Before and during reading
Look closely at the front cover of the book. As a class, discuss your expectations of the book. What do you think
the story will be about? Where and when might it be set?
What genre do you think it will be (e.g. fantasy, suspense, comedy, historical fiction, true story)? Provide reasons for your responses.
The subtitle of this book is “The story of a light horse”. What is a light horse? For more information visit
www.lighthorse.org.au/famous-battles/world-war-one
Look at the title page. What extra information does it give the reader about the story?
Listen to the story being read aloud by your teacher, without looking at the illustrations.
Then, read or listen to the story being read again, this time looking at the illustrations. How did the illustrations add to, or change, the meaning of the story?
Did they look as you expected them to, or were there significant differences between the way you imagined the story and the way Lessac presented it?
Look back at the cover of the book, do you think that it looks as though it will be a war story? Why do you think the illustrator has not used war images on the cover? How does the image make you feel? Why does the author and illustrator want you to feel this way before you read the book? Do you think it is appropriate?
Look closely at the front cover of the book. As a class, discuss your expectations of the book. What do you think
the story will be about? Where and when might it be set?
What genre do you think it will be (e.g. fantasy, suspense, comedy, historical fiction, true story)? Provide reasons for your responses.
The subtitle of this book is “The story of a light horse”. What is a light horse? For more information visit
www.lighthorse.org.au/famous-battles/world-war-one
Look at the title page. What extra information does it give the reader about the story?
Listen to the story being read aloud by your teacher, without looking at the illustrations.
Then, read or listen to the story being read again, this time looking at the illustrations. How did the illustrations add to, or change, the meaning of the story?
Did they look as you expected them to, or were there significant differences between the way you imagined the story and the way Lessac presented it?
Look back at the cover of the book, do you think that it looks as though it will be a war story? Why do you think the illustrator has not used war images on the cover? How does the image make you feel? Why does the author and illustrator want you to feel this way before you read the book? Do you think it is appropriate?
Follow Guy’s journey on a map or globe. Discuss how he might have travelled to these places in 1915 and how that
might be different today.
• Hunter Valley, NSW (the homestead)
• Gallipoli
• Giza
• Sinai
• Beersheba
• Cairo (Australian General Hospital)
What is the significance of Guy sharing his water withMidnight? What does it show about the relationship
between Guy and his horse?
Midnight is narrative nonfiction. What does that mean? List the parts of the story that are historical fact and those that may be the author’s
creative interpretation. How would the story be different if it was purely nonfiction?
Watch the following short documentary account of the event. Afterwards, discuss the elements of truth that have been included in the story, both in words and pictures.
might be different today.
• Hunter Valley, NSW (the homestead)
• Gallipoli
• Giza
• Sinai
• Beersheba
• Cairo (Australian General Hospital)
What is the significance of Guy sharing his water withMidnight? What does it show about the relationship
between Guy and his horse?
Midnight is narrative nonfiction. What does that mean? List the parts of the story that are historical fact and those that may be the author’s
creative interpretation. How would the story be different if it was purely nonfiction?
Watch the following short documentary account of the event. Afterwards, discuss the elements of truth that have been included in the story, both in words and pictures.
Discuss the use of descriptive language in the passage “Coal black. Star ablaze. Moonlight in her eyes.” How is this more effective than if the author had simply written,
“Midnight was black and had a star shape on her head”?
What extra feelings or ideas does this imagery conjure up for the reader? Can you locate any other examples of imagery in the book? Why do you think the author has included them?
What have you learnt about light horsemen and the role they played in the War from this true story? Keep an eye out for more of their stories at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
“Midnight was black and had a star shape on her head”?
What extra feelings or ideas does this imagery conjure up for the reader? Can you locate any other examples of imagery in the book? Why do you think the author has included them?
What have you learnt about light horsemen and the role they played in the War from this true story? Keep an eye out for more of their stories at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.