Book Study

One advertisement for ‘Tomorrow, When The War Began’ states:

‘Hell isn’t only a place for the damned, sometimes it’s a place where the saved take refuse… Seven teenagers take a trip to Hell. And seven come back. To Hell’

What do you think this statement could mean? That there are different places that are just as bad as hell and these 7 teenagers are taking a trip.

What do you think hell could mean in this? Hell could mean that there going to a bad place in this story and they figured It felt like hell.

Why do you think the story is entitled ‘Tomorrow, when the war began’? I think it is entitled ‘Tomorrow, When The War Began because there could be war involved with this character’s life and story or They are going through something and comparing it to war.

What does that make you think the book’s about? It makes me think that the book’s about war and the main character losing some of what he/she has.

What do you think the characters will be like? I think the characters will have different personalities to each other and they’ll have to put it aside to help each other.

How do you think this story will be written? I think this story will be written from someone’s perspective because I reckon it will be someone talking about what their going through in the ‘war’.

Why do you think the story is entitled as it is? It is entitled this because the main character or characters are going through something and they decided to write this. I think this because when they say war began you can tell they are gonna be going through something.

Where do you think the story will take place? It will be taken place somewhere that would’ve had potential war or dangerous places because they could be going through a war or there just using the word ‘war’ differently as in they are going through something else and it feels like a war.

What time period do you think the story is set in? I think It would’ve been set in the 1900s because that was when they really started using guns and artillery.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of first person narration? You only see the view from one person and not anyone else that may be involved in the story.

Why do you think Ellie needs to tell the story in chronological order? I think It needs to be told in chronological order so whatever happens later in the book could link back to something that we’ve been told before and It would make more sense.

Pick one interesting word from the chapter, find its meaning, and explain why it is interesting. Kangarooing, There is no real definition for this so I would assume that It is messing around. I think It is interesting because It is unique and I’ve never really heard it before.

John Marsden foreshadows several events and characters in this chapter. Make three predictions based on the evidence in the text about what may occur later in the story.

They are going on a drive to a place ‘Hell’. “Hell is what’s on the other side of Tailor’s”.

They could get in trouble with his parents by taking too many people.”we had to have more people; at least six and upto 8”.

This new cop could start something bad in the city.”Mum’d been getting a bit twitchy about the new cop in Wirrawee”.

What set of skills do these characters have that convince their parents that they can ‘go bush’ independently. Find examples for three characters.

Fi- She kept talking to her parents ensuring that she would be safe and it is just a trip.

Corrie - She shows confidence in being safe and that they can trust her with the car.

How did the group of teenagers ascend Tailors Stitch? By driving in the Land Rover one of the parents had let them use.

What are the two special events happening the day after the teenagers leave for the bush?

Commemoration day and also a show with competitions

How many days were they planning on staying?  5 days

How much food do you think is reasonable to bring, split between 7 teenagers?

Well a lot especially since the teenage body needs food to grow and mature.

Who is the Hermit and what is he supposed to have done? The Hermit was supposed to be a murdered and people claimed he murdered his wife/girlfriend and baby.

Do you think the Hermit will be significant to this story? Why/Why not?

Yes because when they are staying at this place they could find out some things about his story if this tale really is true.

Is their decent down Satan’s Steps into Hell dangerous? Discuss what are the dangers, how could they have made it safer, what would you have done?

Predict what the bridge signifies
Yes there decent down Satan's Steps was dangerous. The dangers they encountered were the little gaps they had to get through and also the hidden dangerous places like hidden cliffs and other things such as that. They could have made things safer by marking out where the dangerous things were and just taking there time. The bridge could lead to Hermit's house or possibly just water for them.

Why does Robyn think they are the only people ever to have gone into Hell?

Why do you think the valley is called Hell?

Why must the teenagers seem like visitors from hell to the wild things living in the clearing? How is this ironic?

What picture of Kevin do we get in this chapter?

What does Ellie liken Fi to? Do you think this is a fair assessment of her character. Use examples from the text to support your thinking

At times Ellie switches her narration from retelling the story to commenting about her life in the present - why do you think the author has chosen to write in this style?

Chapter 4

Do you think the way they handled the snake incident was appropriate? What could they have done differently? I reckon that the way they handled the snake was okay but It was just the fear they had for it which made it alot more harder to do.

Ellie claims that ‘Hell’ is only a label and that people label things all the time, often ignoring or overlooking certain labelled places or things. She then comes to the conclusion that ‘Hell was people’. Is she right? What’s your opinion, on labelling and Hell? No but the reason on why it could be called ‘Hell’ is the features it has as a place like ground and trees although It does seem peaceful and safe.

