The Kraken by Gary Crew
Highlight the verb groups
By day, especially in summer when the sunlight dazzled, the jetty was no more than a
row of rotting pylons and splintery planks stretching out into sea. At least, that’s what
Antonia told Christopher, her little brother, who had been blind since birth.
But to Christopher whose world was endless night, the jetty was a pathway to the
heavens, a magical pathway to the moon and stars and the hopes and dreams that lay
beyond.
One Friday evening, as the children sat together at the jetty’s end, Christopher said to
his sister, “Do you know how lucky you are, being able to see all the beautiful things in
the world?”
Antonia sighed, “Christopher,” she said. “For me, for people like me who can see, even
though the world is beautiful, sometimnes we stop seeing it. It’s simply there. It just
is… The things that I see grow dull. They become ordinary. Sometimes I think you’re
the lucky one. You can make the world as fresh and beautiful as you want it to be.”
Highlight the noun groups
Antonia looked up at the silvery disc. Try as she might she could not ignore its beauty.
“Yes there’s a full moon,” she said. “It’s like a giant pearl shining on the water. And
guess what? It’s making a silvery pathway – all the way to our feet.
”Really and what would this boat be made of?”
“ A pearl shell. Its lower half would be the boat, its upper half the sail. And in our shell
would be pearls. Giant pillows that we could lean against with the salty sea wind in our
hair.”
So the shell appeared, rocking gently at their feet. And taking Antonia’s hand, he led
her down to their pearly craft.
1. Why did the author describe Christopher’s world as an endless night?
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2. How long had Christopher been blind?
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3. What did Christopher believe would happen if he touched the moon?
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4. How did Antonia describe the jetty?
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5. How did Christopher describe the jetty?
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6. Why were their views of the jetty different?
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7. What is unusual about the line ‘And taking Antonia’s hand he led her down to
their pearly craft’?
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The Kraken: Nouns and Noun Groups
Some noun groups from The Kraken extracts have been written below. Locate them in the text
and complete
Article/Determiner
(the ,a, an)
Describer
Noun
(this, that,
(adjectives)
these,those)
2
waters
2
creature
4
pathway
4
4
old
a
What other phrases and clauses did Gary Crew use to build a picture of the
Kraken?
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What phrases and clauses were used to describe the Kraken’s actions?
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How do they help create to character of the Kraken?
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Label the pictures with noun groups of your own.
The Jetty
Christopher’s Boat
The Kraken
1. How did the Kraken change when it visited the mother?
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2. What did the children’s mother notice that was strange about the
Kraken?
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3. Why couldn’t she see his face?
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4. What was it that astonished her about the fish?
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5. Why was the Kraken breathing so strangely?
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6. How does the Kraken make the children’s mother worry?
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7. What words in the text tell you that she was worried?
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8. Record three verbs or verb groups that the author uses to describe
what the kraken is doing or saying.
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9. What picture do the verbs and verb groups build of the kraken?
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Highlight the noun groups
The children’s father looked at his watch and filed his work away.
He smiled, knowing that he was a step closer to his wife and
children and the good weekend to come.
But as he made his way through the rush-hour crowds, a sudden
pain struck his heart.
“What’s the matter with me?” he wondered. “I felt quite all right at
work.” He took out a hankerchief and wiped his forehead. “It must
be my imagination. It’s been a long week.”
He glanced about at the people jostling for the best position when
the train arrived. They were the same stressed faces he saw every
night. He stepped back, fearful that he could be pushed over the
edge and onto the rails.
1.
What image did the author give of the people in the city?
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2. Highlight the clues that identified that the old woman was the Kraken
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3. Why do you think he chose the form of an old lady?
4. Why did the Kraken pretend to be blind?
5. Why did the children’s father think the old woman was mad?
6. How are the tunnel and the jetty similar?
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7. What was so significant about Christopher’s words “Antonia, come and see”?
8. Where do you think the pearl came from?
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Character profile of The Kraken
Thoughts and feelings
Behaviour and Actions
Character traits
Use the character profile to create a sequel to the Kraken