BBC 2001 Questions
Contributors to this list include Mr. D. Sonnen (Brier) and Ms S. Wilsie (Seaview)
Volcano disaster, The by Peg Kehret
Easy
What year did Mt. St. Helens erupt? (May 18, 1980)
Where did Warren stay while his mom went to school? (Gram’s House)
What topic was assigned to Warren for research? (The 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens)
Who was Warren’s partner for the school project? (Betsy)
What happened to Mrs. Huron’s husband and daughter? (They were killed by the eruption)
Medium
Who does Warren warn about the eruption? (The Huron’s, the loggers)
Where does Warren live? (Issaquah)
What invention did Warren begin to complete at Gram’s House? (The Instant Commuter)
Why was Warren sent to Mt. St. Helens by the Instant Commuter? (The probe touched a photograph instead of a map)
How did Warren and Betsy get back home? (They used the instant commuter and a map that had the location of his Gram’s house on it)
Hard
Who was the governor of Washington when Mt. St. Helen’s erupted? Dixie Lee Ray
What attraction was Gram’s book club visiting? (Woodland Park Zoo)
Why didn’t Betsy want to be resued by the helicopter? (She didn’t want them to ask how she got there)
What color was the Huron’s truck? (red)
What was it like to survive on the edge of the eruption? (hot mud balls, ash, breathing difficulties, not being able to see)
Ghost of Fossil Glen, The by Cynthia Defelice
Easy
What was the voice that helped Allie off of the cliff? (a ghost)
Who is Allie’s best friend? (“Dub”)
Why do Karen and Pam call Allie a liar? (She makes up stories about people)
What does the class try to save Fossil Glen from? (housing development)
What grade is Allie in? (6)
Medium
What does Allie write about in her first journal entry? (here experience with the ghost)
What is the ghost’s name? (Lucy)
Where does Allie find Lucy’s journal? (In Lucy’s desk)
What surprising gift is for Allie in her mailbox? (a blank journal)
What writing appears in the journal? (“I am L…”)
How was Lucy killed? (She was pushed into the Glen by Mr. Gagney)
Hard
Why didn’t Lucy unwrap the second journal she got for Christmas? (She wanted to save it for later.)
Who found Lucy’s body? (Hoover)
When the class did research on Fossil Glen in the Library what kind of material did Allie look at? (newspaper articles)
Where did Allie’s mother work? (at an antique shop)
What happened to Lucy’s mother after she died? (She moved to CA and married Mr. Gagney)
What evidence did Allie find the day after she was followed in the fog? (large footprints)
The Ghost of Fossil Glen by Cynthia DeFelice #2
1. Describe some of Allie’s interests and personality traits...
liked to collect fossils, very imaginative, liked to think up stories about people, bright...
2. How were Allie’s friends - Karen and Pam - different from Allie?
liked soap operas, very popular, not interested in nature, could be stuck up at times
3. What were some of the signs that Lucy made to Allie?
cold chills, visions of herself, sent her the journal, the desk, gave her clues
4. Explain the story behind Lucy’s disappearance.
killed by her stepfather
Holes by Louis Sachar
Easy
Why was Stanley sent to Camp Green Lake? (he was convicted of stealing shoes)
What is special about Stanley Yelnats name? (reverse spelling)
What did Zero and Stanley eat in the desert to survive? (onions)
How big did the holes have to be dug? (5ft deep, 5ft. across)
Where did the boys dig holes? (in the dry lake bed)
Where did Stanley find Zero? (under a boat)
Medium
Why didn’t the yellow spotted lizards bit Stanley and Zero? (The onions they had eaten protected them)
Why was Kate Barlow run out of town? (She was caught kissing Onion Sam, who was black)
Who robbed Stanley’s grandfather? (Kate Barlow)
What did Stanley teach Zero? (how to read)
What was the reward for digging up something the warden liked? (You got the day off from digging)
What was Stanley’s nickname at the camp? (Caveman)
Hard
How did Stanley break his families’ curse? (He carried Zero up the hill)
What was unusual about the suitcase Stanley and Zero dug up? (It has Stanley’s name on it…and was his great grandfather’s)
How did Onion Sam help Kate Barlow? (He fixed up the schoolhouse)
What did Zero and Stanley eat that they found under the boat? (Sploosh…canned peaches from 110 years ago!)
