What is the name of the writer of the autobiography?
Robble
Which person who influenced him is he writing about?
Leo
Was this a good or bad influence?
Good
Who was the bad influence in the extract?
Danny
What was about Danny?
He encouraged other boys to be unkind to Robbie
When did this influence change?
when Leo arrived
What did other boys change?
They stopped copying and admiring Danny's behaviour; they started behaving more like Robbie and Leo.
What happened to Danny?
He lost his power over the other boys.
What time of the year was it when Robbie first saw Leo?
winter
How many years had Robbie already been at Sun Hill School before Leo arrived?
two
Who was the source of his misery?
Danny Liddle
Who had given Robbie his old-fashioned school bag?
his
Who was Leo talking to when Robbie belonged?
in the kindergarten
What did Leo say was really interesting?
Robbie's project
How quickly did things change after Leo arrived?
little by little
What animals does Robbie use to describe himself when Danny first called to him across the playground? What impression of Robbie does this give you?
A rabbit: (timid, easily frightened, likely to run away, often caught)
What person does Danny introduce Robbie to Leo as? Why do you think he uses this word?
a clown (He compares Robbie with a person everyone laughs at, is silly,not to be taken seriously: he does this to try to make Leo think of Robbie in the same way)
What people does Robbie compare Leo and Danny to? Why do you think he describes them like this?
giants (Perhaps that is how he sees them - as both being much bigger and more powerful than he is but in different ways - Leo protective, Danny a threat)
How does Robbie describe the way Danny's power disappeared? What does this tell you about Danny?
like morning mist (weak, thin, easily made to disappear)
How did Danny use Robbie to "stay on top"?
As soon as Danny knew Robbie was frightened of him, he could make Robbie look weak, even though he was a cleverer student - so being a good student could be made to look weak
What did Danny try to achieve by intimidating other boys?
respect
During the first two year did Danny stop Robbie from doing well at his work?
Danny didn't stop Robbie from doing well. Robbie came first in class test but he was the only one who answered in class and Danny told everyone else that Robbie's project were no good to discourage him.
Why do you think the boys stared at Leo when he said that Robbie's project was good?
Because they were used to everyone following Danny's lead and Danny had said that Robbie was a clown who belonged in the kindergarten.
Did Leo and Danny ever have a real fight? How do you know?
Now Robbie says " You might have thought that two giants would need to fight it out. Eventually I realised that Leo didn't need to use his strength like that." which implies that they didn't.
What might they have had a fight about?
who was stronger in the class/ the class leader