What was especially peculiar about the planes that flew over Hell? ‘Their ------, their ------, their----- frightened me.’ Do these characteristics have any significance? Maybe that those specific descriptions could come in later on in the book for the person that is scared of them.

Corrie and Kevin are the only couple in the group, but the trip was bound to bring friends closer. So why does Homer’s interest in Fi seem so odd to Ellie? Homer usually only admired girls that were in magazines like models etc.He wouldn’t treat girls too good either.

Fi brushes off the planes coming back from Commemoration Day. Why do you think the planes were flying over Wirrawee? Wirrawee could have more history about it that the others don’t know about and that could’ve lead to them flying over or It just flew over without a reason.

Robyn claims there were dozens and dozens of planes flying over them. What is Lee’s response? Is his suggestion reasonable?

Chapter 5

What does Corrie’s choice in career say about her character? That she is a smart minded girl and has a lot of opportunities

The group’s ability to avoid arguing with each other is rare- do you think that there would have been more drama if you and your friends went bush for a week? No, they could possibly be a little arguing at the start but we would figure that we need to work out for this to be fun.

Why do you think Ellie and Lee feel uneasy just before their return to Wirrawee from the Bush?  Ellie was unsure about the fires that they had came across and Lee thought he felt guilty about missing the show.

What do you predict will await the group back home, why do you think this? I think there could be a war or fight on back home because of the fires. Something could have occured at the show like an altercation between people. I think this because of the fires they could mean something back home.

Chapter 6

What is the first sign that something is wrong at Ellie’s house? The dogs seemed dead because they weren’t jumping around and being themselves. They were just laying there.

Who is the first person to really realise what is happening? Ellie was the first to realize what was happening and like the first person to react.

What is Ellie’s reaction to this person’s caution? Why do you think she reacts this way? Her reaction to it was a snap, she snapped because maybe the others are in shock and not taking it as serious as them.

How is the pace in this chapter different from the chapters before? There’s more things happening in this chapter plus the storyteller ‘Ellie’ is in a situation where she has to take control and help the others.

If you were in this situation, would you test the radio or not? Give reasons for your thinking - Yes i would test the radio, I would test it because It could tell me what’s going on or give me clues what is actually happening.

Do you think the way the teenagers reacted to the realisation that Australia may have been invaded or at war was realistic? Why/why not Yes because They would have been scared and it would’ve triggered something which made them panic and talk to eachother in the manner they did

Do you think the way the teenagers reacted to the realisation that Australia may have been invaded or at war was realistic? Why/why not Yes because They would have been scared and it would’ve triggered something which made them panic and talk to eachother in the manner they did.

What reasons would have sparked the war/invasion? The commemoration day would have been something to do with it because they probably planned it to be on that day. That would be the smart thing about when they started this invasion.

Chapter 7

Which people in the group are starting to stand out as leaders, is this surprising? Why/why not? Robyn, She was giving good ideas talking to the team and she would take things for the team such as like running instead of riding the bike unlike the others.

Do you think that taking Kevin’s dog Flip to Corries house was a mistake? Explain your thoughts. Yes because although it is his dog, He’s just adding more things to take care of when he could use that time doing something else to help the group.

What does Lee mean when he says ‘we might have to make some ugly choices?’ He means that in this time there going through there going to make harsh decisions that might help them out in what there going through.

How is Ellie’s image of Kevin changing in this chapter? She is growing a lot more respect for him because of the things he is doing for the group. She probably sees a good helpful guy in him now but things may change.

Is the decision to split into smaller groups a wise one? Give reasons

Yes because They could find more things that could help them

Why is it that Elli’s group decides to act ‘illogically’ and survey the Showgrounds together? It would’ve been dangerous if they had went into separate groups because It is a war and the showgrounds is probably where the attack was started.

Why does the idea of a female soldier surprise Ellie? The female build was not like the male build which was more suitable for the job.

If your parents were captured in a situation like this, would they have been ‘sensible’, or would there have been violence? My parents would most likely be sensible about the situation.

How is Ellie ‘transformed’ once she steps out from behind a tree near the Showgrounds?

She had seen something and she had figured it is time for survival mindset.

Ellie and Kevin’s quick-thinking allowed them to turn a ride-on lawnmower

       into a bomb. Was this moral behaviour? Did they do the right thing, or

       should they have surrendered themselves? No they should have just stayed neutral and not made a massive scene because that could’ve ended up badly in which they could be ‘dead’

Chapter 8

How does Ellie feel after the lawn mower incident? She was felt with horror and she felt like the event had traumatized her.

How does she think the others will react to her story when she tells it?  Like they may not have believed her or be really surprised that a girl like her had did something like that.

How do they actually react? Why? They were actually supportive through it, They understood that in the situation there in that they may need to do things like that to survive.

