1

Infant Joy
William Blake
“I have no name:
I am but two days old.”
What shall I call thee?
“I happy am, The Schoolboy
Joy is my name.”
Sweet joy befall thee. I love to rise in a summer morn,
When the birds sing on every tree;
Pretty joy! The distant huntsman winds his horn,
Sweet joy but two days old, And the sky-lark sings with me.
Sweet joy I call thee: Oh! what sweet company.
Thou dost smile,
I sing the while, But to go to school in a summer morn,
Sweet joy befall thee. Oh! it drives all joy away;
The Angel Under a cruel eye outworn,
The little ones spend the day,
I Dreamt a Dream! What can it mean? In sighing and dismay.
And that I was a maiden Queen:
Guarded by an Angel mild: Ah! then at times I drooping sit,
Witless woe, was ne’er beguil’d! And spend many an anxious hour.
Nor in my book can I take delight,
And I wept both night and day Nor sit in learning’s bower,
And he wip’d my tears away worn thro’ with the dreary shower.
And I wept both day and night
And hid from him my heart’s delight How can the bird that is born for joy,
Sit in a cage and sing.
So, he took his wings and fled: How can a child when fears annoy,
Then the morn blush’d rosy red: But droop his tender wing,
I dried my tears and armed my fears, And forget his youthful spring.
With ten thousand shields and spears,
Oh! father and mother, if buds are nip’d,
Soon my Angel came again; And blossoms blown away,
I was arm’d, he came in vain: And if the tender plants are strip’d
For the time of youth was fled Of their joy in the springing day,
And grey
Infant hairs were on my head.
Sorrow By sorrow and cares dismay,

My mother groaned! my father wept. How shall the summer arise in joy.
Into the dangerous world I leapt: Or the summer fruits appear,
Helpless, naked, piping loud; Or how shall we gather what griefs destroy
Like a fiend hid in a cloud. Or bless the mellowing year,
When the blasts of winter appear.
Struggling in my father’s hands;
Striving against my swadling bands:
Bound and weary I thought best
To sulk upon my mother’s breast.
SKELLIG by David Almond
Chapter 1

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 2

I found him in the garage on a Sunday afternoon. It was the day after we moved into Falconer
Road. The winter was ending. Mum had said we'd be moving just in time for the spring.
Nobody else was there. Just me. The others were inside the house with Doctor Death,
worrying about the new baby.
He was lying there in the darkness behind the tea chests, in the dust and dirt. It was as
if he'd been there forever. He was filthy and pale and dried out and I thought he was dead. I
couldn't have been more wrong. I'd soon begin to see the truth about him that there'd never
been another creature like him in the world.
We called it the garage because that's what the estate agent, Mr. Stone, called it. It was
more like a demolition site or a rubbish dump or like one of those ancient warehouses they
keep pulling down at the quay. Stone led us down the garden, tugged the door open and shone
his little torch into the gloom. We shoved our heads in at the doorway with him.
'You have to see it with your mind's eye,' he said.
'See it cleaned, with new doors and the roof repaired. See it as a wonderful two-car
garage.' He looked at me with a stupid grin on his face. 'Or something for you, lad - a
hideaway for you and your two mates. What about that, eh?'
I looked away. 1 didn't want anything to do with him. All the way round the house it
had been the same. Just see it in your mind's eye. Just imagine what could be done. All the
way round I kept thinking of the old man, Ernie Myers he had lived here on his own for years.
He'd been dead nearly a week before they found him under the table in the kitchen. That's
what I saw when Stone told us about seeing with the mind's eye. He even said it when we got
to the dining room and there was an old cracked toilet sitting there in the corner of the floor
behind a plywood screen. I just wanted him to shut up, but he whispered that towards the end
Ernie couldn’t manage the stairs. His bed was brought in here and a toilet was put in so that
everything was easy for him. Stone looked at me like he didn’t think I should know about
such things. I wanted to get out, to get back to our old house again, but Mum and Dad took it
all in. they went on like it was going to be some great adventure. They bought the house. They
started cleaning it and scrubbing it and painting it. Then the baby came too early. And
here we were.
I nearly got into the garage that Sunday morning. I took my own torch and shone it in.
The outside doors to the back lane must have fallen off years ago and there were dozens of
massive planks nailed across the entrance. The timbers holding the roof were rotten and the
roof was sagging in. The bits of the floor you could see between the rubbish were full of
cracks and holes. The people that took the rubbish out of the house were supposed to take it
out of the garage as well, but they took one look at the place and said they wouldn't go in it
even for danger money. There were old chests of drawers and broken wash-basins and bags of
cement, ancient doors leaning against the walls, deck chairs with the cloth seats rotted away.
Great rolls of rope and cable hung from nails. Heaps of water pipes and great boxes of rusty
nails were scattered on the floor. Everything was covered in dust and spiders' webs. There was
mortar that had fallen from the walls. There was a little window in one of the walls but I it
was filthy and there were rolls of cracked lino standing in front of it. The place stank of rot
and dust. Even the bricks were crumbling like they couldn’t bear the weight any more. I was
like the whole thing was sick of itself and would collapse in a heap and have to get bulldozed
away.
I heard something scratching in one of the corners, and something scuttling about, and
it was all just dead quiet in there.

