Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Gren Angel by Alice Hoffman


Heart
What happened to Green's family?  Why wasn't she there?  How does she feel about herself now?
Vocabulary:
foretell (6)
douse (6)
defer (9)
coax (11)
embers (16)
edible (26)

Soul
How has Green changed her appearance?  How does this make her a different person?
Vocabulary:
brackish (37)
precaution (39)
dispute (41)
wary (44)

Treasure
Who has Ash begun to take care of?  How are her caring actions different than her changing looks?
Vocabulary:
dredged (62)
devoid (63)
salve (64)
converge (68)
famished (69)

Rain - Sister
Did Green really change throughout the story?  What did she gain and what did she lose?
Vocabulary:
render (86)
quench (92)
etched (100)

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Sort of Forever by Sally Warner


Prologue - Chapter 1
In what ways are Cady and Nana different?  How has cancer changed Nana?
Vocabulary:
flourish (1)
sputtering (8)
solemn (9)
fatigue (10)

Chapters 2 - 3
How has Nana's attitude about her future changed?  How do you think news from doctors caused this to change?
Vocabulary:
shabby (20)
exertion (20)
confidential (23)
prim (27)
jounce (36)

Chapters 4 - 5
Why do you think Athea's comments and questions made Cady so angry?
Vocabulary:
abdomen (46)
objected (52)
criticism (53)
vivid (64)

Chapter 6 - 8
Where do you think Russle's fear is coming from?  What is he afraid might happen?
Vocbaulary:
enticing (66)
trespassing (69)
transparent (73)
miffed (77)
fatigue (89)

Chapters 9 - 11
Cady is being pulled in two different directions by Laura and Nana.  What do each want from Cady?
Vocabulary:
giddy (99)
outrage (106)
monstrosity (113)
pixie (118)

Chapters 12 - 13
What ideas about life and death do you think the author wanted you to think about?
Vocabulary:
swivel (122)
rummage (123)

Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick


Chapters 1 - 3
What do we know about our narrator?  What are his feelings towards Gram and Grim?
Vocabulary:
phony (2)
resembles (3)
vacant (6)
humongous (12)

Chapters 4 - 6
In what ways are our narrator and Freak similar to eachother?  How do they compliment one another?
Vocabulary:
sobriquet (15)
postulate (16)
spastic (25)
cretin (31)

Chapters 7 - 8
Why do you think Grim calls Max "son" after he comes home with the police?   How is this different from ususal, and might it mean?
Vocabulary:
perspective (34)
cavalry (38)
stern (42)
hoodlum (43)

Chapters 9 - 10
Max always does what Freak tells him.  Why do you think this is?
Vocabulary:
steed (49)
incision (51)
bionics (52)
smug (54)
optimum (56)

Chapters 11 - 12
How is Max treated at school?  Why does his relationship with Freak change that?
Vocabulary:
fidgety (64)
urgency (67)

Chapters 13 - 14
What are Grim's feelings about Killer Kane?  What actions has he promised?  What feelings do you think Max has?
Vocabulary:
dyslexic (81)
miraculous (84)
obligations (90)

Chapters 15 - 16
Why do you think Max just goes along with everything that's happeneing?  Why doesn't he say, "no" or run?
Vocabualry:
paralyzed (100)
deprived (103)
sass (105)

Chapters 17 - 19
What is you opinion of Loretta Lee?  How has she been important tot he story?  How has she changed throughout the story?
Vocabulary:
dysfunctional (109)
sorrwoful (111)
impressive (117)
ignorant (127)

Chapters 20 - 22
Why is Freak's birthday different?  Why do you think they would celebrate "Freak the Mighty" being one year old?
Vocabulary:
pry (128)
scuttle (131)
abducting (136)
prodigy (143)

Chapters 23 - 25
Do you think Kevin was a liar?  Why do you think he created something that wasn't true?
Vocabulary:
manifestation (149)
stabalize (151)

Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception


Prolgue - Chapter 1
How did Opal spend the last two years?  What was she thinking about?  Why?
Vocabulary:
contradict (1)
exemplary (2)
incarceration (6)
docile (7)
catatonic (12)
siphoning (13)

Chapter 2
Why does Artemis feel he needs to steal The Fairy Thief?  What obstacles stand in his way?
Vocabulary:
ingenious (29)
ensnaring (31)
inquiries (24)
hypocrisy (35)
phobic (38)

Chapter 3
How did Opal outthink Root and Holly?  Why does she want revenge on them?
Vocabulary:
absorbed (58)
metropolis (61)
agitated (62)
sibilant (66)
deftly (69)
dour (73)

Chapter 4
What is Holly's life like now?  What is she accused of?  What does she know?  What are her options?
Vocabulary:
congested (91)
foremost (96)
authenticate (97)
subterfuge (98)
imminent (105)

Chapter 5
Why do you think Artemis trusts everything Holly told him?  Would you?  How might he help Holly?
Vocabulary:
reluctant (119)
authentic (122)
aghast (125)
rattled (132)

Chapter 6
What enables Butler to remember everything?  Why is the word important?  What does it mean?
Vocabulary:
optimistic (143)
conceal (149)
prestige (156)
patronizing (157)
sentient (163)

Chapter 7
How does Artemis feel about everything that's happening?  Why won't his memories return?
Vocabualry:
exorbitant (169)
condemned (171)
impudence (173)
derelict (175)
apt (178)
manacled (180)

Chapter 8
If Zito's probes do work as planned, what does it mean for the story?  Do you think it would help if Holly surrendered?
Vocabulary:
deduce (230)
condemn (231)
exhilarated (233)
megalomaniac (236)
euphoria (241)

Chapter 9
Draw a picture of Opal's plan as you understand it.  Label thinks like Haven and Opal.
Vocabulary:
melodic (248)
beleagured (250)
meandering (251)
legitimate (253)
sabotage (256)

Chapter 10
How does Artemis outhink Opal?  What are some of the ways she is showing her insanity?
Vocabualry:
exposure (263)
anomalies (269)
awe (276)
avert (282)
disparaging (288)

Chapters 11 - Epilogue
Artemis' return of The Fairy Thief means what for his future?  How has he changed fromt he beginning of the book?
Vocabulary:
subdue (324)
sedatives (337)
tantalizing (342)

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Blood Fever by Charlie Higson


Prologue - Chapter 1
What is the purpose of the Danger Society?  How do you join?  What do the members do?
Vocabulary:
bulwark (vi)
shoal (vii)
uncivial (xi)
protrude (xv)
evade (2)
jaunt (10)

Chapters 2 - 4
Describe James' aunt.  What does she do?  How does she feel about Latin?
Vocabulary:
gnarled (14)
decrepit (17)
prefect (24)
mock (30)
grisly (34)
mutely (40)

Chapters 5 - 6
What do we know about Zoltan?  Where is he from?  How did he become a sailor?  What is he planning?
Vocabulary:
horde (45)
drawl (50)
saunter (54)
cacophany (60)
sullen (62)
contraband (64)

Chapters 7 - 8
Why doesn't James trust Cooper-Ffrench?  What information do we know about him?
Vocabulary:
excavate (70)
skullguggery (73)
brusk (85)
raucous (87)
idle (90)

Chapters 9 - 11
Describe Count Ugo and his sister Jana.  How do they act?  How are they different from each other?
Vocabulary:
incongruous (98)
quay (103)
subconscious (105)
nauseous (109)
ensamble (115)
vivid (116)
extravagant (120)

Chapters 12 - 13
How does James' dive help to make Mauro a friend?  Does the attack later bring them closer together or farther apart?  Why?
Vocabulary:
desolate (129)
mimicked (133)
recoil (138)
neutrality (145)
chaotic (151)
grime (155)