What happened to Zero’s paperwork? (The camp destroyed it so no one would know that Zero existed)
Summer Reading is Killing Me by Jon Scieszka
Easy
How are the boys transported to other times and places? (The Book)
Who is the leader of the evil characters? (Teddy Bear)
Why were they transported into books? (Their summer reading list was placed inside “The Book”)
How were the good characters going to be killed? (By being crushed with 100s of books)
What was the first character the boys saw? (A giant chicken)
Medium
Where were the evil characters taking the good ones? (To the library and putting them in a cage)
What did the little girl do to save the day? (She told a boring story and put everyone asleep)
What book was the Chicken from? (The Hoboken Chicken Emergency)
Name 3 of the evil characters: (Devil, Teddy, Cpt. Ahab, Injun Joe, Long John Silver, Red Queen, White Witch, Trunchbull, Mrs. Twit, Frankenstein, Troll, Sheriff of Nottingham, Cyclops, Dracula, Headless Horseman, Mr. McGregor, and more)
Why was they a wide variety of books on the list? (It was for the whole school grds. 1-8)
Hard
Who told them where “The Book” was? (Charlotte the spider)
What do the boys tell the devil? (That they are bad characters from a series)
What was the goal of the evil characters? (To eliminate the good characters from books)
Why did Anna think the boys were weird? (They screamed and ran from her Teddy Bear)
Summer Reading is Killing Me! 2
1.Explain how “the book” works.
it takes the three boys into other places - green smoke
2. What time or place did they end up in this time?
Hoboken - public library -
3.Name some of the characters they met on this adventure.
the horned king, teddy bear, Long John Silver, chicken, dracula, the Devil etc....
4. How did they get back home?
they finally managed to pull the reading list from the book
Among the Hidden, by Margaret Haddix
Easy
How many brothers did Luke have? (2)
How many children were families allowed to have? (2)
Where was Luke’s room? (The attic)
What happened to Jen? (she was killed at a rally)
Did Jen’s father help Luke? (yes)
Medium
Why couldn’t Luke play outside? (A housing development was being built)
How were the houses being built for? (barons)
How did Jen communicate with other shadow children? (computer, internet)
What was Luke’s greatest fear? (The Population police)
What was the computer password? (Free)
Hard
Why did Jen’s dad tell Luke to go through a hidden door in the closet when there wasn’t one? (He wanted Luke to be hidden from the Population police)
How many shadow kids were connected by computer? (about 800)
Why did Jen scrap her hands on the door? (so she would bleed and cover up Luke’s blood on the carpet)
What did Jen want Luke to do in order to help the cause of 3rd children? (Go to a rally at the white house)
How was Luke saved? (He was given the identity of a boy who had died and was sent to a boarding school)
Among the Hidden - Margaret Peterson Haddix #2
1. Why is Luke hiding?
future time when world pop. controlled - only 2 people per family and he is 3rd
2. How does Luke meet Jen?
observes her in her house and runs over to meet her
3. Compare Luke’s life with Jen’s. What are the similarities/differences?
both shadow children, he is poor farm boy, she a baron and has access to books, internet, fake passes - she dies
