Reasons for selection and synopsis
George’s nasty old grandma needs teaching a lesson. George decides the best remedy for her grumpiness is a special home-made
medicine. But Grandma gets more than she bargained for!
In George’s Marvellous Medicine, published in1981, George Kranky’s Grandma may not anticipate the results of the medicine fed to
her by her grandson, but like George, Roald Dahl also had fun mixing marvellous concoctions. He called them witches potions
and delivered them to his children just before bedtime. They included ingredients like tinned peaches blended with milk and either pink,
blue or green food colouring. His were put together carefully, though – none of the nasty side effects George’s Grandma experienced…

Before reading…
What do you think the book will be about? What things can you see on the front cover? What sort of story will it be? Who might enjoy it?
Now read the blurb – were any of your predictions correct?What might be in the marvellous medicine?

Grandma & The Marvellous Plan

Vocabulary 

What is mischief?
What does griping mean?
Find and copy a phrase on Page 7 that shows that Grandma is experiencing joy.
Define beckoning. Can you beckon someone?
What does it mean if something is marvellous?
Define ‘pondering’.

Infer 

How can you immediately tell that George regularly gets up to mischief?
Why doesn’t George like Grandma very much?
True or false: Grandma is demanding.
Do you think Grandma really does love eating bugs?
How does Grandma try to convince George that she is a witch?

Predict 

Predict what mischief George might get up to.
Predict George’s marvellous plan.
Predict what George’s new medicine will do to Grandma.

Explain 

Do you think it was fair that Grandma scalded George for growing? Why?
Explain how Dahl uses italics for effect.

Retrieve 

What time does Grandma need her medicine?
Why was George so bored?
How old is George?
What does Grandma tell George he needs to eat?
Why couldn’t George put a snake down Grandma’s back?
How long does George have to make a new medicine?

Summarise 

What impression do you get of Grandma? Pick one word to sum her up and explain why you chose that word.
Do the same for George.

George Begins To Make The Medicine & Animal Pills

Vocabulary 

What word on Page 18 is a synonym for cure?
Define ‘solemn’.
What does ‘the faintest idea’ mean?
What does it mean to ‘smell a rat’?

Infer 

Why might the medicine cupboard be dreaded?
On Page 21, George doesn’t give reasons for some of the ingredients. Using the information on the page before, think of some of the reasons George
might have for including them.
Why does George think the medicine has to be brown?
Why does George decide to boil the medicine?

Predict 

Predict what else George might put in the medicine, based on the chapter title ‘Animal Pills’.

Explain 

Do you think the medicine is a good idea? Why?

Retrieve 

How big is the pan George picks out?
What is George’s methodology towards making his medicine?
What’s the first thing that goes into Grandma’s medicine?
How much washing powder does George put in?
How does George treat Grandma?
Which medicine does George remember? Why can he touch this one?
What does George stir the medicine with?

Summarise 

Do you think George’s plan will work? Summarise why or why not in less than forty words.

The Cook Up & Brown Paint

Vocabulary 

What is spluttering?
What is the difference between steam and froth?

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