Novel Study (March 3-6)

The Giver.  Chapters 8 and 9.

1. What is the difference between being ‘assigned’ and being, ‘selected’?
2. What do you think the Receiver meant when he claimed Jonas had, “the Capacity to See Beyond”?
3. What made Jonas feel “different” and “separate”?
4. What name does the community give to the term, bedroom.  Why do you think they call it that instead of bedroom?

Vocabulary

• Indolence, solemnly, spontaneously, unnerving, anguish.

Kicked Out.  Chapters 5 and 6. 

1. Are Gabe and Tiff good friends to Dime?  Explain.
2. Why did Dime go out the ‘preppy’ door?
3. What really made Dime cry while watching “Old Yeller”?
4. Why did Darren yell at Dime?
5. When someone questions Dime’s decisions and life, what does she do?

 Vocabulary

• Scouted, stoop, mumbled, obvious, teased.

My Side of the Mountain.  Pages #58-68.

1. Why might it be dangerous for Sam to set his deer trap in the summer?
2. Give one advantage and one disadvantage of the summer season.
3. Why did Sam take the sparrow that Frightful had caught from her?

Vocabulary

·         Threadbare, frayed, recognition, steely, preening.

The Outsiders.  Chapter 4.

1. Why was the park a good place for Johnny and Ponyboy to cool off?
2. What three things did Johnny say they needed to get out of their predicamet?
3. What did Ponyboy say was the best way to deal with Buck Merril?
4. What would your advice be to Johnny and Ponyboy if they came to you for help? Explain?

 Vocabulary

·         Ruefully, hermit, premonition, unceasingly, finality.

Lord of the Nutcracker Men.  Chapters 7 and 8.

1. How has the way in which Johnny’s father ends his letters changed?  Why do you think he has made this change?
2. Do you think Mr. Tuttle knows it was Johnny who ruined his roses?  Explain.
3. Johnny’s father uses an analogy to explain how it felt to leave his trench.  What is an analogy?  What analogy does he use?  Why is this analogy effective?
4. Why was the letter Johnny’s father wrote to him in this chapter Johnny’s favourite?  What does this tell you about Johnny’s understanding of the War?

 Vocabulary

• Loath, blight, barren, parapet, barricade.
• Nuisance, kinship, lunatic, sergeant, sniper.

Novel Studies (Feb 24-28)

My Side of the Mountain.  Pages #41-58

1. Why do you think Sam is so excited to get his falcon?
2. What lesson did the visit from the forest warden teach Sam?
3. Why was getting a deer so important to Sam?

Vocabulary

·         Shinnied, exertion, raving, resolved, berated.

Kicked Out.  Chapters 3 and 4.

1. Compare Darren’s strategy with dealing with Dime to that of his parents?  Which do you think will be more successful?
2. Why does Dime like Gabe so much?
3. Dime acts tough.  Is she as tough as she acts?  Explain.

 Vocabulary

• Aide, lecture, combat, rippled, unconscious.

The Giver.  Chapters #5-7

1.      What do you think the pills that Jonas now has to take, do?

2.      What did front-buttoned jackets symbolize?  Explain the symbolism.

3.     Explain the significance of the new-child’s name, “Caleb”.  What is your opinion of this tradition?

4.     Was the way the ‘Community’ corrected Asher’s speech, appropriate and effective?  Explain. 

Vocabulary

·         meticulously, scrupulously, prestige, chastisement, sheepish.

The Outsiders.  Chapter 3

1. Do you think Ponyboy and Cherry will ‘hook up’?  Why or why not?
2. Compare how the death of Pony’s parents has affected each of the three brothers.
3. What happens when Pony comes home after his curfew?  Why do you think Darry reacts this way?
4. At the end of the chapter, how does the author foreshadow that bad things are going to happen?

 Vocabulary

·         Impersonally, ornery, resignedly, aloof, quivering

Lord of the Nutcracker Men.  Chapters 5 and 6

1. Define ‘irony’.  Why was it ironic that Mr. Tuttle gave so much money to Johnny for his ‘guy’?
2.  What day was Johnny commemorating when he made his “guy”?  Describe the origin of the holiday.
3.  The author used the ceremony that Johnny went to as a metaphor.  What is a metaphor and what do you think the burning of Johnny’s ‘guy’ was supposed to represent?
4.  If Sarah’s voice, clothes, shape and hair aren’t like a boy’s, why did Johnny think, “she was exactly like a boy”?

Vocabulary

• Fizzly, suffragettes, livid, treason, whittle
• Sector, churned, atrocious, lolling, gangly.

