The Mysterious Giant of Barletta

1. KNOWLEDGE When all the townspeople get ready to run from Barletta, what does Zia concetta do? Why?

2. GENERATING Why do you think the Mysterious Giant decides to help Zia Concetta and the town?

3. GENERATING Why does Zia Concetta ask the townspeople to stay out of sight? What might have happened if they hadn't followed her orders?

4. INTEGRATING If the Mysterious Giant came to your town, what could he help the people do?

5. EVALUATING Why is it better for the Giant to trick the soldiers rather than to fight them?

6. CONNECTIONS Suppose the Big Cheese from Mousopolis were in charge of saving Barletta. What might his plan have been?

Dogzilla

1. ORGANIZING How is Dogzilla like most real dogs? How is she not like a real dog? Use details from the story.

2. APPLYING How does thinking like a dog help the mice defeat Dogzilla? Explain.

3. GENERATING What if bathtime hadn't scared Dogzilla away? What other plans could have saved Mousopolis?

4. GENERATING What do you think will happen at the Second Annual Barbecue Cook-off?

5. INTEGRATING How would the story have been different if a huge kitty had come out of the volcano instead of a dog?

6. CONNECTIONS How does Dav Pilkey make this story so funny and incredible? Give word and picture examples.

The Talking Cloth

Using your journal, record your answers:


1. (Knowledge) What things does Aunt Phoebe collect?

2. (Analyzing) What does Aunt Phoebe Most likely mean when she says that Amber has grown inside?

3. (Generating) How does the Talking Cloth “talk,” and what does the cloth say?

4. (Integrating) If you had an adinkra cloth, what would it look like? What would your cloth say about you?

5. (Evaluating) Why does Amber enjoy visiting Aunt Phoebe? Would you like to visit Aunt Phoebe? Explain.

6. (Connections) How is the Keeping Quilt also a kind of Talking Cloth?