Bholi had many apprehensions about going to school. What made her feel that she was going to a better place than her home?

Do you think this is a real-life episode, or mere fiction? Or is it a mixture of both?

“Griffin was rather a lawless person.” Comment.

“Ausable did not fit any description of a secret agent Fowler had ever read.” What do secret agents in books and films look like, in your opinion? Discuss in groups or in class some stories or movies featuring spies, detectives and secret agents, and compare their appearance with that of Ausable in this story. (You may mention characters from fiction in languages other than English. In English fiction you may have come across Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, or Miss Marple. Have you watched any movies featuring James Bond?)

How does Ausable manage to make Max believe that there is a balcony attached to his room? Look back at his detailed description of it. What makes it a convincing story?

Horace Danby was a meticulous planner but still he faltered. Where did he go wrong and why?

What kind of a person do you think the narrator, a veterinary surgeon, is? Would you say he is tactful as well as full of commonsense?

What was the cause of Matilda’s ruin? How could she have avoided it?

The course of the Loisels’ life changed due to the necklace. Comment.

Bholi’s story must have moved you. Do you think girl children are not treated at par with boys? You are aware that the government has introduced a scheme to save the girl child as the sex ratio is declining. The scheme is called Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Save the Girl Child. Read about the scheme and design a poster in groups of four and display on the school notice board.

How does he treat the dog?

What was the cause of Matilda’s ruin? How could she have avoided it?

Do you think this is a real-life episode, or mere fiction? Or is it a mixture of both?

What would have happened to Matilda if she had confessed to her friend that she had lost her necklace?

If you were in Noodle’s place, how would you handle Think-Tank’s mistakes?

How can one become a scientist, an economist, a historian... ? Does it simply involve reading many books on the subject? Does it involve observing, thinking and doing experiments?

Who is speaking to Horace Danby?

Who is Fowler and what is his first authentic thrill of the day?

Who is Lutkins?

How did the invisible man first become visible?

Why does Mrs Hall find the scientist eccentric?