping the yoghurt?

Story Board   (Anthony)

1. Why did Danny like History so much?

2. Why do you have to be careful with the guards?

3. Why didn’t Caleb tell the teacher the truth?

In the next couple of chapters, Danny spends more time visiting Captain Mack, and learning what he can about his past. At the same time, his experiences at school are sometimes affected by what he learns and does during these visits – so much so that he mistakenly salutes his Science teacher, Mr Whaley! (which causes lots of laughter at his expense, and a note to be sent home…)

In spite of ongoing troubles at school and the general busyness of life, Danny becomes quite involved with Captain Mack. He learns more about him from other people, and a bit about what it’s like to be old.

The following questions look at Chapters 7- 9:

1. Why did Danny ask Mr Cullen if there was a Seventy-second Highland regiment? (Pravi)

2. Why did Captain Mack tell Danny to be careful with the guards? (Pravi)

3. Why did Danny salute Mr Whaley and how did he get into trouble? (Joshua)

4. Why did Danny get Captain Mack hair gel and razor blades? (Caleb)

5. How do you think the fire started? How do you think Mark felt when he saw the smoke? (Jessica)

6. Why have they moved Captain Mack? Why is Danny worrying about him? (David)

7. Was Captain Mack happy about moving? Explain (Spiro)

8. If you were Captain Mack how would you feel if you had to leave your friends? (Rick)

9. Why did Danny take his father and Caleb to see Captain Mack? (Maurice)

In the following video, James Roy talks about writing and how each of us has our own story to tell.

What ideas would you have from your life experience that you might write about?

Why do you think it is important to write about the things you know?

Or alternatively, why is it important to find out a lot about the things you might wish to write about?

‘Captain Mack’ was written by James Roy in 1999.

If you read the inside page of the book, there is some detail about the author, and many of you will have heard him speak in the junior school when he visited. Have you ever wondered why an author writes about a particular topic, or where their ideas come from?

James has discussed some of the places and events which have influenced his writing during his visits. He has also suggested to would-be authors that they should use their personal experiences to create stories. Obviously, James’ nursing experience has allowed him an insight (or look) into life in a nursing home, and life at the hands of a bully is something many people can relate to from their experiences at school. But where do you think some of his other story ideas may have come from?

Authors also have to do a certain amount of research, to fill in the gaps of their personal knowledge, in order to make situations and events real to their readers. It is important that readers find things believable and, sometimes, matching their own experiences in life.

Questions

1. How do you think James might have developed some of the characters in Captain Mack? Give examples.

2. Which situations do you think you might find easy to describe yourself? Why?

3. Which characters do you think would be hard for you to describe well? Why?

4. What type of situation would you find it easiest to write about?

5. Visit James’ website - what is the most interesting thing you found out about him?