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MSOTM. pp. 25-40.

Pages #25- 40

1. Did Sam make any mistakes his first few weeks on his own?  Explain.
2. Why did Sam consider hickory to be such a valuable tree?
3. Why do you think Sam decided to walk the old lady home?

Vocabulary

·         coltish, vague, fretting, citified, reaped.

Outsiders. Chapter 2

The group question is bolded.

1. Are the names Ponyboy and Sodapop nicknames?  Explain.
2. Why doesn’t Ponyboy like referring to Sodapop as a dropout?
3. What do you think Ponyboy means when he compares Two-Bit to a “Chessy cat”?
4. There are a lot of references to cigarettes in this novel.  Do you think the author is glorifying smoking (making it seem like a good thing)?  Explain.

 Vocabulary

·         Vaguely, nonchalantly, incredulous, hastily, roguishly

Giver. Chapters 3/4

*  If you have read ahead and know the answer to #5, skip it and answer #6.  Group question is bolded.  

1. What is the ‘community’s’ opinion of biological mothers?
2. Using evidence from the novel, describe what you think it means to be “released”.
3. Why was there no real need of a mirror in the community?
4. Described what happened to the apple that Asher and Jonas were playing catch with.  What do you think this could mean?
5. Why does the author describe Gabriel’s eyes as, “knowing”? (p. 25)

Vocabulary

·         chastise, petulantly, acknowledged, hoarded, nondescript.

LOTNM. Chapters 3/4

The group question is bolded 

1. Did Sarah’s father respect generals?
2. What about Johnny’s battle scene in his aunt’s garden was inaccurate?
3. How does the tone of the latest letter from Johnny’s father differ from the first two?
4. How did the author foreshadow that Mr. Tuttle was in the parlour waiting for Johnny?

Vocabulary

• Swagger stick, abide, satchel, lieutenant, Horlicks
• Gouged, barrage, private (from the novel!), waif, artillery.

"My Side of the Mountain" Novel Study #1

Pages #1 – 24.  #2 is the Group Question

1. Why do you suppose Sam ran away from home?
2.  What were the stomach contents of the first fish that Sam caught?  Is that good or bad?  Explain.
3. What did Sam discover while digging for worms?  Why did that worry him?

Vocabulary

Define the following words (as they are used in the novel), indicate the part of speech, and then use each in a full sentence that demonstrates that you understand its meaning.  Be careful of the different parts of speech in your sentences!

·         moans, folly, hushed, comfortably, exhibited.

"The Outsiders" Novel Study #1

Chapter 1.  #2 is the Group Question

1. Compare and contrast the ‘Socs’ and the ‘Greasers’.
2. What’s the difference between ‘tough’ and ‘tuff’?
3. Do you think Darry loves Ponyboy?  Why does he treat Ponyboy the way he does?
4. How do Ponyboy’s relationships with Darry and Sodapop differ?  Explain.

Vocabulary

Define the following words (as they are used in the novel), indicate the part of speech, and then use each in a full sentence that demonstrates that you understand its meaning.  Be careful of the different parts of speech in your sentences!

·         Editorials, irresistibly, wisps, dissect, sarcasm

"The Giver" Novel Study #1

Chapters #1-2.  #3 is the Group Question

1.  What changes will occur in Jonas's life after "The Ceremony"?
2. What word would you use to describe the ‘community’?  Give evidence from the novel to support your choice of the word.
3. Who is Asher?  How is he different than Jonas?
4. How would you describe the nature of the family's dinner conversation?

Vocabulary

Define the following words (as they are used in the novel), indicate the part of speech, and then use each in a full sentence that demonstrates that you understand its meaning.  Be careful of the different parts of speech in your sentences!

·         Pondered, disposition, nurturing, prominent, transgression. 

"Lord of the Nutcracker Men" Novel Study #1

Chapters 1 and 2.  #2 is the Group Question

1. What nationality were Johnny’s ‘Nutcracker Men’?  How do you know?
2. Why were people in Johnny’s neighbourhood disappearing?  Where do you think they were going?
3. Does Johnny understand what war means?  Explain.
4. Explain why Johnny’s mother went to the kitchen while she and Johnny were talking about Zepps and fighting.

Vocabulary

Define 5 of the following words (as they are used in the novel), indicate the part of speech, and then use each in a full sentence that demonstrates that you understand its meaning.  Be careful of the different parts of speech in your sentences!

• Bayonett, tanner, puttees, khaki, ‘Tommy’.
• Lorries, zeppelin, barrister, queuing.

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