Literature Novel

TIPS AND GUIDE

IMPORTANT EVENTS
You must remember a few important events in the novel. This is because you need
to support your answer with evidence and examples . These examples and
evidence are the events. For example, the question; write about what you have
learnt. If you write that you learnt you should love elders and family members, you
have to support it by giving evidence. Here, the evidence can be when Rory is
separated from Granda, which is one of the events in this novel.

HERE ARE 3 IMPORTANT EVENTS.

1. Granda throws Rorys homework
One day, Granda absent-mindedly throws away Rorys homework and keeps
rubbish in Rorys bag. Rory is not angry. He knows Granda does not do it on
purpose.
What does this event tell us?
Rory a patient boy
loves his Granda so much that he understands his Grandas condition.
Theme love, family relationship,
Lesson learnt we must love the elders and be patient with them

2. The Separation, Rory is sent to Castle Street and Granda to Rachnadar

After the fire at the flat, Rory is sent to Castle Street and Granda to Rachnadar. Rory
is not happy. Granda does not like to stay there and he is upset and cries. Rory sees
Granda sitting on his bed and crying at Rachnadar. It breaks his heart . Granda and
Rory cannot live without each other. Rory decides to run away with Granda
What does this event tell us?
Rory loving, responsible, cannot live without Granda
Theme love, family relationship

 Lesson learnt we should love our family and be responsible

3.The Great Escape

Rory plans the Great Escape. Darren suggests hiding in his mothers caravan. Rory
carefully carries out his plan. He packs his and Grandas things. He visits Granda
after school, as usual. He wedges open the emergency exit. Later that night, he
sneaks into Rachnadar and takes Granda away from there.
What does this event tell us?

Rory a brave boy, a person of action, loving, responsible, cannot live

without Granda

Theme challenges of growing up and coping with responsibility

Lesson learnt we should be brave to face challenges in life and do what we

think is right

There are a few more important events, identify them.

BAND A FOR CONTENT ( 9-10 MARKS )
A consistently relevant and convincing response to the task specified
Always provides detailed and well developed textual evidence
BAND B FOR CONTENT ( 7-8 MARKS )
Response is relevant to the task specified

Usually provides textual evidence with some development

SPM 2011 NOVEL QUESTION

Based on the novel you have studied, write about the part of the story that you like
most.

The part you like most

Describe it

Reasons why you like it

R1

R2

R3

Model Answer
In the novel Catch Us If You Can by Cathrine MacPhail, the part that I like
most is the great escape
Rory plans the Great Escape for three days after Darren suggests hiding in his
mothers caravan. He gives Rory the spare key to the caravan. Rory carefully carries
out his plan. He packs his and Grandas things. He visits Granda after school, as
usual. He wedges open the emergency exit. Later that night, he visits Granda and
prepares Granda by dressing him up and then tells him that he is getting out of the
home. Rory takes Granda away from there while Val is having coffee with the
nurses. Both of them successfully sneak out through the emergency exit and out to
a quiet train station where they are not noticed. They arrive at the train final stop
and go uphill in a fine drizzle and then up a long winding path that leads to the
caravan site.
I like this part the most because it shows that Rory is a loving boy. He loves his
Granda so much that he could not stand looking at his granda crying and feeling
sad staying at Rachnadar. Because of this, he is determined to take Granda out from
Rachnadar.
This part of the story also shows us how determined Rory is in making his
escape a success. He cannot live without his Granda who has brought him up and
taken care of him since he was a baby, and because of that he takes the risk to
take his Granda out from Rachnadar. I also think that this is the start of all the
adventures and challenges of Rorys and grandas lives.They meet with a lot of
people and are always on the run so that they are not caught. It makes the story
interesting and leads to the happy ending when Rory is reunited with his father.

TRY THIS QUESTION

Based on the novel you have studied, who do you think is the most interesting
character? Give reasons to support your answer.
The outline of your essay.
Outline A
Name the character

Provide the first reason (R1) you find the character interesting. Give evidence (E1)
( example / event )
Provide the second reason (R2). Give the evidence (E2) ( example / event )
Provide the third reason (R3). Give the evidence (E3) ( example / event )
Outline B
Character ( Rory)
R1 ( patient ) E1 ( Granda throws Rory's homework )
R2 ( determined ) E2 ( Rory plans the Great Escape )
R3 ( loving ) E3 ( the separation )
REMEMBER TO PROVIDE DETAILS IN ORDER TO GET BAND A MARKS.