Homer says, “This is war now, normal rules don’t apply.. They’re the ones who tore up the rule book, not us”” What does this say about his character? What do you think of he validity of his opinions? That he understands that they may need to do things out of the box to survive.

Fi talks about the ‘shadows’, during their reconnaissance. What are these shadows and what are the implications due to their existence?

What pieces of evidence from the book inform the reader that this invasion wasn’t entirely peaceful? Find at least 3 examples.

Chapter 9

Why, in Ellie’s opinion, is Cobbler’s Bay and Wirrawee so important to the invaders?. She thought that if they were to invade Wirrawee It would be quiet and no one would notice, She thought Cobbler’s Bay because at the time It would’ve been full of parades and all that because of the show going on.

Corrie and Ellie reminisce about how innocent they were in high school and even a few days ago. Why were they still innocent then? Why are they no longer innocent? They were innocent back then because they hadn’t done the things that they have done now in the situation that they are.

Why does Homer think splitting up is a good idea? So they could have a view of the surroundings of the house for any intruders.

Why do you think the author added the few lines about an Australian jet flying overhead. It pulled attention to what could’ve happened next.

By blowing up Corrie’s house, what does the invading force demonstrate to the teenagers?

That they really aren’t messing around and they most likely won’t show mercy If they got caught.

Why do you think Corrie reacted the way she did? She was just in the moment and would’ve seemed lost because of what had just happened.

Chapter 10

Why does Homer insist on going on with the plan after Corrie’s house blows up? How does he convince Corrie that this is a good idea? He reckons that if they just stay there and not do anything then things won’t get any better but If they go out and try change something then something will happen and that is what he says to Corrie.

Describe the strategy Home and Ellie use to ensure their safety when riding their bikes into town. Homer rides 200m behind and Ellie ensures that the path in front of them and when she is sure It’s safe, she gives a signal to Homer and they proceed with the journey. What does this show about how they are starting to think? They are smarter and just think more about how to stay alive and somewhat safe.

Why do you think Mr Clement is reluctant to help Lee and Robyn? How would you react in his position.  He was reluctant because he just wants to survive and sometimes people that you work with could end up betraying you. I would trust them but still be cautious.

How has Homer changed in Ellie’s eyes since the invasion? He’s gotten more mature and Ellie sees something in him.

What are the 2 different types of soldiers and how do they each treat the inhabitants of Wirrawee?

Constripts and Professionals, The professionals would be the ones that were nicer.

Why do you think Robyn had the strength to carry Lee? She didn’t have the injuries that Lee had like the wound on his calf.

How have the group decided to rescue Lee, whose idea was this and why do they think it will work. 8

What do you think happened to people who ‘tried to be heroes?’ I think those people would’ve either survived, got captured or ended up dead.

Chapter 11

How does Ellie feel as she is waiting in the truck at the Council Depot? Where do her emotions come from? Ellie feels cold, excited and fear as she waits for the truck. Her emotions come from the situation that she is in.

Why are the girls smiling when in danger? Is this a logical response?  Maybe they were starting to make some fun out of there situation and that’s why, Or maybe They’ve started getting used to the things that are happening.

What does wearing a helmet and buckling up mean to the girls? It could keep them uninjured when there in the truck like when Robyn hits her head on the roof but she has a helmet so nothing bad happened injury wise.

What does Chris’s story say about the town? That It was quietly invaded because He barely noticed it.

What impact does the BMW have on the story? Does Chris seem lonely? Explain your answer? Yes Chris does seem lonely because he wasn’t really sociable and he wasn’t really into the things the others were into.

What is Homer’s explanation for the need to swap cars at Chris Lang’s place? What does this show about the way he is thinking? The other car was better than the one they were using plus everything was already packed in the other car they were switching to anyways, this shows that his thinking is really diverse and he looks at things from a different perspective.

What are your thoughts on the story so far…

I think the story is very interesting and quite fun to read with all the action that is going on, they never really seem to be doing nothing.

Chapter 12

“They say teenagers can sleep all day”. Is this true? Do you agree? Does Ellie still see herself as a typical teenagers? It is true but I do not agree with it. Partly Ellie does but mostly she doesn’t because of the situation they are in and how it’s affected them.

Ellie’s dream at the beginning of the chapter is rather nonsensical, as dreams are wont to be. Is there any meaning to it? Try and explain what Ellie’s subconscious could be thinking about: why is her dad cooking for the whole town? Why did Father Cronin ignore Ellie’s greeting? Why was Corrie 8 years old again? Why were they sailing off on a  boat? Why was Lee undressing? There possibly could be a meaning to it. Ellie’s dad could’ve been cooking for the whole town because they were leaving it. They were sailing off on a boat for some strange ritual they might’ve been taking part in. Lee was undressing for the ritual.

