Journey to the River Sea

Chapter One

The story so far…

· Maia, who is a clever and brave girl with a beautiful voice, lives at a girls' boarding school in London as her parents have died.

· She is told by her guardian that she will be travelling to live with distant relatives, the Carters, in Brazil.

· The Carter twins wrote her a letter welcoming her, and Maia decides that everything will be OK.

· Her friends and teachers see her off, accompanied by a stern governess, Miss Minton.

· Miss Minton tells Maia how she broke her umbrella beating a boy for mistreating a puppy.

· As they board the ship for Brazil, Maia is pleased to see that Miss Minton is taking a huge trunk full of books on the voyage.

Vocabulary from Chapter One

prized - valued

Guardian - a person who protected Maia's welfare in place of her parents

hamlet -a small settlement, smaller than a village

prow - the pointed front of a ship

devastating -causing severe shock and grief

consul - official responsible for looking after a country's citizens abroad

engaged - hired to do a job

governess - someone who taught children in their home

macaws - a type of parrot

vowed - promised

faltered - moved hesitantly

Dislocated - put out of place

dismissed – sacked

How is meaning enhanced through the author's choice of words and phrases?

• As we read this book, think how the author, Eva Ibbotson, chooses language to help us imagine the scenes and characters she is describing.
• For example, let's read the first page of chapter 2....
• Which language helps us to imagine the scenes and characters that Eva Ibbotson is describing?
• Can you find an expanded noun phrase?

New Vocabulary

• Liner
• Funnel
• State Rooms
• Porpoises
• Pitched

Chapter Two – Independent Learning

• Now listen to or read the rest of chapter 2.
• To listen to the rest of chapter two click on the link on the webpage and start from 19:52 (19 minutes 52 seconds). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7U5B873gtc
• To read chapter 2, click on the link and scroll down to Chapter Two then read to the bottom of the webpage and then click on the right arrow to the next page and scroll down whilst you read until you get to the end of chapter 2.
• https://onlinereadfreenovel.com/eva-ibbotson/page,2,48550-journey_to_the_river_sea.html.

Once you have read chapter 2…

• Complete the worksheet:
• Use an online dictionary or thesaurus to learn the meanings for any new vocabulary e.g.knickerbockers.