4. When faced with the opportunity to get a new identity, what would you do if you were Luke?
Great Turkey Walk, The by Kathleen Karr
Easy
What grade was Simon in? (3rd)
How many times did he take 3rd grade? (4)
Where did he walk the turkey’s to? (Denver)
Why did Jabeth want to get into Kansas Territory? (He wouldn’t be a slave anymore because it was free territory)
Who did Simon meet at the circus in Jefferson City? (His father)
Where did the turkey walk start? (Union, Missouri)
Medium
How many turkeys did Simon buy? (1000)
How much water can a turkey drink (at least a gallon per day)
Why was Lizzie all alone on the prairie? (her family had died)
How much did the turkey’s sell for in Denver? (6$ a piece)
What did the peaceful Indians do to Simon’s father? (scalp their hair)
Hard
Why did the US Cavalry shoot at the turkeys? (for fun and target practice)
Who did Simon fall in love with and what was the problem with this? (Lizzie, but she was a year older than Simon)
What animals did Simon’s father and Cleaver use to catch up with Simon? (Arabian horses and camels from the circus)
Why didn’t Simon want Mr. Peece to go to town? (He might start drinking again)
In Denver, what proof did Simon have that the turkeys were his? (a bill of sale in his shoe)
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos
Easy
How old was Joey when his parents left him? (in Kindergarten)
Why did he swallow the key? (His teacher cut the string and he bet a kid and swallowed it)
What’s one thing he wanted to do on the Amish field trip that his teacher didn’t allow?
(eat molasses shoofly pie, carve pumpkins)
What did Joey do at Howard’s birthday party? (blew out Howard’s candles)
Where do they go for the hospital testing? (Pittsburgh)
Medium
Where is Joey’s dad supposed to be living? (Pittsburgh)
Why was Joey suspended? (He cut Maria with a scissors, he was running w/ it)
Where is he sent while suspended? (The Special Ed Center)
How long was he suspended? (6 weeks)
How is his medication changed to help him? (It is given through a patch)
When he leaves the Special Ed Center does he go back to his regular classroom? (no, he goes into a special class at his school)
Hard
Why did he go to Maria’s house? (to apologize)
What happens to Maria? (She changes schools)
What did Joey add to the Plege of Alligiance? (I’m Joey Pigza and I’m back)
Why does he argue with the bus driver? (The driver calls him a “foster child”)
What did Joey’s grandmother do to make him behave? (Tell him that his mother might come back)
Forty Acres and Maybe a Mule by Harriette Robinet
Easy
After what war does the story take place? (Civil War)
Where do Pascal and Gideon begin Farming? (Georgia)
What do they find on the property, and where? (chest of gold coins, under the ghost tree)
What name did they choose for their last name? (City)
What was the name of the white family that they helped? (The Bibb’s)
Medium
How did the Bibb’s help them? (They played in front of their property so people would think a white family lived there)
How did they prepare the land for planting? (They burned it)
Why are they kicked off of their land? (Circular 15 says Sherman Lands are only for white people and it is given away)
What do they do to the house before the new owners come? (They take it apart and move it to the Bibbs)
What does Mr. Freedman do when he is shot by the young white man? (He pretends to be killed and the man leaves)
Hard
What is special about the school? (They teach both black and white children and adults at night, it was set up by Northerners)
What happened to Pascal’s mother? (She was shot by the overseer)
What happened to Jubilee Town? (It was burned)
What office were they looking for in each town to get their land? (Freedman’s bureau)
Where do they head to after their land is taken away? (Sea Islands of Georgia)
A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck
Easy
What’s Joey’s sister name? (Mary Alice)
Where do they spend their Summers? (with Grandma)
Where is Grandma’s house (on the edge of town across from the railroad tracks)
Who is Grandma’s enemy? (Mrs. Effie Wilcox)
Did Grandma win the pie contest? (yes & no, she baked the winning pie, but switched the cards thinking Mr. Pennypacker’s pie was better – it wasn’t)
Medium
What was your favorite story about Grandma?