Why is it so terrible that Chris falls asleep while on sentry duty? How does Ellie react? Why do you think she reacts this way? How does she feel about her reaction later? It is terrible because If there was someone to come and rush them then he wouldn’t be awake to alert everyone that doesn’t know.

Back in Hell, Ellie’s dreams are far more ominous. Explain why Ellie is dreaming of her fears. Maybe because the place she was in she might’ve not been comfortable but now she is a lot more braver.

Chapter 13

All the teenagers have a specific role to play in their group. Describe the roles each teenager plays? Corrie had this strange ritual that she would do, She would also check on the batteries.

According to what the teenagers hear on Corries radio, why would America be best not to get involved in Australia’s struggle? Because they reckon It would be the bloodiest war they would be in and that’s why they shouldn’t intervene. Plus America don’t like getting involved with other countries.

Why is Australia being invaded? They were trying to reduce imbalances within the region

A reader can infer many things from the snippet of news heard over Corrie’s radio. Which country or countries are likely to have invaded Australia? United Kingdoms and New Zealand

How are the prisoners being treated? They are actually being treated pretty decent for what they are.

What do Kevin and Robyn argue about? Do you think Robyn’s points are fair?  Kevin reckons Robyn is approving of what the people invading's plan is but Robyn is not actually trying to say that. Kevin is just looking at it from a different view which is why he thought Robyn was saying that.

“Paradise of Hell” is an oxymoron. What does it mean. Putting the opposites of each other in the same phrase for example you have “Paradise of Hell” which is because Paradise and Hell are like opposites.

Kevin’s hatred of the invaders is quite extreme. Why do you think he is so angry? I think he’s angry because they’ve taken a lot away from him like his family and also his lifestyle. They’ve put him through a lot.

The group take turns discussing the extent to which they’d go to make a difference. Order the characters by their commitment to overthrowing the enemy?: Kevin Ellie Fi

The group is starting to think about long term survival in Hell. What are some clues to this? They are talking about Hell in there conversation and thinking about it

What does the group decide they must do at this point? They wanna go move somewhere they can spy on the showgrounds and see what the invaders are up to.

Despite the fact that the teenagers are in the midst of a war zone, evading enemy soldiers and planning guerrilla operations, they still find time to harbour romances. Do you think this is realistic? Yes I do because I believe romance really can happen in any situation with anyone.

Chapter 14

What reasons does Ellie give Lee for not wanting a relationship with him?  She’s confused and she doesn’t really know if she meant what she did that day.

What do you think are the real reasons? I reckon she genuinely likes him but at the moment he’s being pretty annoying and trying too much. He’s trying to force her into a relationship that she may not want.

Chapter 15

What do Ellie and Lee find in the Hermit’s hut that the others don’t know about? Some source of Food

According to the coroner’s report what are the two possible ways the Hermit’s family died...

Which do you believe? Why? The two possible ways were that it was haunted or he had killed them. I believe that he had killed them because he could’ve been going through something with them which caused him to end up killing them although that wasn’t the best option.

Chapter 16

What is the Hermit’s mother in law’s attitude toward him as seen in her letter? She is actually quite supportive of him which is surprising considering that he might’ve been the reason her daughter and grandson died.

What does this suggest about the way in which the Hermit’s family actually died? That It might’ve not been him that murdered them and It could’ve been something else.

What makes Ellie change her mind about Lee on the way back from the Hermit’s hut?

The event that happened between them. The kissing and just being with him.

Chapter 17

Why does Ellie feel uncomfortable with Chris bringing cigarettes and alcohol into Hell?

She thought his ‘souveniring’ wasn’t true and she didn’t want it going anywhere.

What is meant by a “clean war”? Why are the invaders so intent on having a ‘clean war’?

A clean war would be no other countries getting involved and them just dominating. They are intent on a clean war because they don’t want bigger countries like America getting involved.

What happened to the soldiers involved in the lawnmower incident, according to Robyn? They had died from it. How does this make Ellie feel? It made her feel guilty and just horrified that she had killed someone.

Why do you think prisoners are sent to clean up the houses around town? I think they have to clean them up just so It doesn’t look like an invasion so no other countries get involved.

What does Kevin want to bring into Hell by way of livestock? Do you think his idea is a good one? Why/why not? Like animals, Yes i think it is a good idea but they would have to make somewhere for them just so they don’t run away and possibly give away there position.

Chapter 18

What does Ellie find primarily attractive about Lee? His mind, intelligence and sensitive face

Who is she attracted to physically? Homer

What are the group’s options according to Homer? Getting involved in the war and fighting back, Moving somewhere or just surrendering

What do they decide to do and why? They decided to look out for another place to go because they didn’t wanna stay in Hell for ages.

Chapter 19