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 3

Questions on Chapter 7

1. What two things does the man eat while Michael is watching him? (2)

2. What two things does the man want from Michael? (2)

3. Find the two similes used to describe the man’s appearance. (4)

4. Did the man like Ernie Myers? How do you know? (3)

5. What impression do you get of the man? (6)

6. Who does Michael meet at the end of the chapter? (1)

Questions for Chapter 8

1. What is 27 and 53? (2)

2. What reason does Michael give for not letting his dad eat his

leftovers? (2)

3. What does his father eat instead? (2)

4. How do you know Michael’s mum is worried about him? (4)

5. Why do you think Michael’s mum is worried about him? (4)

6. What does Michael do with the take-away? (2)

When you have finished, check your answers and

continue reading Skellig as far as page 26.

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 4

Skellig – Descriptive Writing

Section A Almond
Answer the questions underneath each passage.
1.

I thought he was dead. He was sitting with his legs stretched out, and his head
tipped back against the wall. He was covered in dust and webs like everything
else and his face was thin and pale. Dead bluebottles were scattered on his hair
and shoulders. I shone the torch on his white face and his black suit.

® Write down four adjectives that are used to describe Skellig’s appearance.
® Explain why these adjectives help you imagine what Skellig looks like.

2. His face was pale as dry plaster. His black suit hung like a sack on his thin bones.

® Write down four nouns that are used to describe Skellig

3.
He dipped his finger in. He licked his finger and groaned. He stuck his finger in
again and hooked a long slimy string of beansprouts and sauce. He stuck his
tongue out and licked. He slurped out pieces of pork and mushrooms. He shoved
the spring rolls into his mouth. The red sauce trickled down from his lips, down
over his chin on to his black jacket.

® Write down five verbs which describe how Skellig eats the Chinese takeaway.
® Why do you think the author has chosen these verbs? How do they help you to
imagine Skellig eating?
® Which verb, in particular, really emphasises the sound of Skellig’s eating (an
example of onomatopoeia)?
Almond
Section B: Similes
To describe a character effectively, writers also use similes to help the reader picture
the character. Read the following passage and see if you can spot the similes:

I put the tray down on the floor beside him and shone the torch on him. There
were hundreds of tiny creases and cracks all over his pale face. A few fine
colourless hairs grew on his chin. The red sauce below his lips was like congealed
blood. When he opened his eyes again, I saw the tiny red veins like a dark net
across the whites of his eyes. There was a smell of dust, old
clothes, dry sweat.

® Copy out the two similes from the passage above and illustrate them.
® Choose one of the similes and explain how it helps you picture Skellig.
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 5

Skellig Michael
“An incredible, impossible, mad place. I tell you the thing does not belong to any world
that you and I have lived and worked in; it is part of our dream world."
George Bernard Shaw

Skellig Michael is a spectacular

pinnacle of rock eight miles out in the
ocean, off County Kerry in south-west
Ireland. It is dedicated to the
Archangel, Michael.

There is an authentic, 1,400 year old,

stairway to heaven. Approximately 500
stone steps, put in place by the original
monks who built the monastery, lead to
a narrow crest between the two peaks
known as 'Christ's Saddle.'

The second and highest of the two

peaks on Skellig Michael, 714 feet
above sea level. There's a prehistoric
'standing stone' on top, with incised
Celtic Cross. Medieval pilgrims, after
visiting the monastery, would climb to
the top and kiss the rock, thus proving
their piety!

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 6

I looked down through the wilderness. I waited for

ages, listening to Dad’s bathwater banging its way

through the pipes. I got my torch off the kitchen

shelf. My hands were trembling. I went out, past

Ernie’s toilet, the fire, and the dead pigeons. I stood

at the garage door and switched the torch on. I took

a deep breath and tiptoed inside. I felt the cobwebs

and the dust and I imagined that the whole thing

would collapse. I heard things scuttling and

scratching. I edged past the rubbish and the ancient

furniture and my heart was thudding and thundering.

I told myself I was stupid. I told myself I’d been

dreaming. I told myself I wouldn’t see him again.

