THE SEVEN SIGNS: SKYFIRE
MICHAEL ADAMS
DARE Award winners Yasmin, Isabel, Andy, Dylan, JJ and Zander are thrilled to each have an allaccess pass to the money, travel and VIP networks they need to realise their dreams.
But with the prize in the limelight, danger soon follows. Their excitement to visit their fellow winners
and the countries they reside in is sidelined as enigmatic symbols begin to appear on their
InfiniFones, along with an even more mysterious countdown labelled The First Sign. And soon
chaos is unleashed as a missile attack razes the Great Pyramid in Yasmin’s hometown.
As the DARE Award winners try to decode and reveal the fateful meaning of The First Sign and
who it is that has chosen them, Yasmin is on the run from the menacing Jackal and finds herself in
an even more terrifying race against time.
STUDY NOTES
ISBN: 9781743628010
RRP: $7.99

Re-read the prologue. How does is set up suspense for the reader? What is the effect of not
knowing the characters’ names at this stage?

Organise the class into seven groups. Assign each group one of the characters, for whom they
are to write a character profile, which also includes information about their DARE aspiration.

If you entered the DARE awards, what would be your entry? Create an application that details
your ambitions and why they mean so much to you. Be creative with the media you use to
create your submission. Extension activity: Imagine you have won. Devise and design marketing
Study notes written by
Chrysoula Aiello
and publicity material for the DARE Awards that focuses on your profile and your aspirations/
achievements.

In Skyfire the number 7 is a common theme: eg 7 heroes, 7 signs, 7 continents. Can you think of any
popular and/or common examples of a group of 7? Why do you think the number 7 has such appeal?

How does the wealth the characters gain from the DARE Awards change their lives in an instant? If
you won/inherited a large fortune such as one million dollars how do you think your life might change?

Consider the technology used in Skyfire. How does it compare to present-day technology? In what
ways does technology help the characters and in what ways does it prove to be a hindrance?

What are the pros and cons of the immediacy of social media and the news cycle for the characters
in Skyfire?

Re-read pp 83–86. How does the author convey suspense, action and chaos? Consider big-picture
elements such as plot and character set-up as well as literary techniques used at sentence level.

‘You have to go after the truth, no matter what.’ (p 50) Consider the task of investigative journalism.
How easy is it to seek and expose the truth? What are some of the roadblocks the DARE winners face
in attempting to do so?

Why do you think the author included the chapters with the Signmaker? Did your perception of the
Signmaker change through the course of the novel?

What is your understanding of globalisation? As a class create a mind map on the board of what
comes to mind when you think about this term.

What aspects of Skyfire make it a thriller? Find examples in the text. Write your own thriller. You can
come up with your own original story or write a chapter that could fit into The Seven Signs narrative
arc.
Study notes written by
Chrysoula Aiello

The First Sign is a code that the DARE Award winners need to crack. Are students aware of any other
kinds of codes? Discuss some codes and ciphers that have commonly been used in history. (This
webpage is a good starting point: http://www.enkivillage.com/types-of-codes.html) Organise the
class into groups. Each group is to come up with their own original code that the other groups can
then try to crack.

‘“Fully sick”? I assume that means “totally awesome” in Aussie speak?’ (p 25) Create a contemporary
dinkum dictionary by compiling some expressions that are unique to Australian culture which a visitor
may encounter. Include a multicultural section that includes translated non-English terms and sayings
that students might regularly use.


Study notes written by
Chrysoula Aiello
Debate topic: The media always tells the whole truth.
After reading the end of Skyfire, what do you think might happen next?