Framed Activity Sheet
Chatterbooks in Lockdown
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Hopefully you enjoyed reading 'Framed' – but just how well did you read it? See if you can answer these quiz questions:
Not read it yet? Order a copy using Arena the online library catalogue.
- Where is the story set, and why is that few people can find this place?
- How did Dylan know it was Daft Tom who tried to rob the Snowdonia Oasis Auto Centre?
- Why is Dylan “the loneliest boy in Wales”?
- “Team Hughes” each try to contribute ideas to help with the family’s situation. Name some.
- What was the main feature of Manod and how had this provided employment? What had happened to it in recent years?
- What did Lester show Dylan and his Dad in the secret place at the top of the mountain and why were these items there?
- Why did Lester think Dylan was an expert on art? How did the confusion come about?
- The art works transform the town and have a significant effect on some of the people – who and how?
- Where was Mr Hughes’ red Mini Cooper found and why was it there?
- What “confidential” piece of paper did Minnie find in the book and what idea did it give her?
- What did the ‘painting by numbers’ picture resemble, and where did Dylan etc hide it?
- What is the Snowdonia Oasis Auto Centre renamed at the end of the book?
Tourist Leaflet
Could you design a tourist leaflet for the town of Manod to encourage more people to visit it?
List the attractions of the town, what facilities and amenities it has (p.19-21). Include the slogan “Manod- somewhere under a rainbow” and entitle your leaflet “WELCOME TO MANOD”.
Art
Can you name this famous picture? Who painted it and what is its importance to the story?
What other paintings are mentioned in the story? Find out all you can about them. (see p.365 at the back of the book for a list of those mentioned).
You can view them at www.nationalgallery.org.uk.
Team Hughes
“Each separate Turtle is good, but put them together into a team and they are unbeatable”
‘The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ were 4 fictional superhero turtles that lived in the sewers of New York City from where they battled against criminals, evil overlords and alien invaders.
They originated in comic books in the 1980s and then expanded into cartoon series, films, video games and toys. In the book, Tom was fanatical about them and collected any merchandise
including valuable collectable figures.
‘The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ are constantly referenced throughout the book, and the Hughes family are often compared to them, especially how as a team they can work well together,
each bringing a particular skill or quality which helps the team effort.
What does each member of “Team Hughes” (Mam, Dad, Dylan, Marie, Minnie and Max) contribute? What special skills does Dylan have? How does Tom become a member of “Team Hughes”?
It may help to plot your answers in table form showing the member of the family and the special contribution they make. The Family members are:
- Mam
- Dad
- Dylan
- Marie
- Minnie
- Max
- Tom
Are all families like this? Think about your own family. What do each of your family members bring to your “team”? Maybe do a similar table for your family to help clarify your ideas.
- Where is the story set, and why is that few people can find this place? Manod, a small town in Wales, with the lowest crime rate and highest rainfall in Britain. People can’t find it because there is no sign for Manod on the A496.
- How did Dylan know it was Daft Tom who tried to rob the Snowdonia Oasis Auto Centre? Because he was wearing a balaclava knitted by his mum and Dylan had the same one, he called Dad, “Mr Hughes”, he was the only one in Manod who had a mountain bike and he was wearing a Ninja turtles’ helmet.
- Why is Dylan “the loneliest boy in Wales”? Only boy in Manod – no one to play football with
- “Team Hughes” each try to contribute ideas to help with the family’s situation. Name some. Car boot sale, coffee machine, hens, cakes
- What was the main feature of Manod and how had this provided employment? What had happened to it in recent years? Mountain which housed a slate quarry, now disused.
- What did Lester show Dylan and his Dad in the secret place at the top of the mountain and why were these items there? Works of art. There have been floods in the National Gallery of Art in London. So the paintings have been moved to a safe secret location. (Based on true story. This also happened in WW2 to save paintings from being bombed.) Now because of insurance issues/costs can’t take them all back so taking one painting a week to put on show in a special room in the National Gallery.
- Why did Lester think Dylan was an expert on art? How did the confusion come about? Thinks he is an art expert because he refers to the Teenage Mutant Turtles, who were named after Italian renaissance artists, Michaelangelo, Leonardo, Donatello and Raphael.
- The art works transform the town and have a significant effect on some of the people – who and how? Art transforms the town. “The Umbrellas” by Renoir - Gets Mam out of her depression. Puts umbrellas around town as it is always raining – “Psychadelic boa constrictor” and the Butcher, Mr Davis who is sad because his little boy was killed, is inspired by “Bathers at Le Grenouillere” by Monet to open up the park and boating lake.
- Where was Mr Hughes’ red Mini Cooper found and why was it there? It was hidden inside the park’s pavilion. Mr Hughes had hidden it there and claimed it had been stolen in order to get the insurance pay out.
- What “confidential” piece of paper did Minnie find in the book and what idea did it give her? List of the paintings with their insurance valuations. She wants to be a master criminal so has the idea of stealing one and replacing it with the painting by numbers version of sunflowers.
- What did the ‘painting by numbers’ picture resemble, and where did Dylan etc hide it? Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh. Hidden behind Miss Sellwood’s painting which isn’t what they think.
- What is the Snowdonia Oasis Auto Centre renamed at the end of the book? Masterpiece café.
Page last updated: 1st February 2021