A BRIDGE TO WISEMAN’S COVE by James Moloney

CLOSE READING QUESTIONS

KERRY p.3-7
1. Why did she ‘drop’ her surname occasionally?
2. Who was Sarah’s father and what did she know about him?
3. What do you think the line ‘longing can play funny tricks’
mean?
4. How old was Carl when his father left?
5. Why did all 3 kids take their mother’s surname? (put your answer in your own words)
6. What happened when Carl was four?
7. Why do you think Kerry was so angry? Why did she cry when the police had left?
8. What happened the first time Kerry ‘lost herself’?
9. How did Carl respond to her return? What clues to we get to his character?
10.What were the signs that Carl learned to recognise?
11.Describe Carl as a 14-year-old.
12.What does the word ‘camouflage’ (p.5) tell us about Carl?
13.What was the name the kids called Kerry’s escapes?
14.Carl always had money to help Sarah for when Kerry left – what does this tell us
about him?
15.How did Carl react when Kerry left for the last time?
16.Write at least 3 sentences describing how you would feel if you came home and your
mother had left you.
SARAH p.8-14
1. Why is Sarah so unsupportive of the vegetable garden?
2. What are the lines that tell us that Sarah is anxious and stressed? (p.9)
3. What do we know about Harley?
4. What does Sarah announce to her brothers and how do they both react to her news?
5. Why does Harley’s messy eating upset Carl?
6. “Carl moved silently to where he could hear and not be seen. He was practised at it
and knew where to stand, for this was part of the pattern he recognised.” What is Carl
recognising?
7. How does Sarah feel about her decision?
8. How does Sarah manage to persuade Aunt Beryl to take the boys?
9. What is it that “Carl knew”?
10.What hints do we get that the boys will be going for longer than a few weeks?
11.How does Carl feel about Sarah’s decision to leave them?
12.What does the writer mean by “It was the same drowning woman he has seen in the
Laser, clutching the steering wheel”?
13.How do we know that Sarah feels really conflicted about her decision?
AUNT BERYL p.15-21
1. How do we know that Harley and Carl are travelling quite a long way? Give quotes
from the book.
2. Why was Carl nervous?
3. Why do you think that Carl felt like crying when Harley saw the sea?
4. What sort of a character is Harley?
5. What does Carl have to do to their luggage?
6. Give 2 quotes that tell us about the weather.
7. How long was it since the boys had visited Aunt Beryl’s house?
8. What is Beryl’s relationship to Kerry?
9. How does Beryl welcome her nephews?
10.Find a quote that shows us she makes minimal effort.
11.When does Beryl think Kerry will be back? Why?
12.Why is Beryl in a good mood tonight?
13.How does Beryl make Carl feel like he is imposing or unwelcome?
WATTLE BEACH p.22-25
1. What does Carl notice about the people in the main street on Sunday morning?
2. How is this a contrast or his own family?
3. What does Carl do and why?
4. Why is he disappointed?
5. What does he feel ‘he was the only solitary human being on the entire planet’?
6. What does Carl notice about the girl in the blue bikini?
7. What happens to him?
HARLEY p.26-31
1. What does Aunt Beryl do to help Carl?
2. Why does the policeman want Carl’s help to find Harley?
3. How has Harley acted the same as ‘all the Matts’?
4. Why does Carl feel a fool?
5. Why does he wish that he was a concrete statue?
6. Why does Carl watch Beryl’s house from the end of the street? What does this tell
us?
7. What is so shocking about Beryl’s reaction?
8. What was it that Carl took ‘like a punchy boxer’?
9. What does it mean the money was ‘warm as blood’?
10.Why does he feel like a fool a second time?

THE CAFÉ p.32-35

1. What does Carl do in the early afternoon every day?
 2. What does he notice as he watches?
3. What unkind comment does one of the boys make?
4. How does Justine respond?
5. How does Carl embarrass himself?

MERRY CHRISTMAS p.36-43

1. What does Carl get Harley for Christmas and why?
2. How does Beryl react to Carl’s gift?
3. What doe these 2 things reveal about Carl?
4. Who does Carl recognise at Christmas dinner at the Trelfos?
5. Why does Beryl get annoyed at Carl?
6. What does Carl do on New Year’s Eve?
7. Why is Justine so angry?
8. What do Nathan’s comments reveal about his character?
9. How does Carl help?
10.What does Maddie do?
11.What does Carl see that he shouldn’t? What does his reaction tell us about him?
12.Where does Carl want to go?