Ninth Grade Slays

Chapters 1 - 2

What advice did Uncle Otis send in the letter?  Why do you think Vlad does not want to control people?

Vocabulary:

provisions (3)

famished (7)

contrary (8)

incapable (12)

adept (14)

Chapter 3

What do we know about Joss?  In what ways is he like Vlad?  How do you think he will be involved in the story?

Vocabulary:

queasy (21)

bemused (22)

disdain (23)

retort (24)

straggler (32)

Chapters 4 - 6

Do you agree with Nelly that Vlad needs to be more careful?  How do you think people would react to what he really is?

Vocabulary:

traipse (42)

nausea (45)

hefted (50)

notoriety (51)

manipulating (55)

myriad (64)

Chapters 7 - 8

What evidence does Eddie Poe have about Vlad?  What other secrets does Vlad have to hide?

Vocabulary:

incredulous (75)

audibly (76)

recite (80)

mocking (90)

perusal (94)

Chapters 9 - 10

For what reason has Vlad gone to study with Vikas?  What qualities does Vikus have that could make him a good teacher?

Vocabulary:

mope (100)

quenched (102)

suffice (109)

solemn (114)

proximity (116)

Chapters 11 - 12

Describe a vampire funeral.  Do you think it would be a happy or a sad occasion?  Why?

Vocabulary:

intricate (121)

rotund (122)

valor (125)

heinous (129)

sacrilege (136)

Chapters 13 - 14

Explain the Pravus legend.  How does Vlad fit the prediction?  What does that mean he might do someday?

Vocabulary:

external (144)

futile (145)

smirk (147)

crested (164)

instill (166)

Chapters 15 - 17

What motivated Eddie to want to discover Vlad's secret?  What are his homelife and past like?

Vocabulary:

bemused (177)

omitted (185)

nauseating (192)

glorified (197)

oblige (200)

Chapters 18 - 19

Make a prediction about Jasik's role in the end of this book.  Will he be helpful or harmful to Vlad?

Vocabulary:

timid (206)

protocol (208)

bretheren (211)

vowing (218)

reminiscing (219)

Chapters 20 - 21

What feelings are competing in Joss' head?  What motivated him?  What are the outcomes of his choice?

Vocabulary:

minions (229)

venture (232)

demise (233)

propel (244)

consent (245)

epitome (245)

Chapters 22 - 23

How does the book end for Vlad?  Which friends and allies did he keep, and which did he lose?

Vocabulary:

haze (260)

winced (262)

feeble (268)

coax (272)

Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer

Chapters 1 - 3

What are some of the ways that Vlad is different from Henry?  Why do you think they can still be friends?

Vocabulary:

peers (4)

protrude (5)

contemplation (8)

ingest (19)

lingering (26)

Chapters 4 - 5

In what ways is Mr. Otis Otis different from other teachers?  What predictions do you have about his role in the story?

Vocabulary:

assist (29)

subsequently (31)

emulate (32)

decipher (33)

Chapters 6 - 7

Why do you think Vlad didn't want to write about being a vampire?  Why could this be an easy thing for him?  Why might it be hard?

Vocabulary:

mortician (46)

infamous (52)

ignorant (54)

posture (66)

fascination (68)

Chapters 8 - 9

What truth did Vlad discover about his parents?  How did he discover this information?

Vocabulary:

gaudy (69)

stark (70)

antics (72)

snicker (81)

cryptic (82)

Chapters 10 - 11

What evidence exists that Mr. Otis murdered Vlad's parents?  What do you predict the truth will be?

Vocabulary:

sulking (98)

seethed (100)

extinguished (103)

scoff (108)

compsure (111)

Chapters 12 - 13

What is the truth about Elysia?  What does the council want Vlad?  How do they get him to come?

Vocabulary:

cadaver (124)

glyph (127)

droning (128)

divulge (138)

heritage (140)

Chapters 14 - 16

What are your thoughts about Vlad as a character?  Did he change or grow throughout the novel? How?

Vocabulary:

morphing (146)

undeniable (148)

ominous (153)

Closed For the Season by Mary Downing Hahn

Chapters 1 - 3

What is the history of Logan's new house?  Do you think Arthur should be believed?  Why or why not?

Vocabulary:

quaint (1)

cynical (2)

propinquity (3)

embellishments (8)

etiquette (10)

menacious (11)

Chapters 4 - 5

What facts do we know about the murder?  Why would someone do it?  Would you still live in the house?

Vocabulary:

exemplary (22)

morbid (23)

embezzled (24)

affable (31)

abode (32)

Chapters 6 - 8

Describe the magic forest.  Why is it important to the story?

Vocabulary:

perilously (39)

imbecile (41)

kudzu (46)

pulverize (50)

ignormous (53)

repentant (57)

Chapters 9 - 11

What is Violet trying to remember?  How might the toys and the map help her?

