What does this simile mean?
The people looked like ghosts.
The people are pale, skinny, etc.
What does a famine mean and how is it affecting William?
A famine means no food, and it affects William because his country is starving.
"What am I going to do?" I asked Gilbert.
What author's craft is used in this excerpt?
Dialogue
What text structure is used in the excerpt below?
First, William gathered firewood. Then, he built a fire. Last, he roasted his chicken.
Sequence
True or false: This sentence demonstrates hyperbole (dramatic, exaggeration)
My heart dropped into my stomach.
TRUE
My arms and legs were as skinny as blue gum poles.
That William's arms and legs are very skinny.
How is the famine affecting the relationship between William's sisters?
They are fighting over food. One punches another.
I can't believe this, I thought. How will we survive?
What author's craft was used in the excerpt?Inner thinking
What text structure is used in this excerpt?
Compare and contrast
What does the phrase "my heart dropped into my stomach" reveal about how William is feeling?
He is feeling nervous and unhappy.
Harvest was like one giant party.
The harvest was fun and exciting.
They can't afford it, and it makes him very upset.
What author's craft is used in the excerpt?
On Christmas, we would always eat meat, rice, grasshoppers and Blue Band margarine sandwiches.
Description
What text structure is used in the excerpt below?
William's country suffered from famine and people starved. So, he builds a windmill to help.
Problem and solution
True or false: The following sentence is a metaphor:
I was going to Kachokolo because my grades stunk.
False
Their skin was as dry as ashes.
Their skin is very dry and gray-looking.
Why did William have to go to the bad school and not one of the good science schools?
His grades were bad.
What author's craft is used in the following excerpt?
William went to Chamama to help get his family some extra food. He walked 12 miles each way and had to fight people over the food.
Actions
The famine came to Malawi. Because of the famine, many people starved and died.
Cause and effect
In the sentence "My grades stunk", why did the author choose to use the word "stunk"?
To show that William's grades were bad.
The disease spread like grassfire throughout the area. Soon, 12 people died.
The disease spread very quickly.
What is a central idea of the novel so far?
William's country is going through famine and suffering.
"Geoffrey, we can never give up. We are meant to survive and do well."
It reveals that William is hopeful and cheerful.
People in Malawi had no food or money. To help solve this, the government sold extra food at a discounted price.
Problem and solution
1. True or false: The following sentence is a metaphor.
"This is what starving people look like, I thought. They look like ghosts."
2. What author's craft was used?
1. FALSE, it is a simile
2. Inner thinking