Pioneer Secondary School
Secondary 2
The Scavenger Hunt Literature Project 2008
The START of the book is very important for catching the reader’s attention.
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Find an example which immediately makes you want to read on, perhaps by
its humor of its unusual nature.
Now find an interesting or unusual CHARACTER description.
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ATMOSPHERE comes next. How has the author succeeded in making it
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seem eerie or happy, tense or excited, etc?
What about a good description of the VENUE or setting whether it is a
haunted house, a peaceful country cottage etc. This will contribute to the
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effectiveness of the book.
Authors use EMOTION to express sadness, joy, terror, etc. Find a good
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description of somebody undergoing strong feelings such as these.
Find a passage which you can classify either NASTY or NICE.
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Humor can make you GRIN or GASP.
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The ENDING of any book is most important. Find one that is effective, which
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leaves a lasting impression on your mind.
Last, but not least, locate a passage that is RIVETING. That is, it should grip
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your attention and glue you to your seat until you have finished reading it.

Pioneer Secondary School
Secondary 2
The Scavenger Hunt Literature Project 2008
Instructions: Compile a booklet of literary extracts that contain the above aspects. All nine extracts
should be taken from nine different books or short stories. Briefly provide a short explanation of your
chosen passage. Remember to include the title of the book and the author.
Example
The START of the book is very important for catching the reader’s
attention. Find an example which immediately makes you want to read on,
perhaps by its humor of its unusual nature.
START –
The lovers, as they lay together, were not disturbed for some time.
The hotel staff, including the manager who ordered the door of the room
be broken down, the chambermaids and even the bellboys gathered to
have a look at the still forms clasped in each other’s arms, looking as if
they were sound asleep. Except for the half-empty bottle of pills, there
was not the slightest indication of the squarer of hotel room liaisons: the
couple was fully clothed, both were in resplendent white, the man (or boy
for he looked very young) in a white sharkslain shirt with a black velvet
bow and the girl had a crown of white flowers in her hair and a simple
ring with a small blue sapphire, on her finger. Their bodies were greatly
inclined to each other, their heads touched, in the pose of a wedding
couple, or a parent and child.
The Reporter
By Catherine Lim
We chose this passage because of its strange situation which caught our
attention and aroused our curiosity to read on.