Black Harvest: Reading Adventure & Quiz

"Can you stop the car? I'm going to be sick," moaned Oliver. "Not again," Prill muttered, under her breath. It was the third time since Dublin.

Mr Blakeman pulled off the road, slammed the brakes on, and jumped out, grabbing Oliver and steering him towards a clump of grass. The sudden jolt had woken the baby and she was wriggling in her mother's arms, making the dry-throated complaining noise that was usually followed by a great bawl. By now she must be both hungry and wet. Before too long they'd have to stop yet again and get the nappies out. They were never going to reach Dr. Moynihan's bungalow at this rate.

"moaned Oliver": The word 'moaned' tells us Oliver is feeling truly miserable. It's more than just asking politely — he's in real discomfort.
"Prill muttered, under her breath": This shows Prill is annoyed but doesn't want to say it out loud. Muttering 'under her breath' means she's keeping her frustration to herself, which tells us she's irritated but trying not to be unkind.
"slammed the brakes on, and jumped out, grabbing Oliver and steering him": Notice how the writer uses a chain of quick action verbs — slammed, jumped, grabbing, steering. This creates a sense of urgency and shows how rushed and stressful the journey has become.
"the dry-throated complaining noise that was usually followed by a great bawl": The writer describes the baby's cry in stages. First comes the quiet grumbling, then the full-volume scream. This detail makes the scene feel very realistic and adds to the chaos.
"They were never going to reach Dr. Moynihan's bungalow at this rate": This shows the family's frustration. The journey is taking much longer than expected because of all the stops.

Muttered: Said something quietly, often in an annoyed or complaining way, so that others can barely hear. (e.g., "She muttered an apology as she bumped into someone.")
Clump: A small group of things growing close together, like a cluster of grass or trees.
Jolt: A sudden, sharp movement or shake. (e.g., "The bus hit a bump and gave everyone a jolt.")
Bawl: To cry very loudly and noisily. (e.g., "The toddler began to bawl when his toy was taken away.")
Wriggling: Twisting and turning the body with quick movements, like a worm.

1. How many times has Oliver been sick on the journey from Dublin?

2. Where is the family travelling to?

3. Why does Prill mutter 'Not again' under her breath instead of saying it loudly?

From the front seat Colin sneaked a quick look at his cousin. This car business was getting ridiculous. Nobody could help being sick but by now Oliver couldn't have anything left to be sick with. It was all in his mind.

"Please would you move up?" the small boy said to Prill. There was plenty of room but she still slid over towards her mother, leaving a strip of seat between them. Oliver's large pale eyes inspected it carefully, then he bent down and lifted a pile of books back on to his bony knees, hugging them to his chest as if to ward off blows.

Colin and Prill had looked at the books last night, in the Dublin hotel. Most of them were about bugs and beetles, and there was one about Ireland too. Mr Blakeman was impressed. "Your cousin's obviously been doing his homework," he said. "Look at all these ... Insects ... mosses ... The Land and People of Ireland ... This is what you two should have been doing. When you're going to spend a month in a place like Ballimagliesh it's as well to know something about it."

"sneaked a quick look": Colin looks at Oliver secretly, which suggests he's curious but doesn't want Oliver to notice him staring. This tells us Colin is observing Oliver rather than talking to him directly.
"It was all in his mind": Colin believes Oliver's sickness is psychosomatic — that means caused by anxiety or nerves rather than a real illness. Oliver is probably nervous about the trip, and his body is reacting to his feelings.
"hugging them to his chest as if to ward off blows": This is a simile. Oliver holds his books like a shield, as though he expects to be hit. This tells us he feels vulnerable, anxious, and perhaps used to being picked on. His books are his comfort and protection.
"Oliver's large pale eyes inspected it carefully": The description of Oliver's eyes as 'large' and 'pale' makes him seem fragile and nervous. The fact that he 'inspected' the seat carefully shows he is cautious and anxious about his surroundings.
"This is what you two should have been doing": Mr Blakeman praises Oliver and tells off Colin and Prill at the same time. He sounds like a schoolteacher here, which is exactly what annoys Prill in the next section.

Sneaked: Did something secretly or in a way that tries to avoid being noticed. (e.g., "He sneaked a biscuit from the tin when Mum wasn't looking.")
Inspected: Looked at something very carefully and closely, checking every detail. (e.g., "The detective inspected the room for clues.")
Ward off: To keep away or defend against something harmful. (e.g., "She wore a thick scarf to ward off the cold.")
Bony: Very thin, so that the bones can be seen or felt. This suggests Oliver is a skinny, delicate child.
Impressed: Feeling admiration because someone has done something well or shown good qualities.

4. What does Colin mean when he thinks Oliver's sickness is 'all in his mind'?

5. Why does Oliver hug his books 'as if to ward off blows'?

6. Which two people is Prill sitting between in the back of the car?

Prill was cross. Dad didn't often sound like a schoolteacher, even though he was one. Anyway, she'd been too busy practising for her Gold Award down at the swimming pool to do much reading, and Colin had only just come back from the school camp.

Oliver's books smelt peculiar. They weren't new, with shiny coloured jackets, but musty and faded, and they all had Uncle Stanley's name in the front. That smell had taken Colin right back into his early childhood, to a place in London, a tall, thin house in a terrace near the River Thames. He could remember a gloomy front door with the paint peeling, and dark corridors inside, where old men and women came and went silently, like ghosts.

"Prill was cross": This short, blunt sentence tells us exactly how Prill feels. She's angry because her father is praising Oliver and criticising her and Colin at the same time.
"Dad didn't often sound like a schoolteacher, even though he was one": This reveals that Mr Blakeman is a teacher. Prill is annoyed because at home he usually talks to them like a normal dad, but right now he's lecturing them as if they were his pupils.
"musty and faded": The books are old and smell of damp. They belong to Uncle Stanley. 'Musty' means having a stale, damp smell — like an old library or an unused room. 'Faded' means the colours have become pale and washed out over time.
"That smell had taken Colin right back into his early childhood": This shows how powerful smells can be at triggering memories. The musty book smell acts like a time machine, pulling Colin back to a specific place from years ago.
"old men and women came and went silently, like ghosts": This is a simile. The people in Uncle Stanley's house are compared to ghosts because they move quietly and seem almost invisible. It makes the house feel strange, spooky, and unwelcoming — as if it belongs to another world.

Musty: Having a stale, damp smell, like old books or a room that hasn't been opened for a long time. (e.g., "The attic smelt musty because nobody had been up there for years.")
Faded: Lost brightness or colour over time; become pale and worn. (e.g., "The curtains were faded from years of sunlight.")
Gloomy: Dark, dim, and depressing. (e.g., "The corridor was gloomy and unwelcoming.")
Peculiar: Strange or unusual; not quite right. (e.g., "There was a peculiar noise coming from the basement.")
Terrace: A row of houses that are joined together in one long block, sharing side walls.

7. What makes Prill cross about Mr Blakeman's words?

8. What has Oliver been reading about to prepare for the trip?

9. What does the simile 'like ghosts' tell us about Uncle Stanley's house?

Reading: Black Harvest

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