One Day in May

KNOWLEDGE Describe how Sonia's community works together to help save the deer.

APPLYING What animals do you see most often where you live? How do they behave around people?

GENERATING Why doesn't Sonia get angry when the deer eat the lettuce in her garden?

GENERATING How does Sonia's community change because of the deer being in the neighborhood garden?

EVALUATING Who do yoiu think is the hero in this story? Give reasons for your answer.

CONNECTIONS Compare Sonia to another character in this theme.

Seal Surger

1. ORGANIZING Compare how the characters and the seals change during the story.

2. GENERATING Why do you think Ben enjoys watching the seals? Use details from the story.

3. GENERATING What kinds of activities might Ben do someday with his own grandchildren?

4. INTEGRATING Ben likes the cliffs. Describe an outside place you like and how it changes with the seasons.

5. EVALUATING Is it believable that a seal could rescue a surfer from drowning? Why or why not?

6. CONNECTIONS Compare the animal habitat in SEAL SURFER with the one in NIGHTS OF THE PUFFLINGS.

Nights of the Pufflings

ANALYZING Give some reasons why Bruce McMillan might have wanted to write a book about the pufflings.

GENERATING Why do you think the children return the pufflings to the sea instead of keeping them as pets?

GENERATING Why are puffins called "clowns of the sea?"

INTEGRATING What makes the nights of the pufflings exciting? Use story details to support your answer.

EVALUATING What would you like best about visiting Heimaey Island during the nights of the pufflings? Why?

CONNECTIONS How did humans cause the pufflings' habitat to change? How else might villagers help them?

The Garden of Abdul Gasazi

ORGANIZING In what ways is this story mysterious? Give examples from the story.

ANALYZING How would you describe Abdul Gasazi's personality? What is he like? Use details from the story.

GENERATING How do yoiu think Fritz the dog ended up with Alan's hat?

INTEGRATING Do you think Alan will ever go back into Abdul Gasazi's garden? Would yoiu go into the garden if given the chance? Explain your answers.

EVALUATING Why does Miss Hester think think that Abdul Gasazi played a trick on Alan? Do you agree with her?

CONNECTIONS Compare Dragon Island in Raising Dragons to Abdul Gasazi's garden.

Raising Dragons

KNOWLEDGE: Why does Hank have to leave the farm? Which story details support your answer?

ANALYZING: Describe the little girl's personality. What is she like? Use details from the story.

GENERATING: If the little girl had never found the egg, how would life on the farm have been different?

GENERATING: What do you think will happen when the girl tries to raise a goup of dragons instead of just one?

EVALUATING: What kind of person does someone have to be to take good care of an animal? Give examples from the story to support your answer.

CONNECTIONS: Hank was very helpful on the farm. What might have happened if Hank were more like Dogzilla?

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.