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Cosmic
Cosmic
Before reading…
Ask the children to look at the front cover. What do you think the
book will be about? What things can you see on the front cover?
What sort of story will it be? Who might enjoy it?
Think of the title Cosmic. What might it tell you about the story?
Now read the blurb. What does this tell you about the story?
Make some predictions about what might happen in the story.
Look at the author Frank Cottrell-Boyce. Do you know any of his
other stories? Which ones can you name?
Infer What impression do you get of the main character in the opening
paragraphs?
Why does everyone think the main character is older than he is?
Why can’t the main character believe that everyone is napping?
What does the main character love about space?
Why was the man annoyed at dad for asking if anyone had died on the
ride?
Predict Predict, at the end of the three chapters, how Liam might try to get back to
Earth.
Summarise Summarise how you think Liam may have ended up in space.
Summarise the impressions you get of Liam.
I Nearly Shaved Myself To Death
Vocabulary What phrase on Page 19 shows that mum doesn’t believe there’s nothing
wrong with Liam?
What phrase on Page 24 shows that Lorraine isn’t pleased that everyone
knows her name?
Predict Read up to ‘on the lower-school site’ on Page 20. Predict how Liam’s first
day at school will go.
Read up to ‘don’t worry about being interesting’ on Page 24. Predict what
will happen in the assembly.
Explain Explain why Liam decided to get rid of his facial hair.
Infer Why do you think Liam’s behaviour was labelled ‘peculiar and disruptive’?
Why can’t Liam make friends?
What impression do you get of Florida? What about her dad?
‘That would be going too far, wouldn’t it?’ – what is Florida talking about?
What does Florida mean when she says ‘he definitely hasn’t’?
What impression do you get of the care salesman?
Why is Liam secretly pleased to see his dad?
Predict Read up to ‘the way to Level Two’ on Page 33. Predict what happens next.
Read up to ‘ “engineering perfection” he smiled.’ Predict what will happen
next.
Explain Explain why the security guards aren’t bothered about Liam and Florida.
Retrieve How do mum and dad try and make Liam more social?
Why do they decide to do the Big Friendly Giant as a production?
Where do Liam and Florida decide to go when Lisa is ill?
Who says ‘You. Out. Now’?
How did dad find Liam?
Summarise What impressions do you get of mum from the travel agent scene?
I Am On Hold and Fathers Have Children
Predict Read up to ‘got ready to speak’ on Page 63. Predict what will happen next.
Read up to ‘her name is Florida’ on Page 67. Predict what will happen next.
Predict Predict how you think Florida will react when she finds out the theme park is
in China.
Read to the end of ‘Hello Lucky Winners’. Predict what will happen when
Florida and Liam get on the plane.
Explain Explain why Liam doesn’t tell Florida that the theme park is in China.
Predict Read up to ‘Then we landed.’ on Page 94. Predict how Florida will react
when she finds out they are in China.
Read up to ‘indescribable’ on Page 99. Predict what is inside the Possibility
Building. Give reasons for your prediction.
Vocabulary What word on Page 106 shows that Florida was scared?
What is ‘forfeiting’?
Predict Read up to ‘the car rolled forward, purring’ on Page 106. Predict what
happens next.
Read up to ‘any questions?’ on Page 110. Predict what happens next.
Read to the end of the chapter and predict what happens next.
Explain Explain the conundrum Liam finds himself in, re: driving.
Explain why Liam resents the role of dad by the end of the chapter.
Infer How does Liam feel that Florida is going into space and not him?
Why is Dr Drax concerned that Liam doesn’t know Florida’s birthday?
Why won’t Max’s dad let Liam copy his form?
How does Liam convince Drax that a dad needs to go into space?
Why is Florida convinced that Liam won’t win the competition.
Predict Read up to ‘I knew it was going to be me’. Predict how Liam will ensure it’s
him.
Explain Explain why the other dads laugh at Liam when he shouts ‘yes’
Explain how Liam cheats at golf. Explain why Samson One says it isn’t
cheating.
Summarise What impression do you get of the other dads? Describe your impressions
individually.
The Ice-Cream Man Of The Gobi Desert
Vocabulary What’s a ‘phoney’ smile and why does Florida employ one?
What phrase on Page 131 shows that the wind is hurting?
What does Monsieur Martinet mean when he calls Liam a child?
Infer Why do the dads decide it is important to set off sooner rather than later?
What mission was Liam referring to?
How did Liam know to get everyone to cover their face with a shirt and
follow Florida?
How did everyone know when they’d stepped out of the shadow?
Why does Hasan start to cry?
Why do some of them want to go around the dune? Why do some of them
think this is a bad idea?
What shows that Liam was more prepared than everyone else?
How does Eddie get everyone to vote for him?
Predict Read up to ‘all you have to do is follow the shadow.’ Predict what will
happen in the first challenge.
Predict Predict why you think Florida gets so angry when Liam talks about her dad.
Predict Look at the title ‘The Vomit Comet’. Predict what might happen in this
chapter.
Predict Read up to ‘I came second with six’. Predict why everyone has voted for
Eddie.
At the end of ‘Last Chance To Vote’, predict how it comes to be that Liam
ends up in space.
Summarise
I Am Half A World Away, If Anything Goes
Wrong and You Don’t Get Extra Lives In Space
Predict Read up to ‘has totally betrayed me’ on Page 212. Predict what has
happened.
Read to the end of ‘You Don’t Get Extra Lives In Space’. Predict what will
happen next.
Explain Explain why it’s the middle of the night where mum is.
Infer Why does Liam want to give Florida her present in private?
Where is Florida’s dad?
Why is Florida obsessed with fame?
Why do the children all huddle together?
Why does Liam want his dad?
Predict Read up to ‘the thing that went wrong was us’ and predict what goes
wrong,
Explain Explain why Florida pretended she had a really good dad.
Vocabulary Liam was ‘insanely hoping’ his dad would turn up. Explain the use of this
adverb.
What does ‘beguiled’ mean?
What word on Page 242 means ‘start’?
What are ‘permanent fatal errors’?
Predict Read to the end of Page 243. Predict what has happened and what will
happen next.
Explain Explain why it’s important for Liam to take on a dadly role at this point.
Explain what happened when the buttons were pressed in the wrong order.
Predict Read to the end of Page 261. Predict where Hasan has gone.
Read to the end of Page 265. Predict what happens next.
Summarise Summarise the emotional journeys of both Liam and Max so far.
Summarise this chapter in a 6 sentences.
Dark Side Of The Moon and Logic Says
Vocabulary What phrase on Page 274 shows that Liam has some doubts?
What word on Page 280 shows that Max is frightened?
Predict Read to the end of Page 282. Predict why the other children are on the
moon.
Infer Why does Liam decide to take the children to the moon?
Why does Liam offer to stay on the ship?
Why is the signal so good?
How did Samson glean that it wasn’t a simulation?
Predict Read to the end of Page 291. Predict whether the children will get home.
Read to the end of Page 297. Predict what happens next.
Explain Explain how you think Liam felt when his dad rang him?
Predict Predict what will happen for Liam and Florida now they are back on earth.