Exposition
Where does the story take place?
Maryland
What does Carl do for Brady and his friends some mornings?
Takes them to school in an ambulance
Who or what help's Brady find Ben?
Tilly, the family dog
Where is the red kayak when Brady and his dad go to retrieve it?
Under the water
What decision does Brady make about the secret of the red kayak?
He tells his Dad everything.
What type of figurative language is used when the author writes, "His face, pale as a sheet."
simile
Who is considered the main character?
Brady
What does the reader learn about Digger's father?
He is an alcoholic and he most likely abuses his wife and children
What helped Brady locate Ben in the water?
The yellow life jacket
When Brady confronts Digger about drilling the holes what does Digger tell Brady that makes him think he should keep the secret?
He says that Brady will be in trouble too because it was ultimately his idea to drill holes in the boat
How do Digger and JT plead in court?
Guilty
What figurative language is used when the author write, "barking up a storm."
Idiom
What point of view is the story told?
First person
Who are the D'Angelos?
The new family who bought Digger's grandfather's farm
Who taught Brady how to perform CPR, which he tried to use on Ben to get him to breathe?
Carl, Brady's cousin
Give a piece of text evidence from the book that would show the conflict character vs. nature?
Answers may vary
Mrs. D'Angelo and Ben trying to survive on the river after their kayak sinks
What punishment do Digger and JT receive?
What figurative language is used when the author writes, "scared to death?"
Hyperbole
What river is mentioned in the story?
Corsica River
What conflict occurs at the beginning of the story that shows Digger can be a bully?
He takes J.T's green tea and won't give it back
When Brady hears this about Ben, he feels relieved?
He has a pulse
What does Brady do with the drill?
He throws it in the water.
What happened to the D'Angelos after the trial?
They moved back to Virginia.
What figurative language is used when the author writes about the kayak weighing a ton?
Hyperbole
What is the primary job of the people who live in Brady's community?
Crabbers, Fishermen
Give an example of foreshadowing that is mentioned in the story.
Answers will vary: Mostly answers about the river and how it is cold and does not have a heart
Aside from doing yardwork for Mrs. D'Angelo what does Brady suggest Mrs. D'Angelo do to help her through Ben's death?
Make a butterfly garden
When Brady travels to Rhode Island, who is he going to visit?
His aunt and cousins
What happens that supports the theme of Moving Forward and the central idea that people who have experienced a death or trauma in their lives must continue living in order to heal from their ordeal?
Answers may vary
Mrs. D'Angelo having another baby
Brady moving on to high school
The D'Angelos moving to Virginia
When Brady talks about the memories of what the three boys did when Digger's grandfather owned the farm where the D'Angelos now live what type of literary device is the author using to help us understand why the farm is so important to Digger and why he may be resentful of the D'Angelos?
Flashback
What is a dominant character trait of Digger?
Answers may vary: resentful, mean, angry, selfish
What is the incident that occurs where the reader begins to see the peer pressure among the boys?
When Brady wants to shout a warning to who he thinks is Mr. D'Angelo and he doesn't do it because of what his friends might think
What incident occurs that supports the theme of human nature and the supports the central idea that bitterness and jealousy can often lead people to make decisions they will regret?
When Brady finds the drill with remnants of the red kayak material and realizes Digger must have drilled holes so the boat would sink
What does Brady's aunt give him to make him feel better about his baby sister, Amanda's death?
A photograph of Amanda
What is Digger's real name?
Michael Griswald
What figurative language is used when the author writes, "We waded through an ocean of yellow chicks?"
If death is one of the themes in the story, what background information do we know about Brady's family that relates to the theme of death?
Brady's baby sister died.
Irony is when an author gives us information that is unexpected. What is an example of irony when Brady's dad comes to school?
What text evidence supports the conflict of character vs. themselves?
Answers will vary: Brady feeling guilty about not warning the D'Angelos about the river when he sees the kayak that spring morning or when Brady can't decide if he should tell the truth about what his friends did or keep the secret that Digger and JT were responsible for the holes
What happens when Brady has his big "flip out" moment?
He begins throwing the crabs his dad caught overboard.
What is J.T.'s real name?
Jeremy Tyler
What figurative language is the author using when she writes, "The river didn't have a heart."
"The motor hummed as we moved."