to the author

A d èle G era s, th e au th o r o f A C an d le in th e D a rk , o ften rece iv e s

le tte rs fro m h er y o u n g re ad ers. H e re are th re e o f th em .

D ear M s G e ras

le , W e h av e b ee n re ad in g y o u r b o o k 'A C a n d le in
D e ar A d è C a n d le in th e D a rk ' a t sch o o l. I really en jo y ed it. D id
b e en re a d in g " A how
w e hav e d te ll y o u it y ou ch o o se th a t title be ca use th ere w a s
A t sc h o o l ju st h a d to w ri te an y "
I al ly " en jo e ry h ap p in e ss at th e en d of th e sto ry ?
th e D a rk ." y e d it . I d id n 't a c tu at vis
m u c h I en
jo
w o rd fo r a s to ry th te d
e w ro n g h ad st ar
– th a t' s th p a rt s. B u t o n c e w e 't s to p an d I It re m in d ed m e o f w h en I left m y D ad . I h ad
e n
sa d in s o m s ch o o l, I ju s t co u ld in g . Y o u r to g o w ith m y M u m to S o u th A fric a b e cau se
g it at e ev e n
re a d in h
m
o m e th e sa te rr ib le it w a s fo r p eo p le w e re fig h tin g a n d w e w ere no t sa fe in
ed it at
fi n is h se h o w s
e m e re a li ei r fa m il ie A n g ola . W e h ad to leav e m y D a d b eh in d .
st o ry m ad e se p a ra te d fr o m th u st b e
b m
c h il d re n to a r a n d h o w s ca ry it H o w d id y o u W e d id n 't k n o w if w e w o u ld see h im ag ain b u t
th e w n tr y .
d u ri n g er c o u h e c am e to S o u th A frica ab o u t fiv e m o n th s
v e in an o th g la d y o u
g o in g to li fo r th e st o ry ? I' m so la te r. It w as rea lly g o o d to see h im a g ain .
ea
g e t th e id e a h a p p y e n d in g .
v
m a d e it a h
T h an k y o u fo r y o u r sto ry.
w is h e s,
W it h b e st
B e st w ish e s
Sam
M ich e l

D ea r M rs G
er a s
O u r te a ch e r
is
I th in k sh e ch re a di n g u s ch a p te rs fr o
o se it b e ca u m
se it g o e s w it y ou r b o o k 'A C a n d le in
h o ur h is to ry th e D a rk .'
It d o es te ll us le ss o n s.
a
th e b o o k ve ry b o u t h ow th in g s w er e si
m u ch a n d I'm xt y ye a rs a go
fr ig h te ni n g . w ri ti n g to te , bu
It w a s fu ll o
f d ep re ss in g ll yo u w h y. T t I re al ly d id n 't e n jo y
el ev e n -y ea r- th in g s an d m he book w a
o ld
w o rl d , a n d th s n o w a d a ys a re w o rr ie is er a b le p e o s sa d an d
ey n ee d to re de p le . I
a d b o o k s th a no u g h a b ou t w h at h a p p th in k th a t
t g iv e th em so en
P le as e w ri te m e e n te rt a in s in th e
so m e th in g ch m en t.
ee rf u l n ex t!
Yo u rs
Lee

1
 An Interview with Adèle Geras

Adèle Geras has been writing for young people for 20 years. She was
born in Jerusalem, in Israel, and much of her childhood was spent in
many different parts of the world. Before she started writing she worked
as an actress, a singer and taught French in a girls' school. She has lived
for the past 30 years in Manchester with her husband and two daughters,
Sophie (25) and Jenny (19). In March, our reporter Jo Allen went there to
interview her.

Jo Do you find it difficult when you start writing a new story?

Adèle Well, I like writing stories. I'm a little nervous of it on a Monday morning when a blank
sheet of paper lies waiting for the words, but as soon as I get started, I enjoy it.

Jo What is it, then, that you most like about writing stories?

Adèle I like the power of writing things. I can do anything, be anyone, travel in time and space,
describe a tiny corner of the real world or invent an entirely new one, simply by making
marks on paper.

Jo Where do you get your ideas from for writing stories…do they all come from your own
imagination?

Adèle Really, I use my memories of my own childhood. I've also travelled widely – that gives
me lots of ideas too. And then there is my imagination, of course!

Jo Do you only write novels, or do you like writing other things as well?

Adèle Actually, I particularly like writing short stories. It is so challenging to try to be really
creative in quite a short space. I really wish more short stories were written for young
people.

Jo Do you have a picture of your readers when you are writing? Do you feel as if you are
writing to someone in particular?

Adèle No, not really. It is as if I am sending out messages: this is what I think, this is how it is…
listen to me while I tell you…come over here and meet these people…

Jo Do you enjoy meeting people who have read your novels?

Adèle When I meet someone who's read a book I've written, I feel as though my message-in-a-
bottle has been discovered on a distant shore.

A bibliography is a list of books. Here is a bibliography of some of Adèle Geras's most

popular short stories for children and young people:
Gilly the Kid
Fantora Family Photographs
The Fantora Family Files
Pictures of the Night
Golden Windows

2
 A Lane to the Land of the Dead

1. This question is about the letters to the author.

1. Lee, Sam and Michel each wrote a ‘PS.’ at the end of their letters but these were not printed in your
booklet.

Who wrote:

(a) P.S. I am going to look out for more of your short stories.

…………………………………………………..
1 mark

(b) P.S. It was interesting that there were refugees in your story, because things like that still
happen today.

…………………………………………………..
1 mark

(c) P.S. Stories should make the world a happier place.

…………………………………………………..
1 mark

2. This question is about the interview with Adèle Geras.

Before becoming a full-time writer, Adèle did a number of other jobs. Find and write down three of
them.

1. …………………………………………………………………………………..

2. …………………………………………………………………………………..

3. …………………………………………………………………………………..
1 mark

3. In her interview, Adèle says she is a little nervous on Monday mornings

Explain why you think she feels nervous.

………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………
2 marks

4. Why do you think Adèle compares reading a book with finding a

message-in-a-bottle?

………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………
1 mark

3
5. Fill in the table to show which statements about the Leaving Home booklet are fact and which are
opinion.

The first one has been done for you.

Fact Opinion

There should be more short stories

published for children. 

Adèle Geras has two daughters.

The story is depressing.

All 11-year-olds worry too much

about what happens in the world.
The story is about leaving home.
1 mark

6. For this question you need to look at these

pages in your reading booklet.

The text on these pages is arranged in different ways, for different reasons.

For example,

a points to the title - The text is in

large print, in the centre, at the top of
the page.

For b and c circle the best answer and explain the ways in which the text is arranged.

(i) b points to

a bib liog rap hy a descriptio n an interview a title

The text is …………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………
1 mark

(ii) c points to

a bib liog rap hy a descriptio n an interview a title

The text is …………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………
1 mark

4
5