Inspired by: How to Live Forever - Week 2

In the literary exploration of contrasts within narratives, students are encouraged to delve into how authors craft settings to foreshadow events. The activity centres around Colin Thompson's depiction of a library in "How to Live Forever". Initially, the library's exterior is described as formal and orderly, with grand metal gates and classical columns suggesting a conventional institution nestled within a city or academic environment. Yet, as the narrative unfolds, the interior reveals a starkly different scene. The once orderly exterior gives way to an interior teeming with ramshackle furniture and a colossal key, hinting at a world where the ordinary meets the extraordinary. Students are prompted to compare the outer and inner settings and decipher the clues hidden within the illustrations, such as sliding trap doors that may lead to alternate realms. The task encourages reflection on similar themes found in other stories, like the magical Diagon Alley of Harry Potter, and to craft descriptions using complex sentences to convey the vivid contrasts between the two settings.

Focusing on language precision, students examine how Colin Thompson uses expanded noun phrases to deliver complex information succinctly. By analyzing the choice of words like 'someone' and 'quietly' in a particular sentence, they uncover the author's intent to evoke a sense of mystery and disappearance. The exercise involves comparing the impact of long versus short sentences and understanding how each sentence's structure directs the reader's focus. Students are then challenged to apply this understanding to their own writing, refining their descriptions to be more concise while preserving their meaning. Furthermore, the lesson extends to understanding library rules through the use of passive verbs, where students draft their own set of library regulations, inspired by real-world examples such as the London School of Economics Library Rules, and learn to convey instructions and expectations in a formal and passive tone.