Portal Bandits by Jim Schembri

Format: Novel

Extent: 254 pp

Overview

This fascinating and challenging novel will provide engrossing reading for young adults, science fiction buffs and others interested in extra terrestrial exploration and the concepts that go with it.

Three ordinary school children are faced with the possibility of going to a parallel world to save the planet from an unknown danger that is threatening it. By agreeing to do so they find their lives are changed forever. The normality of their lives and their everyday interests is contrasted with their incredible experiences and the knowledge they gain in taking part in the mission.

The novel is unusual and the different presentation provides a stimulating and fascinating story that is gripping reading. The story is told in an usual tone and style that will appeal to its audience, yet readers will be faced with a great deal of exciting and challenging concepts.

Author Profile

Jim Schembri is a Melbourne writer and journalist who has written a wide range of young adult novels, including Murder in Aisle 9, Welcome to Minute 16, The Eight Lives of Stullie the Great, and Portal Bandits. He has also penned several illustrated novels for secondary students and books for younger children. During office hours, Jim is a feature writer for The Age newspaper. He lives in Footscray.

Find out more about Jim Schembri at his website

Assessment checklist

After reading and completing the activities for Portal Bandits by Jim Schembri,students will gain the skills to:

  • discuss issues
  • identify techniques in texts
  • recognise specific language for different purposes
  • increase word usage
  • recognise figurative language such as similes and metaphors
  • recognise chronological shifts
  • proofread
  • recognise gender issues

Activities

Small-group activities

  1. Make a list of the characters in the story and their counterparts, briefly alluding to the qualities of each.
  2. Look at the links Jim Schembri makes in his novel such as the ‘brilliant flash of white light’ that people witness. What was the explanation for this event?
  3. Who or what was Giordano Bruno?
  4. Find the point in the story when we return to where the story begins.
  5. Give instances of some weird happenings that occurred in the story.
  6. What made Garth turn over a new leaf and begin to behave in a responsible manner?
  7. Who is Ms Tarsh? Where does she come from? How did she get to earth? Why did she come? (74-5)
  8. What is a portal opening?
  9. From where does the novel get its title?
  10. Who or what decides that the three will answer the plea put before them? (96)
  11. What difficulties did the three have to face in their parallel worlds?
  12. What was the conundrum that has to be solved? (144)
  13. Describe Arnold’s situation in space in the final scene.
  14. Explain what happens at the end of the novel.
  15. Look at current references the audience will readily comprehend, like to Bart on page 22. From the text, find other examples of language typical to teenagers.
  16. Compile a list of technological terms to do with space.

Whole-class activities

  1. As a class, discuss the following issues and concepts from the novel:
  • time, drugs, invasion of privacy, the Geneva Convention, risks, choices, chance, peer group pressure, cheating, lying, maturity, ethics, being responsible, control, trust, truth, motivation, true friends, the imagination, reality, greed, wars, traitors, spies, betrayal, protocol, death
  • ploys students use with teachers and each other
  • the way people interact socially
  1. Construct a time-line to show over what time period the action in the novel takes place.
  2. Talk about the statement, ‘Human nature is human nature’. (88)

  1. From the novel, give instances of:
  • problem solving
  • the differences in the behaviour of boys and girls
  • females in positions of power
  1. Comment on the style and tone in which Portal Banditsis told.
  2. As a class, act out the story with each person being a character from the novel and retelling their story.

Individual activities

Characters

  1. Do a pen portrait (a picture using words) of the three main characters, Garth, Lucy and Arnold. Give a brief outline of the characters before they partake in the mission in a parallel world and how each reacts to the situation they find themselves in Earth 11.
  2. How does each character develop as a result of their experience on Earth 11?

Vocabulary and language

  1. Give the opposite of: ordinary (7), perturbing (121), overt (121), unambiguous (122), encumbered (123), incredulously (127), disinformation (143).
  2. Explain the meaning of: camaraderie (12), eloquently (12), caustic (12), leviathan (17), contemptuous (19), emblazoned (20), foolhardy (23), impinged (23), enigmatic (24), tome (24), affable (40), exploited (40), mortified (71), transfixed (72), ensconced (105), coterie (134), minions (135), corpulent (142), anterior (222).
  3. Distinguish the difference in meaning of the following words: pored (45)/poured; raze (80)/raise; complement (113)/compliment; rein (114)/reign/rain; affect (120)/effect; practise (135)/practice; preying (142)/praying.
  4. Jim Schembri uses lots of figurative images in the form of similes and metaphors: like a salted pretzel (7); frosty with suspicion (12); Leon’s eyes shot lasers into Garth’s head (15); Leon’s voice was a carving knife of accusation (35); and lilting language: weeds, reeds and a few sad trees (7). Find more of these vivid word pictures from the text. Write some sentences of your own that include similes, metaphors and lilting language.

Writing

  1. Give an account of the parallel worlds and their histories.
  2. Examine in detail the way the story is set out and divided up and ascertain what the purpose of such breaks and divisions is and what they contribute to the story as a whole. Make comments about the time shifts and how these are handled in the story. Note the way the story moves between the present and the past in its opening phases.
  3. There are many descriptive passages that convey scenes and establish atmosphere. Find one that you found particularly impressive and say why you chose that piece.
  4. Write a review of Portal Bandits by Jim Schembri, briefly outlining the plot and giving a critique of the novel. Exchange your finished work with a classmate to proofread and make critical comments and suggestions.

Research

Using the Internet or library, find out more about:

  • the library in Alexandria
  • the medicine of music