Vocabulary:

synthetic (67)

cower (69)

reluctantly (74)

picturesque (76)

saunter (82)

Chapters 12 - 13

What do we know about Arthur's past?  What are his family and home life like?

Vocabulary:

deftly (85)

irate (87)

ambled (93)

mutual (96)

Chapters 14 - 15

How are Anthony and Arthur different as friend possibilities?  How would school be different if each was Logan's friend?

Vocabulary:

amputate (99)

interior (107)

muffled (114)

insisted (117)

Chapters 16 - 17

What is your opinion of Nina?  Do you think she is helpful or harmful for Logan?  Make a prediction about her role in the end of the story.

Vocabulary:

flounced (119)

extricated (122)

hideous (133)

demolish (137)

Chapters 18 - 21

Did Danny change over the course of the story?  What hardships did he need to overcome?

Vocabulary:

phantom (147)

charade (157)

dilapidated (169)

pretentious (176)

The Dark Side of Nowhere by Neal Schusterman

Chapters 1 - 2

Why is Jason upset with his life?  What is wrong with it?

Vocabualry:

"keel over" (1)

solemn (2)

obliterate (6)

fanatic (12)

premonition (15)

strode (22)

Chapters 3 - 4

What is an epidemic?  What do we know about the events twenty years ago in Billington?

Vocabualry:

observant (24)

fallow (25)

mosaic (30)

taunt (38)

delirous (41)

mandatory (43)

Chapters 5 - 6

How do Jason's parents react to his glove?  What do you think they mean when they say, "not from here"?

Vocabualry:

isolate (49)

midst (54)

enigmatic (54)

eerie (56)

aura (58)

urgency (60)

Chapters 7 - 8

How did Ethan really die?  Why did he need human genes?  Where did everyone get thier DNA from?

Vocabualry:

loomed (68)

conquest (71)

exploit (73)

enlighten (85)

grime (89)

intuition (90)

Chapters 9 - 10

What truth has Jason learned about himself and the others?  Why will he not be able to tell them?

Vocabualry:

isolate (96)

guise (99)

menace (109)

reluctant (123)

marauding (125)

confrontation (129)

Chapters 11 - 13

Do you think Jason actually has to break up with Paula?  What are the reasons for and against it?

Vocabualry:

reconcile (135)

quivering (138)

mason (142)

salvage (143)

revamped (151)

diabolical (154)

Chapters 14 - 15

How have Jason's actions changed everything?  What can he do?  Where can he go?

vulnerable (163)

epidemic (167)

strode (169)

grandious (120)

depraved (170)

morose (180)

Chapters 16 - 17

Wht choice does Jason make in the end?  What could be the outcome of this choice?

Vocabualry:

contentment (199)

meander (205)

integrity (206)

splendor (226)

awestruck (229)

Crows and Cards by Joseph Helgerson

Chapters 1 - 4

What sort of advice was Zeb given by his parents?  Does Chilly seem to be trustworthy?  Why or why not?

Vocabulary:

cooper (1)

grandeur (4)

enlist (9)

flummox (16)

deduction (18)

"bona fide" (29)

Chapters 5 - 7

What lessons has Zeb already learned from Chilly?  Do you think Chilly will really help Zeb in the end?

Vocabulary:

snicker (35)

superstitious (37)

commenced (39)

calamity (44)

tolerate (47)

swoon (50)

Chapters 8 - 10

How does Chilly justify cheating?  Do you agree with his thinking?  How are Chilly and Ho-John's thoughts diferent?

Vocabulary:

tote (62)

mournful (66)

heft (70)

pamper (72)

sulk (82)

recoil (83)

Chapters 11 - 14

What do we know about Chief Standing Ten-Bears?  Do you think he really has the powers they say he does?  Why?

Vocabulary:

palaver (90)

oracle (94)

grovel (102)

dredge (108)

stupefaction (112)

Chapters 15 - 18

Do you think Zeb should feel bad about what he did to Chief Standing Ten-Bears?  Should Zeb change his ways?  For what reasons?

Vocabulary:

scamper (122)

wager (128)

divulge (131)

cleaving (135)

satchel (139)

cipher (147)

Chapters 19 - 21

Why does Zeb have a change of heart about gambling?  How do Chilly, Goose and the Proffesor feel about it?

Vocabulary:

gumption (151)

woe (156)

excursion (165)

cackle (166)

indulge (177)

Chapters 22 - 25

What plan has Zeb come up with?  What will it mean to Chilly and Ten-Bears?

Vocabulary:

lame (183)

confound (186)

condolences (188)

mince (194)

roving (204)

Chapters 26 - 28

How do you think Chilly will react to his game of cards with the Chief?

