Author: S Nurser

Activity 1
Read chapter 1
Why has the author started ‘It began when Geoff disappeared.’?
Find the simile on the first page and write it down.
Why has the author chosen to keep the paragraph ‘ and he disappeared.’ So short?
What does decent mean?
What does Miss Taylor think has happened to the missing boys?
What do the boys discover on page 5 and who do they think it is?
What is the next think that they find on page 6?
What is the red objet?
Activity 2
Read chapter 2
On page 13, it says ‘ Anyone could do this, you-‘. Why has the author used a dash here?
Why was Tom so happy to be back on the ground? What is the one thing that would make it better?
Why do they think that Aquila is Roman?
Why do you think Miss Taylor was so cross about the two boys going missing?
Why does Tom think they can’t keep Aquila?
What does Miss Taylor ask for when they find the boys?
Do you think Miss Taylor will carry out any of the threats that she makes?
How did Tom and Geoff manage to go unnoticed in class?

Activity 3
Read chapter 3
What are the two problems that the boys have at the beginning of this chapter?
Why does Mr Urquart think it is odd that Tom and Geoff spend so much time together?
Why were Geoff and Tom’s parents unable to take them to the Barn?
Why did Tom think he was going to be killed on Saturday?
Activity 4
Read chapter 5
What was on the front page of Sunday Mirror that shocked the two boys?
Why were the boys relieved when they discovered that no one believed Mrs Murphy?
Which of the two boys do you think is the leader (the one who makes most of the decisions)?
At the bottom of page 53, the author uses the phrase ‘eager flames’. Why do you think that he has chosen to use this personification?
What does ‘disembodied voice’ mean?
What caused the fires?

Activity 5
Read chapter 6
Why did Aquila need to be left somewhere that nobody went?
Where did they leave Aquila?
Mr Urquart and Miss Taylor watched the boys as they came into school. What did Miss Taylor think was their real intention for going back to the site?
What had felt line being run down by a train?
What was Goeff’s original idea for finding Aquila? Why did they decide this wasn’t a good idea?
What do you think had really happened to the concussed football player?
What had started flashing and why do you think it worried Tom?
Activity 6
Read chapter 7
What woke Tom a 6 the next morning?
What made the sound stop?
On page 73, why were the boys now worried about keeping Aquila in the garage?
What had the knocking sound been when they were flying Aquila to school?
What do the boys think the flashing light means?
Who are they going to ask about how to power Aquila do you think?

Activity 7
Read chapter 8
Using the book, describe Mr Bampford the Physics teacher.
What did the boys want to find out from Mr Bampford?
Why had the conversation with the physics teacher been disappointing?
What did the three button they pressed do?
What did Mrs Murphy think had happened to her shopping trolley?
What does Aquila run on and how did the boys work it out?
Activity 8
Read chapter 9
What did the translation of the Latin mean?
Why were Geoff and Tom teaching themselves Latin?
Who was Mr Hodge?
Why did the Geoff and Tom want Mr Hodge’s help?
Why did the centurion mot have anything written down?
Activity 9
Read chapter 10
What did the translation of the Latin mean?
After Mrs Murphy gets hit by the bolt of blue light, who does Tom phone for help with his Latin?
What do you think Dr Warner is thinking after her conversation with Tom?
How did Tom begin communicating with Aquila in English?
What does ‘temporal stasis’ mean?
Why does Mrs Murphy think she is lucky to have Groff and Tom?

Activity 10
Read chapter 11
Why was Geoff unable to keep Aquila outside his bedroom window?
What was the risk to leaving Aquila at the end of the garden?
Mrs Renolds say “Why didn’t you tell us?” What is she referring to?
Why did Miss Taylor want to give teh boys extra lessons?
What did Goeff mean by “real lessons”?
Activity 11
Read to the end of the book.
In your guided reading book, write a paragraph which explains your favourite part of the book and then explain why this was your favourite part.