25 & 26
How did Melody react when she realized her team had just won the Whiz Quiz local competition?
She had a tornado explosion - she just couldn't help it, she was so excited!
What did the Principal of Spaulding Street Elementary declare the next Friday as?
Quiz Team Day - free pizza and soda for lunch
What does Melody do when she gets home?
Curls up in bed and cries
Who came to get Melody out of the car?
Mrs. V.
Will Penny have any lasting issues from the accident? (Brain damage, wheelchair, etc.)
No, she just has a cast for her broken leg. She's going to be perfectly fine
Why is it surprising that Melody answered the last question of the tournament correctly?
It was a math problem that she wasn't totally sure about
What is the photo for the newspaper article about the Quiz Team?
Just Melody, not the other kids
Who calls and talks to mom? What do you think they talk about?
Mr. Dimming calls to try to explain the situation. Mom yells at him and throws the phone across the room
Why does Melody feel guilty?
She was mad at Penny that morning, and she wasn't able to tell mom that Penny was out there
Why does Catherine say that she's proud of Melody?
Because Melody did everything she could to tell her mom about Penny. She did everything right
Why did Melody leave the restaurant still hungry?
What does Melody mean when she says "There's so much Claire doesn't know about stuff not being fair"?
She means that Claire thinks little things - like being an alternate - aren't fair. But in reality, Claire doesn't have to deal with nearly as much unfairness as Melody
Why did Melody want to go to school on Friday?
She wanted to show everyone that she was strong, and she wanted everyone to know what the quiz team did to her.
Why does Melody say it should've been her instead of Penny? What does Mrs. V. say back?
Melody - "Nobody would miss me"
Mrs. V. - "Stop that stupid talk! My whole world would fall apart without you"
Why did the quiz team not invite Melody to breakfast before the flight?
They didn't want her to slow them down
What does Claire do that surprises everyone on the team?
She tells the reporter that her and Melody are close friends, and they help each other study at lunch.
What happens when Melody, her family, and Mrs. V. show up to the airport?
The flight had been cancelled due to a late winter storm. There were no other flights out
List 5 things that made Melody's morning chaotic before she left for school
Penny was sick, mom had a migraine, Butterscotch threw up, Dad's arm was in a sling, mom got called into work, Penny splashed in the water bowl, orange juice spilled on Melody's shirt, Melody missed the bus it was storming out, Melody forgot her backpack with Catherine's card
Why does Melody say she wanted it to be yesterday?
What happens to the trophy that they try to give to Melody?
She knocks it off her tray while she's laughing, breaking it. "I don't want it! You deserve it!"
After winning the local competition, how have the other characters' feelings about Melody changed? Give 2 examples.
Assorted answers:
Mr. Dimming - went from not believing she was smart, to being really proud of her for doing so well
Connor- really wanted Melody to come to dinner with them, instead of just politely tolerating her
What does "The morning started out like crystal, but the day has turned to broken glass.” mean?
Melody was SO excited in the morning (the crystal - beautiful, shimmering) but after learning she wouldn't get to go to D.C., her day was totally ruined (like broken glass)
What happened that made Melody ache with fear?
Mom hit Penny with the car after Melody saw her run out of the house. The ambulance was called and Penny was taken to the hospital
Why does Melody bring up Ollie the goldfish when talking about Penny?
The situations are sort of similar. She was trying to help Ollie when he jumped out of his bowl, but Mom didn't understand her. She was trying SO HARD to tell her mom about Penny, but mom couldn't understand her there, either. Both situations were life-or-death, and Melody felt helpless
In the end, what are some things that make Melody not so difference than her 5th grade classmates?
Many things listed on page 293:
Homework, parents, wanting to be a kid but wanting to grow up
Making people understand what she wants
Worrying about what she looks like
Fitting in
Will a boy ever like her?