But I did.

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 7

‘You Can’t Just Sit Like You’re Waiting To Die.’

My arms were aching and my skin was stinging. Dust and

pollen clogged my nose and throat. I crawled through

the weeds, dug down into the earth, slashed and pulled

at the stems. I dreamed of the baby crawling out here.

She was strong and she kept on giggling and pointing at

the birds. Then I saw how close to the garage I had

crawled and I thought of the man in there, how he just

sat there, how he seemed to be just waiting to die.

I stood up and went to the garage door. I stood

listening. There was nothing but the usual scuttling and

scratching.

‘You can’t just sit there!’ I called. ‘You can’t just sit

there like you’re waiting to die!’

There was no answer. I stood listening.

‘You can’t!’ I said.

No answer.

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 8

Skellig - (Chapter 31)

We had no torch. The light that came through the

chinks in the boards was pale and weak. We blundered

through the dark. We held hands and stretched our

free hands out in front of us. We walked into the wall.

We caught our toes on loose floorboards. We stumbled

as we climbed the stairs. We shuffled across the first

landing. We felt for the handle of the door to the room

where we thought we’d left Skellig. We inched the door

open. We whispered, ‘Skellig! Skellig!’ No answer. We

moved forward carefully, arms outstretched, feeling

forward with our feet before we took each step. Our

breath was fast, shallow, trembly. My heart was

thundering. I opened my eyes wide, glared into the dark,

seeking the shape of his body on the floor. Nothing

there, just the blankets, the pillow, the plastic dish, the

beer bottle rolling away from my stumbling feet.

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 9

Emphasis Illustration
® notably ® for example
® specifically ® thus
® in particular ® for instance
® more importantly ® such as
® above all ® in other words
® in fact ® as
® indeed ® to take the case of
® explicitly ® as revealed by
® that is to say
® to show that
Contrast and Balance Cause and Effect
® but ® thus/therefore
® however ® until
® still ® as a result
® nevertheless ® whenever
® alternatively ® eventually
® yet ® because
® the opposite ® accordingly
® on the contrary ® effectively
® despite this ® of course
® albeit ® consequently
® as for ® inevitably
® instead ® as
® equally
Comparison Summary
® equally ® in brief
® comparatively ® summarising
® similarly ® in conclusion
® as with ® to sum up
® likewise ® overall
® to balance this ® in short
® by the way of contrast ® throughout
® in contrast ® in a nutshell
® an equivalent ® in all
® in the same way ® on the whole
® compared with/in comparison ® recapitulating
® in juxtaposition
Restriction Conclusion
® only if ® finally
® unless ® after all
® except (for) ® in conclusion
® save (for) ® ultimately
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 10

Words that can help you write complex sentences:

after though

although till

as until

as if unless

as long as what

as though when

because whenever

before where

how whereas

if wherever

in case which

once while

since who

so whose

than why

that with

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 11

The Angel

I Dreamt a Dream! What can it mean?

And that I was a maiden Queen:
Guarded by an Angel mild:
Witless woe, was ne’er beguil’d!

And I wept both night and day

And he wip’d my tears away
And I wept both day and night
And hid from him my heart’s delight

So, he took his wings and fled:

Then the morn blush’d rosy red:
I dried my tears and armed my fears,
With ten thousand shields and spears,

Soon my Angel came again;

I was arm’d, he came in vain:
For the time of youth was fled
And grey hairs were on my head.

By William Blake

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 12

Skellig and the Baby

This sheet is aimed at giving you ideas on what to write. Remember you are writing
from Skellig’s point of view so it must be written in the FIRST PERSON
NARRATIVE. Make notes on the sheet. Remember you can write in the present tense
or the past tense.

Paragraph One
Skellig arrives at the hospital. How does he get there? How does he get into the room?
What is the room like? (dark/light/moonlight/light from any monitors) What sounds
can he hear?

Paragraph Two
Skellig approaches the baby. What does she look like? Where is she sleeping? Is she
sleeping soundly or is she moving at all? What does he think?

Paragraph Three
What makes him look at the mother? What does she look like? Is she frightened at
first and then calm? When he picks up the baby, describe the wings appearing and what
he does with her.

Paragraph Four
What does he do before he leaves? How does he leave? What is he thinking as he goes
away? How does the night feel against his skin?