Chapters 14 - 15
What is Ugo's house like?  What clues exist for James to discover Ugo's guilt?
Vocabulary:
lurid (158)
arid (159)
facades (162)
stable (173)
agitated (175)
replica (177)

Chapters 16 - 17
What is your opinion of Zoltan?  Is he a good or a bad character?  Has he been helpful or hurtful to James?
Vocabulary:
grimace (187)
excrement (189)
ungainly (191)
feud (149)
unimpeded (203)
primative (204)

Chapters 18 - 20
Who ends up working for Ugo?  Why?  What is he willing to do, or kill for his boss?
Vocabulary:
rivalry (215)
neglected (217)
discarded (220)
agile (227)
exquisite (236)
martyr (241)

Chapters 21 - 23
How does Ugo decide to torture James?  Why?  What happenes because fo the torture?
Vocabulary:
guise (246)
pierce (253)
menace (255)
livid (256)
writhe (264)
enquiring (266)

Chapters 24 - 25
What choise does James have about saving Amy?  Who wants to keep her?  What does James want to happen?
Vocabulary:
aromatic (276)
drowsiness (279)
dialect (283)
lurid (286)
sporatic (289)
tension (296)

Chapters 26 - 30
How does the story end for James?  What about for Zoltan?  Did he get what he wanted?
Vocabulary:
falter (299)
monotany (300)
entourage (312)
maneuvered (341)
trodden (346)

Woodsong by Gary Paulsen


Chapters 1 - 2
What do you think Gary Paulsen means when he says "knew nothing" about the doe or the dogs?
Vocabulary:
paradox (1)
tandem (2)
"run amuck" (9)
ignorant (11)

Chapters 3 - 4
Why was Gary Paulsen motivated to kill Scarhead?  Why didn't he do it?  How do you think you might have reacted?
Vocabulary:
clarity (21)
allieviate (22)
melancholy (32)
lope (33)

Chapters 5 - 6
These chapters are all about odd, unexplainable things.  Have you ever had something happen to you that you could not explain?  Write about it.
Vocabulary:
bachelor (42)
forlorn (44)
stark (49)
intricate (54)
frantic (58)

Chapter 7
What are some of the  ways that Storm was like a person?  Think of his personality and actions.
Vocabulary:
initially (64)
idiocy (67)
mutiny (68)
emit (76)

Chapter 8 - Day 1
In what wats is the lead dog important?  What does it do?  How does it get treated?
Vocabulary:
duration (80)
competence (83)
leper (90)

Day 2 - Day 6
Which of the dangers in the Iditarod sounds worst to you so far?  Why?
Vocabulary:
enormity (94)
pandemonium (95)
deprivation (96)
expanse (105)
indignant (106)

Day 7 - Days 16-17
After reading about the Iditarod, do you think it's something you would like to try?  Why or why not?
Vocabulary:
interior (12)
stultifying (113)
amiably (116)
primitave (122)
abate (128)

Tracker by Gary Paulsen


Chapters 1 - 2
Why is John upset about his grandfather?  What is he being asked to do alone?  Why?
Vocabulary:
ruddy (3)
texture (5)
manure (13)
ritual (16)

Chapters 3 - 4
What are John's grandfather's feelings about hunting?  Why does the family do it?
Vocabulary:
silage (21)
granary (22)
thrum (29)
tallow (30)

Chapters 5 - 6
What does the phrase "think deer" mean?  What does John think about while hunting?
Vocabulary:
assailed (36)
privy (40)
brutal (47)
delibrate (48)

Chapters 7 - 8
Describe how the deer looks when John comes across it.  Why do you think he doesn't shoot?
Vocabulary:
matted (52)
bounds (56)
intermittently (58)
persist (59)

Chapters 9 - 10
Why does John continue to follow the deer?  What does he think might happen or how he might feel?
Vocabulary:
"mortal danger (67)
taint (69)
quivering (77)
stagger (79)

Chapters 11 - 12
How does John's grandfather react to what John did with the doe?
Vocabulary:
halo (81)
heaving (83)
lamely (88)