Vocabulary:

crimp (215)

grope (224)

confer (227)

satchel (233)

Chapters 29 - Afterward

How do things end up for Zeb and Ten-Bears?  Did Chilly get what he deserved?  Explain.

Vocabulary:

cache (240)

baying (245)

beholden (261)

tribulations (273)

Powerless by Matthew Cody

Prologue - Chapter 2

Who are Molly and Rohan?  What do we know about them?  What seems odd?

Vocabulary:

silhouettes (1)

queasy (5)

trepidation (14)

stall (18)

chauffered (19)

hoax (21)

Chapters 3 - 5

What is the history of the Nobel Green Supers?  What are the four rules?

Vocabulary:

hospitality (33)

condemend (36)

sagging (45)

defiant (47)

reluctant (50)

Chapters 6 - 8

Describe Michael's change when he turned 13.  How did he react when Daniel talked to him?

Vocabulary:

looming (61)

demolition (64)

bore (74)

incoporeal (76)

intently (80)

singe (84)

Chapters 9 - 10

Describe Daniel's encounter when he tries to save Eric.  What might the thing be?  Make a prediction.

Vocabulary:

persistent (91)

ironic (97)

ambient (101)

nausea (109)

swoon (112)

recounted (115)

Chapters 11 - 12

What reasons does Daniel have for thinking his suspect might be The Shroud?  Do you agree with his thinking?

Vocabulary:

heroics (119)

snitch (122)

skittish (128)

mundane (138)

decency (139)

Chapters 13 - 15

Do you think Daniel blames himself for his grandmother?  Do you think his emotions and feelings make sense?

Vocabulary:

dominate (146)

erode (149)

disoriented (160)

impale (162)

condolences (167)

sympathetic (170)

Chapters 6 - 17

Does the truth learned from Pluckett make sense with what we know about Eric, The Shroud, and the Supers?

Vocabulary:

wary (176)

infirm (178)

loath (179)

contagious (193)

Chapters 18 - 20

What plan do you think Daniel is coming up with?  How might he be able to defeat The Shroud?

Vocabulary:

confront (198)

grimace (199)

refrain (205)

glean (210)

reprimand (217)

Chapters 21 - 22

Why has The Shroud done what he has for so long?  Do you understand his reasons?  Do you agree with him?

Vocabulary:

bravado (223)

derogative (225)

hoarse (230)

exasperated (232)

excruciating (234)

Chapters 23 - 25

What decision is Daniel going to be faced with now that the world has changed?

Vocabulary:

insisted (250)

avail (252)

delude (255)

ominious (259)

chortle (264)

The Whispering Road by Livi Michael

Chapters 1 - 3

Why are Joe and Annie escaping at the beginning of the the story?  What advice are they given?

Vocabulary:

clout (1)

daft (3)

baying (10)

scorching (13)

haunches (21)

spurned (22)

Chapters 4 - 7

How does Joe treat Dog Woman?  Does she deserve it?  Why do you think he feels this way?

Vocabulary:

copses (32)

lynch (43)

falter (45)

croon (48)

Chapters 8 - 10

How are they treated by Barnaby?  What lesson do you think Joe has learned from this?

Vocabulary:

slacken (61)

plundering (67)

bellowing (70)

din (74)

clamor (79)

crone (84)

Chapters 11 - 13

What power does Annie have?  How has it shown up in the story so far?  How does Joe feel about it?

Vocabulary:

fret (100)

mending (106)

sallow (110)

sullen (117)

Chapters 14 - 17

Why do you think Joe has made the decision he has?  Was he being selfish or generous?  Expalin.

Vocabulary:

scorched (121)

mire (123)

flounce (126)

aghast (129)

bellow (137)

Chapters 18 - 21

What has caused characters to become sick?  Is there any way they could have avoided it?

Vocabulary:

brandish (153)

relieve (156)

cower (162)

saunter (168)

simpering (168)

Chapters 22 - 26

What things has Mr. M done for Nat?  What reason do you think he might have for his generosity?

Vocabulary:

whimper (181)

stout (189)

tureen (190)

smirk (196)

timidly (201)

invalid (207)

Chapters 27 - 31

What information does Nat learn about the poor in Manchester?  Do you think that Mr. M is wrong after learning this?  Why?

Vocabulary:

livery (213)

feckless (216)

idle (219)

deranged (224)

defiance (232)

philanthropic (236)

Chapters 32 - 37

How has Joe/Jack/Dodger/Nat changed over the course of the book?  Has he become a better or worse character because of these changes?

Vocabulary:

fasting (242)

benefactor (253)

heckle (263)

loiter (263)

tramp (266)

repealed (270)

Chapters 38 - Afterward

Did the story have a happy ending?  Were the wicked punished?  What do you think the author was ying to say through this book?

Vocabulary:

advert (280)

humane (290)

audit (293)