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 13

An example of writing – book review

In your exercise books, write down suggestions, based on the example, of what
should/could be included in your review. Use the numbers to guide you.
BUDDY 1
Nigel Hinton 2
Heinemann New Windmill 3
0 435 12275 4 4
£5.50 5

The cover of the Heinemann edition of this novel shows a teenager taking the 6
remains of two takeaway meals away from the living room, while his dad lounges
on the settee, his fluorescent green socks and Teddy Boy hair-style clearly in
evidence. Behind is a picture of Buddy Holly and an old-fashioned record-player
of some kind. Beside the man is an empty beer bottle, the whole scene suggesting
he has been lying in this position for some time. The Sun newspaper is visible,
and the whole scene implies a father and son live on their own, with dead flowers
above the television and the takeaway meals suggesting housekeeping is not the
highest priority in this household. The cover is very colourful and might
encourage someone to read the book, but the contents are superior to the cover.

The title comes from the name of the central character: Buddy. Buddy’s father’s 7
hero is Buddy Holly, and he has named his son after his hero. Buddy has to cope
with a father who dresses like a Teddy Boy and who plays Buddy Holly songs on
a regular basis.

The story opens dramatically with the words: ‘Buddy stole the money from his 8
mother’s purse’, which involves the reader from the very first sentence. Will he
get caught? What punishment will he get? Soon we learn that his father has been
in prison for stealing and Buddy’s mother fears her son might be going the same
way. This adds tension in the novel, as the relationship between Buddy’s parents
is already very poor. By the end of Chapter 1, Buddy’s mother has left home and
Buddy believes it’s because he stole from her.

Powerful themes in the novel are class conflict and racism. Buddy is in a top class 9
but doesn’t fit in, especially as his form teacher, Mr Normington, makes life
difficult for him. Jokes are made about Buddy living in a council flat, and this
adds to the tension and realism of the novel. Mr Normington is also racist, going
along with jokes instead of challenging them. This angers Buddy, whose best
friends, Charmian and Julius, are black.

A particular strength of the book is its power of description. There are rumours 10
about 56 Croxley Street:
‘Supposed to be haunted. Some geezer cut his wife’s throat with a knife... and 11
then strung ‘imself up. They reckon ‘er ghost walks round the rooms all covered
in blood.’
This information comes from Buddy’s father, and later in the novel we find out
why he knows so much about the place.

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 14

Although not written in the first person, the story follows what Buddy does and 12
thinks rather than any other character. This makes the reader sympathise and take
sides with Buddy, and makes it more interesting reading. For example, Buddy’s
mum has always attended Parents’ Evening up to now, but now she has left home,
Buddy’s dad attends for the first time. When he comes down stairs ready to go he
is in his ‘Teddy Boy’ outfit, including bootlace tie and those fluorescent socks
seen on the cover.
‘Buddy’s stomach turned to water and he felt sick. The evening was going to be a
disaster.’

Buddy’s feelings are fully described and this helps the reader identify with his
sense of impending ‘disaster’. In the Parents’ Evening itself, Nigel Hinton clearly
shows Mr Normington as lacking common sense and tact, and although Buddy’s
dad is almost comically reduced to saying ‘Oh –nice’, the reader’s sympathy is not
on the side of the teacher.

There are many other points of tension in the book, which add to its interest. 13
Buddy has a plan to bring his mother and father back together again, and this
neatly links the Croxley Street story-line with the parents’ break-up story-line.
The incident describing this event is full of tension and the feeling that, from
Buddy’s point of view, events are slipping beyond his control. There is also
drama when Buddy finds out who the ‘Beast’ really is.

This book can be thoroughly enjoyed by both girls and boys, and I would 14
recommend it particularly for 12 to 15 year olds. There is a strong story-line that
keeps your interest, the descriptions of places such as 56 Croxley Street
significantly add to the sense of atmosphere and the characters involved are
individual, interesting and believable. Above all, there are tense or exciting
moments in every chapter, making the story-line dramatic and interesting and
keeping the reader turning the pages.
(Buddy book review  ACCAC)

A good book review will have some of the ingredients of the example above.
Make sure your review matches your chosen book, rather than the example
above.

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 15

The Garage

a a across against ago ancient and and any as at away. away. back bags bear
between bits boxes bricks broken bulldozed but but cable cement chairs chests cloth
collapse could couldn’t covered cracked cracks crumbling danger deck doors doors
dozens drawers dust dust. entrance. even Even Everything fallen fallen filthy floor
floor. for from from front full garage get go Great great had have have heap Heaps
holding holes. house hung in it itself lane leaning like like lino little look massive
money. more. mortar must nailed nails nails of of off old on one one out out outside
people pipes place place planks rolls rolls roof roof rope rot rotted rotten rubbish
rubbish rusty sagging said scattered seats see sick spiders' standing stank supposed
take that that The the there they they they thing timbers to to to took took walls walls
walls. was wash-basins water webs. weight well were whole window with would
wouldn't years you

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