N
ew W
indmills
New
Windmills
2003
support sheets
by Brian Hawthorne and Alan Pearce
The following pages consist of teacher’s notes and classroom support
sheets for Up on Cloud Nine by Anne Fine. These pages can be downloaded
and printed out as required.
Text © Brian Hawthorne and Alan Pearce, 2003
This material may be freely copied for institutional use. However, this material is copyright and
under no circumstances may copies be offered for sale. The publishers gratefully acknowledge
permission to reproduce copyright material.
Up on Cloud Nine
Up on Cloud Nine
by Anne Fine
Synopsis
‘He had something else on his mind too – the devil he believed to be living on his shoulder.’
Stolly’s parents were rather more involved in complex court cases or fashion shots than
they were with him. Consequently Stolly finds a second home with Ian’s family and
becomes half adopted son, half step brother. However, for Stolly the world sometimes
slips out of focus and it is then that his accidents occur.
The book deals amusingly with relationships while exploring a young boy’s confusing
urge to end his own life, not through misery or unhappiness but because of his unusual
perspective on the world.
This text touches on the delicate and complex issue of teenage suicide in a way which is
relevant to both teenagers and adults.
Prior Learning
Stolly is accused of suffering from mythomania: a compulsion to exaggerate, or tell lies.
It would be interesting to explore the pupils’ fantasy worlds. Perhaps when they were
younger they had imaginary friends. We all need dreams, and we all live our own
private fantasies, but at what stage do these dreams and fantasies become a concern?
Study Areas
The book opens up several areas of study in terms of writing technique, the study of
structure within the novel, and an analysis of characterisation and relationships. It also
provides a springboard into independent research of psychoanalysis and an investigation
of support bodies for people like Stolly.
Possible areas for study include:
Overall structure: The change of focus throughout the novel and the multi-strand
structure of plot within the novel. (Author’s craft: Y7, R12; Y8, R10; Y9, R9.)
Character presentation: The study of relationships within the book and the
techniques employed by the author when presenting the various protagonists. Is it
significant that Stolly’s father is a barrister and that Ian’s father wears overalls?
(Author’s craft: Y7, R12; Y8, R10; Y9, R9.)
Mood in the novel: The use of humour when dealing with serious issues such as
instability of personality. The focus of this in the novel is the relationship of Ian’s
family members with Stolly. (Reading for meaning: Y7, R8; Y8, R7; Y9, R6)
2
Teacher’s
Notes
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2003
Up on Cloud Nine
Conflicts of Conscience: The relationship between families and authority figures
such as the police, hospital staff and social workers is interesting. Why do they try to
conceal Stolly’s suicide attempt/s? Would they have been wiser to seek help or
would Stolly have been destined to the cotton wool treatment shown to the other
character who falls under the gaze of the Authorities? (Write to analyse, review,
comment: Y7, W19; Y8, W18; Y9, W17).
Language: Anne Fine uses language in a subtle and skilful manner. On pages 6 to 68
the Depression Checklist alters the reader’s mood. From around page 71 the humour
fades and she begins to bring the reality of the suicide attempt into focus. For a time
after page 112 Ian’s adoption temporarily takes over as the focus. How does Fine
steer and manipulate the reader through her use of language? (Understanding the
author’s craft: Y7, R14; Y8, R10; Y9, R11).
Reading to writing: Look at the Depression Checklist, which Ian completes,
pages 66–67. Imagine you are Stolly and complete it as you think he would.
Remember he has a way of saying what he thinks but also he introduces a
considerable amount of off-beat humour when he offers his thoughts. (Reading for
meaning: Y7, R9; Y8, R7; Y9, R6).
Character relations and issues: Imagine Ian’s mother keeps a personal diary. After
reading the conversation between Ian and his mother on pages 98–100, write the
entry she might include for that evening saying how she feels about Ian and Stolly.
(Reading for meaning: Y7, R9; Y8, R7; Y9, R6).
Writing to persuade: Write a discursive essay saying whether you think Stolly’s
friends and family were right to cover up his suicide attempt or whether they should
have tried to get counselling or other help for Stolly. (Writing to persuade, argue,
advise: Y7, W15; Y8, W13; Y9, W13).
(Based on the National Literacy Strategy Framework objectives for Years 7, 8 and 9:
W = Word level; S = Sentence level; R = Reading; Wr = Writing; S&L = Speaking and
Listening)
Teacher Guidance
Support Sheet 1
This support sheet helps pupils to understand the opening two chapters of the novel.
First, they are encouraged to re-read the first chapter and produce a synopsis. They are
then asked to write questions that they would like to be answered. The pupils then reread the second chapter, in order to answer the questions they have written.
Literacy Framework Objectives.
Year 7: R6, adopt active reading approaches; R8, infer and deduce meaning.
Year 8: R4, read actively for meaning.
Y9: R13, review their reading skills.
3
Teacher’s
Notes
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2003
Up on Cloud Nine
Support Sheet 2
This support sheet helps pupils analyse the characters in the novel. In groups, the pupils
are asked to brainstorm one aspect of one of the characters from the novel. They are then
asked to use this brainstorm as the basis of a piece of writing. Finally, the different groups
are asked to share their writing.
Literacy Framework Objectives.
Year 7: R6, adopt active reading approaches; R8, infer and deduce meaning; W19, writing
reflectively about a text.
Year 8: R4, read actively for meaning; W18, write a critical review of a text.
Y9: R13, review their reading skills; W17, cite specific textual evidence to justify critical
judgements about texts.
