Attention Getter Examples-Harris Burdick
Set the Scene:
A gentle breeze blew as the children gazed
upon the sparkling water. The sunlight warmed
them. It was one of those bright, warm days that
kids dream of all winter long.
Question:
How much do we really know about our
neighbors? Just because someone looks normal,
should we assume everything’s okay?
Action:
A mob of screaming, panicked people poured
out of the narrow walkways that ran alongside the
canals. I saw a woman carrying a bleeding child
who had nearly been buried by the crumbling brick
buildings. Soon the reason for all the chaos came
into sight—a large ship was trying to squeeze into
the narrow canals of Venice!
Onomatopoeia:
THUMP! CRASH! BANG! It sounded like the
entire house was crashing down. It was two weeks
later, and once again Harold found himself chasing
the annoying lump under the rug. This time, he
used a dining room chair as a weapon.
Dialogue:
“How much longer?” whined 7-year-old Billy.
“About an hour,” answered Billy’s older brother,
Jim. “Go back to sleep. I’ll wake you before we get
there.”
“Promise?”
“Have I ever let you down before?” Jim asked.
Billy trustingly closed his eyes and rested his
head on his big brother’s shoulder.
Fragments:
Dim lamplight. A ticking clock. Slow, steady
breathing. Strange greenery sprouting from a book.
Alliteration:
As the river wound through the woods, a
wondrous view was revealed.
Metaphor:
The Smith’s basement was a playground for
unnatural creatures.
Definition:
Magic: an extraordinary power seemingly from
a supernatural force. Tabitha never dreamed she
would end up possessing such power.