1. What is the title of this book?
What do you think it might be about? Explain.
Who might the person on the front cover be?

2. List 3 ways in which the siblings were different.
Who do you think is the older sibling? Why?

3. What things does the sister like to do?
What things does the brother like to do?
What does the phrase ‘roughing and tumbling’ mean?

4. What does it mean to sleep ‘soundly’?
Why did the girl lie awake at night?
Why might she be afraid of the dark?

5. How do you think the girl would feel if she woke up now. Explain.
Why do you think the boy enjoys scaring his sister?
Can you spot any references to traditional tales in this image?

6. What do the siblings do when they are together?
Why might they argue?
What is the effect of the short sentence ‘All the time.’?

7. What does the word impatient mean?
What items did the siblings take with them? What does this tell you about their plans?

8. Where did the pair go?
Why do you think the boy calls his sister a ‘baby’?
Where do you think he might explore?

9. What does this image suggest about the area where the children live?
How do you think the boy is feeling at this moment? Explain fully.
How do you think the girl is feeling at this moment? Explain fully.

10. When the brother yells for his sister, she ‘walked’ over to him
When the brother yells for his sister, she ‘walked’ over to him. What does this show about her feelings?
What does the word ‘wet’ mean in the sentence, ‘Don’t be so wet.’?
What does the phrase ‘kids stuff’ mean?

11. What in this image shows you that the brother is excited?
How do you think the girl feels here? Explain fully.
What options does the girl have at this point?

12. Why does the author repeatedly use the word ‘waited’?
Why is the word had in italics?

13. 1) Why do you think the girl has left her book behind?

14. 1) Why do you think the author has chosen to use the adjective ‘dark’ in this sentence? Explain fully using what you know.

15. How is the wood described initially? Why?
Why could she not turn back?
What is the effect of the phrase ‘faster and faster’?

16. Why might there be a young sapling amongst these old trees?
Who might the axe belong to?
Who might have lit the fire burning in the background?

17. What language feature is ‘still as stone’?
What does the word sobbed tell you?

18. What has happened to the boy?
How do you think he was feeling when this happened?
What do you think he was doing?

19. What do the girls reactions reveal here? Explain fully.
What is happening as the boy becomes ‘softer and warmer’?

20. How did the boy know his sister would come?
Why do you think they ran back to the tunnel?
Why does the author put so much emphasis on the word together?

21. 1) Why is the girl smiling here?
2) In as much detail as you can, describe how you think the boys face looks at this moment. Explain your decision.