CATCH US IF YOU CAN - INTERESTING CHARACTER

Question: Based on the novel you have studied, who do you think is the most
interesting character? Give reasons to support your answer.
Answer:
In the novel Catch Us If You Can by Cathrine MacPhail, the character I think
interesting is Rory, the main character in this novel.
Rory is very patient especially in taking care of his Granda who suffers from
memory lapses. This can be seen when Rory asks Granda where he put his
homework. He notices a bulge in his rucksack. It is a bag of rubbish in his rucksack.
Granda has absent-mindedly thrown away his homework and kept the rubbish
instead. The next day in class, Mrs Foley asks Rory about his homework and Rory
tells Mrs Foley the truth, that he has lost his homework. Mrs Foley asks him to stay
back at lunchtime to do his homework but Rory cannot stay as he has to rush home
to prepare Grandas lunch. Rory knows that Granda does not do it deliberately and
he does not scold or blame Granda.
Rory is also very determined. He shows this when he plans the Great Escape for
three days after Darren suggests hiding in his mothers caravan. He gives Rory the
spare key to the caravan. Rory carefully carries out his plan. He packs his and
Grandas things. He visits Granda after school, as usual. He wedges open the
emergency exit. Later that night, he visits Granda and prepares Granda by dressing
him up and then tells him that he is getting out of the home. Rory takes Granda

away from there while Val is having coffee with the nurses. Both of them
successfully sneak out through the emergency exit and out to a quiet train station
where they are not noticed. They arrived at the train final stop and go uphill in a
fine drizzle and then up a long winding path that leads to the caravan site.
Another good thing about Rory is, he is a loving boy. After the fire at the flat,
Rory is sent to Castle Street and Granda to Rachnadar. Rory is not happy. Granda
does not like to stay there and he is upset and cries. Rory sees Granda sitting on his
bed and crying at Rachnadar. It breaks his heart . Granda and Rory cannot live
without each other. Rory decides to run away with Granda.
Although Rory is still a boy, he has many good qualities many boys of his age
do not possess. Because of this, I think Rory is a very interesting character.

CATCH US IF YOU CAN : EVENT

SPM 2011 NOVEL QUESTION
Based on the novel you have studied, write about the part of the story that you like
most.
Tips
1. State the part of the story you like most
2. Describe it ( elaboration and detail )
3. Give reasons ( provide at least 2 reasons )

Model Answer ( Band A )

In the novel Catch Us If You Can by Cathrine MacPhail, the part that I like
most is the great escape
Rory plans the Great Escape for three days after Darren suggests hiding in
his mothers caravan. He gives Rory the spare key to the caravan. Rory carefully
carries out his plan. He packs his and Grandas things. He visits Granda after school,
as usual. He wedges open the emergency exit. Later that night, he visits Granda
and prepares Granda by dressing him up and then tells him that he is getting out of
the home. Rory takes Granda away from there while Val is having coffee with the
nurses. Both of them successfully sneak out through the emergency exit and out to
a quiet train station where they are not noticed. They arrive at the train final stop
and go uphill in a fine drizzle and then up a long winding path that leads to the
caravan site.

I like this part the most because it shows that Rory is a loving boy. He loves his
Granda so much that he could not stand looking at his granda crying and feeling
sad staying at Rachnadar. Because of this, he is determined to take Granda out from
Rachnadar.
This part of the story also shows us how determined Rory is in making his
escape a success. He cannot live without his Granda who has brought him up and
taken care of him since he was a baby, and because of that he takes the risk to
take his Granda out from Rachnadar. I also think that this is the start of all the
adventures and challenges of Rorys and grandas lives.They meet with a lot of
people and are always on the run so that they are not caught. It makes the story
interesting and leads to the happy ending when Rory is reunited with his father.

Note: Words in italics are the details with which will enable you to get Band A marks
Catch Us If You Can : An event that affects a character
Question: Based on the novel you have studied, write about an event and how it
affects one of the characters. Give evidence to support your answer.
In the novel Catch Us If You Can, by Catherine McPhail, an event that affects one of
the characters in the story is when Rory takes Granda out from Rachnadar, a home
for the aged. After taking his Granda out from Rachnadar, Rory decides to escape
from the town where they both lived.
Their escape takes them to many places and they meet many people who help
them. Rory learns valuable lessons from these people. For example, Rory learns
about compassion and kindness from Sammy and Rubys family. From Rab, Annie
and Norma, Rory learns that there are people in this world who would help others
and the help comes in many forms. When Norma reports Rory and Granda to the
police, she does so out of the kindness of her heart. This makes Rory touched and
grateful.
This event has changed Rorys life. His life has changed for the better when he and
his Granda are reunited with Rorys father. Now, Rory not only has a father, he also
has new family members; a stepmother and two stepsisters. Granda has also
learned to accept and forgive Rorys father and this makes Rory very happy.
Before this escape, Rory was worried about his Granda and as he has to take up the
responsibility of taking care of Granda, he cannot lead a normal life of a young,
growing boy. Finally, at the end of the story, however, Rorys life has improved as
there are certain services provided for the elderly. He also has his father who is
willing to take care of Granda whom he has neglected for years. Due to this, Rory
can lead a normal life like his schoolmates. All these positive changes would not
have happened if Rory had not taken his Granda out from Rachnadar.