What did Grandma do with the fish she caught? (gave some to Aunt Puss and the rest to drifters)
What was illegal about the fish? (they were caught in traps and from private property)
What did Grandma do to help Effie Wilcox? (she got the bank to give her back her house)
Why did the body of Shotgun Cheatham move? (a tomcat was in the coffin)
Hard
What was the name of the town coffee shop? (The Coffee Pot Café)
What did Grandma do to sigal Joey as he passed by on the way to the Army? (She turned on all the lights and waved from the front porch)
Who was the oldest person in town? (Uncle Grady)
Why did Mary Alice hid Miz Eubanks daughter? (because she was very controlling and took any money Vandalia had)
How did Joey get to rid in the plane? (grandma said she had won the pie contest, but the plane wouldn’t take off – she was too heavy – so Joey took the prize instead)
Petey by Ben Mikaelsen
Easy
In what state did the story take place? (Montana)
How old was Petey when he was placed in the insane asylum? (2)
Why did Petey scare the mice away? (He didn’t want them poisoned)
Who was Petey’s best friend at the asylum? (Calvin)
Medium
How did Trevor meet Petey? (He protected Petey from some boys who were throwing snowballs at him)
What are some words Petey used to communicate? (aeee = yes, guuu baaa = goodbye/oh go on, waaa? = what, thaaa uuu = thank you, pfer guuu = pretty good, gooo fiii = go fish/ go have fun)
What did Trevor raise money for? (a custom wheelchair for Petey)
How did he raise the money? (he put cans in stores, asked the company to help)
Hard
Who took Petey outside to hear a concert? (Cassie)
Did Petey die? (yes and no, it was implied)
What were conditions like at the insane asylum? (poor, dirty, bland, mice, too hot/cold, etc.)
Where was the nursing home located? (Bozeman, MT)
Nose from Jupiter, The by Richard Scrimger
Easy
What was the alien’s name? (Norbert)
When Norbert came to Earth, what choices did he have for a home? (a dog’s nose, or Alan’s nose)
Where does Alan live? (near Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Why was he in the hospital? (he fell into the river)
Medium
How did Alan help the team win the soccer game? (Norbert insulted the other team and they played bad)
Can other people hear Norbert? (yes)
What is the relationship between Alan’s mother and father? (they are divorced and argue/insult each other)
Who did the students think was going to be at the school assembly? (Shania Twain)
Hard
How did students decide which way to go home? (the gate where the bullies(Cougars) weren’t)
Who decided not to be a bully anymore? (Prudence)
Who was at the assembly? (Captain Sid, an astronaut)
How did Alan end up in the river? (he fell over the dog, Prudence saved him)
Just Juice by Karen Hesse
Easy
What grade is Juice in at school? (3rd)
What grade is Juice supposed to be in school (4th)
What does Juice do to help her mother? (gives her sugar and delivers the baby)
Why doesn’t Juice like the red car that comes around their house? (the car’s driver is possibly the person who paid the taxes and might take their house)
Medium
What does Juice and her father have in common? (they both can’t read)
How does Geneva help? (she’s a nurse who checks on their mother and brings food)
What does Juice do when she skips school? (keeps her pa company)
Why does Pa have to work? (they owe back taxes on the house)
Hard
What are the names of Juice’s sisters? (Lulu, Turtle, Markey, Charlene, and Sugar- the baby at the end)
Why do you think that Juice’s parents don’t make her go to school? (they are busy, they know she won’t stay there, they think she has talents outside of school, or other explanations)
What does Juice do at school that is a success for her? (she gets a lead part in the class play)
What idea does Juice have for her father to make money? (2, one is to get a machine shop going, the second is to make and sell items.)
Bat 6 by Virginia Wolff
Easy
What two schools are the girls from? (Barlow Road & Bear Creek Ridge)
What was special about the 1949 Bat 6 Game? (It was the 50th year the game had been played)
Who won the Bat 6 game? (no one)
How did the game end? (It was called in the first inning after Shazam hit Aki)
In what state does the story take place? (Oregon)
Medium
What war occurred just before this story? (WW 2)
Where was Aki’s family during the war? (an internment camp)
What had happened to Shazam’s father? (he died in the attack at Pearl Harbor)
Who was Shazam living with? (her grandmother)
Why did Shazam hurt Aki? (because she was Japanese (American), and the Japanese had killed her father)
Hard
What had happened to the home of Aki and her family during internment? (renters had trashed it)
Why did Shazam leave the Christmas play? (because she was near a Japanese American child and couldn’t breathe, she was upset)
When was the first Bat 6 game played? (1899)
What did Manzanita (Manny) do that surprised Brita Marie? (She went to Shazam’s house to be her friend and took Shazam to see Aki)
Bat 6 - Virginia Euwer Wolff #2
1. When does this story take place and what majog historical event has just happened and has affected the lives of the characters?
late 1940’s - WWII
2. How would you describe the communities where the girls live? What details does the author use to give you that impression?
poor - incorrect English, plumbing and electric stove a big deal, not even all girls have mits
3. What happened during the Bat 6 game? and what were the consequences?
Shazam hit Aki in the face with her elbow - S. had to do community service, the towns began talking a lot about prejudice....