Support Sheet 3
This support sheet identifies a series of significant quotations from the novel. The pupils
are asked to consider what each of the quotations suggests about the characters referred
to. This activity requires inferential reading, and response to the figurative use of
language.
Literacy Framework Objectives.
Year 7: R8, infer and deduce meaning; R12, comment how authors convey setting,
character and mood through word choice and sentence structure;
Year 8: R7, identify the ways implied and explicit meanings are conveyed.
Year 9: R5, evaluate their own critical writing about texts.
4
Teacher’s
Notes
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2003
Up on Cloud Nine
1
Figuring It Out
Introduction
It often takes some time when you are watching a film or television drama to figure out
who is who and what is happening. (Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why Soaps are so
popular because you more or less know who is who and what’s already happened from
the start). It is the same when reading a novel. Let us consider some strategies that
might make getting into the novel a little easier.
Beginning
Don’t be over anxious to understand everything at once and don’t become ‘bored’ if
everything doesn’t fit into place immediately.
1
Re-read ‘Stol’s Laid Out’. Make a chart with several headings such as ‘Where are
they? ’’Who are they?’ ‘Why are they there?’ ‘What has happened?’ You can
include other headings of your own. Now play at being a detective and every time
you spot a piece of evidence include it in the correct column.
Where would you put: ‘Stol’s laid out on this strange bed thing’?
Where would you put: ‘Esme Oliver is a menace in a sickroom. She is the sort
of person who would unthinkingly lift off your sterile dressing to wipe off her
nail polish’?
Would you include Franklin and Mr Oliver in the character column as the same
person?
You could do this with everything which at first seems a little confusing.
2
When you have gathered quite a bank of information on the first chapter, try to
write it as a synopsis of the chapter.
3
Now compare your synopsis with a friend’s and see how similar they are.
4
Read the chapter and see if you now have a clearer picture of what has happened .
5
Finally make a list of any un-answered questions you have about the chapter.
Read on
1
Read the next chapter slowly and as you read it see if you can answer any of the
questions you still had in number 5 above.
2
Go back to your chart and include any new pieces of information you gather as you
read through this chapter.
3
When you get to the end of the chapter make another list of unanswered
questions. Is it longer or shorter than your list for the first chapter?
4
Compare the list with your partner and see if you can answer any of her or his
questions.
5
Pupil
Sheet
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2003
Up on Cloud Nine
2
Looking At an Extract
Read pages 4–5 of the novel from ‘What a little fool you are!’ to ‘…what about?’ Going
back to the idea of being a detective, think carefully about the evidence and then say
what the two mothers are like, pointing out how they are different. When you have
done this, one person from the group could read his or her piece aloud and the rest of
the group could add comments from their work.
Character Trails
1
This is a whole group task and you will cover all of the book or a section depending
on the size of your group. Your teacher will make the decision. Work in pairs or
small groups.
Each pair should brainstorm one aspect of a character about whom there is
information provided in their chapter – the whole group should cover the main
characters. For instance the brainstorm for ‘Party Time’ p79 might begin like this:
real parents
alive (p80)
brothers and
sisters (p80)
horoscope
(p79)
Ian
birth mother
(p79)
discussion of
birthday (p79)
This exercise should help you to get to know the character a little better.
2
If you tracked the character through the book like this, do you think you would
build a full picture of him or her?
3
Now convert the information you have about the character into a piece of
continuous prose writing. Your teacher will advise you on the length of the piece.
4
The group should now come back together and listen to some of the pieces of
writing. It will be interesting to compare findings if pairs have taken different
chapters but dealt with the same character.
6
Pupil
Sheet
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2003
Up on Cloud Nine
3
Important Pointers
In any novel, there are important pointers to guide the reader. It is possible to look at
‘Beginnings’ or ‘Characters’ as two specific areas where we can look for clues about the
writer’s intentions. We must be looking for general pointers to guide us through the
book. Read through the list of pointers in the table. Say why they have been selected.
The first two are done for you. You may need to read around the quote to get the
significance.
Page Pointer
Significance
3
Flat out. Not even breathing…
This helps to create tension and to
make the reader question what is
happening
8
My Earliest Years by Ian James
Paramour
This introduces the past and we begin
to piece together a picture of the boy’s
life.
30
… Mum trying for the millionth
time
32
‘A tiny one. One that can’t move
fast’
37
And Christopher Tanner won
the bike
38
But though Stol often argued, he
did in a way that made you think
he was just family.
41/3
I think these Pettifer peple must be
murderers … oh, and they don’t
have a Ouija board, and I forgot
mine
44
‘Yes’ I admitted. ‘He does seem to
fetch up having an awful lot of
accidents.
46
There was a time …. Whoah, there!
I hear alarm bells …
48
And Mum burst into tears.
51
But Mr Fuller only shook his head
and said gently, ‘Oh Stolly!’
53
He had his briefcase with him
55
‘Fell? Out of the top-floor window ?’
7
Pupil
Sheet
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2003
Up on Cloud Nine
Page Pointer
59
Only the best complexion can
handle it.
59
We found Stol in a mock-up of
the nursery
66/7
Problems with concentrating? …
A loss of sex drive?
69
‘Without any possibility of error?’
71
We had a good laugh about that …
he brazened out this business …
74
Mrs Garabour made to interrupt
him … I think, at heart, we all knew
he’d been speaking up for us.
80
‘I meant your real Mum … does it
feel weird?’
91
Who would have thought it?
torturing his own flesh and blood …
126
If it weren’t for that jasmine cutting
off my mother’s …
Significance
8
Pupil
Sheet
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2003