P.S. Longer Letter Later
by Paula Danziger and Ann Martin
Easy
What are the names of the 2 girls? (Elizabeth and Tara*Starr)
How do they communicate with each other? (they write letters)
Why do they have to write letters? (Tara*Starr moved away)
What happens to Elizabeth’s house( It is sold because the family needs the money)
Why does Elizabeth’s father hate Tara? (He thinks she’s a bad influence)
Medium
Does Tara’s mom have a baby? (no, but she is pregnant)
What interests do the two girls have in common? (writing, etc.)
What happens to Elizabeth’s father (he leaves the family)
What nickname does Tara give her parents? (Charents –combo of child parents)
Elizabeth wants a nickname or special way to write her name, what does Tara*Starr suggest? (Eliza*beth)
Hard
What is the name of the publication that Elizabeth becomes the editor of? (Silhouette)
What job does Elizabeth have for the summer? (babysitting her little sister, Emma)
How does Elizabeth find out what is happening to her family? (she forces her mother to talk, she eavesdrops on a phone conversation)
Who does Elizabeth talk to about her problems? (Her English teacher, Mrs. Jackson)
How did Elizabeth’s family get Christmas presents? (Her dad charged them)
PS Longer Letter Later #2
1. In what ways are Tara *Starr and Elizabeth alike? Different?
both are writers, same age ---Tara more wild - double dating - earrings - Elizabeth - shy, morereserved
2. What magor events happened in Elizabeth’s life?
dad lost job, spent all $, left them, they moved to apt.
3. What majof events happened in Tara’s life?
they moved, parents became more responsible, mom preg.
4. If you were given the chance, what would you say to Elizabeth’s father?
Bloomability by Sharon Creech
1. Why was Dinnie “kidnapped”?
own family falling apart - bro. in jail, sis preg., dad always moving
2. Describe the personalities of Guthrie and Lila - Dinnie’s best friends.
Guth - happy charismatic, leader - Lila - stormy, moody, tempermental
3. What does Bloomability mean?
possibilities....
4. If you were Dinnie would you return to the school in Switzerland or stay in Kentucky with your family and why?
Just Juice - Karen Hesse
1. Describe Juice’s family situation.
5 kids - all girls, very poor, Dad can’t read - works on machines
2. What special project does Juice work on in school?
the play
3. Why does Juice skip school so much?
can’t read, held back, kids make fun of her
4. What do you think is Juice’s biggest accomplishment?
working with ABC cards and beginning to learn how to read, saving her mom and newborn baby sister’s life by reading the blood analysis machine
Bandit’s Moon - Sid Fleishman
1. How did Annyrose end up at OO Mary’s ?
from New Orleans, mother dead, brother went to find gold - she gurt her ankle and brother left her at oo Mary’s
2. Why did Joaquin feel justified in stealing from the white “gringos”?
they had stolen from him, took his ranch etc...
3. What did Annyrose agree to do for Joaquin in return for being allowed to ride with him?
teach him to read
4. How did the author get his ideas for this book?
Joaquin Murieta did live and was an outlaw legend during the time of the California gold rush
The Flim Flam Man
1. What is a flim flam man?
a swindler, cheat, liar...
2. What were the good qualities of the Flim Flam man?
made people feel good, bought breakfast, flattered people, kissed hands etc...
3. What good came out of the Flim Flam man’s scheme?
girls started the annaul Sucker Day Festival
4. Have you ever had an experience where you felt swindled or cheated/ explain.