General Comprehension
This annual town event involves floating paper lanterns down the river.
Answer: What is the Autumn Equinox Festival?
Bear may or may not been a real character, but what does a bear symbolize in the story?
Strength, courage, confidence, etc.
Ben has an internal conflict throughout the novel. What is he battling with?
Wanting to be included/be popular versus his friendship with Nathaniel.
What theme do we learn from Ben and Nathaniel as the graphic novel moves forward?
True friendships always last.
Describe Madam Majestic personality in THREE words.
Examples: smart, quirky, whacky, crazy, emotional, etc.
Ben and his friends make this promise before following the lanterns. Name both...
What is to never look back, never turn for home.
Along their journey, Nathaniel offers almost everyone one of these from his knapsack, what is it?
A rice krispy treat! They are organic!
Who are the two friends that Ben clashes with on the bridge, who don't want to get grounded forever?
Adam and Sammy.
What life lesson do we learn from Ben and Nathaniel after they keep running into constant obstacles?
Toughness, courage, determination, or perserverance to keep moving forward.
According to Bear and the boys' stories, what do the lanterns eventually all become?
Stars
This mysterious creature joins Ben and Nathaniel on their journey AND name two things that are unique about him.
Bear/Fisherbear
He can talk, wears a suit, has a dapper scarf, etc.
What does the shift in colors throughout the graphic novel symbolize?
The change in emotion/tension in the scene.
As they row out of the cave, what unexpected conflict do the boys and bear have with the elements of nature?
The water has turned rough because of the lunar eclipse.
What does "blue" represent in the graphic novel?
Peace, calmness, normalcy, etc.
What is/are the genre(s) of this novel? Name at LEAST one.
Realistic fiction, magical realism, fantasy, etc.
Nathaniel is known throughout the story for multiple personality traits, many of which make him the outcast. Why is he the outcast of the friend group?
They think he talks too much and is too nerdy.
What do Ben and Nathaniel wear to symbolize their renewed friendship? Bear didn't seem too pleased...
The heads of possibly dead bears.
What major conflict does Madam Majestic and the boys have when they first meet?
They cannot pay for the map that she made for them.
Describe how Ben changes from the beginning of the novel to the end.
He is friends with Nathaniel again, doesn't aim to fit in anymore, understands Nathaniel's worth, etc.
What were the name of these following potions:
1. The ones MM uses of her crow to make the map?
AND
2. The one bears accidently drank, but helped calm the waters?
Eye of the Cartographer and Motion Mellower
What group of people does Madam Majestic belong to, who are they waiting for, and why can't her guests seem to find them this year?
The Lake Dwellers
The Enlightened Ones
The moon is too bright to see the stars.
Consider Madam Majestic. What could her character symbolize in the story when it comes to rebuilding Ben and Nathaniel's relationship?
An obstacle or challenge for them to figure out/conquer.
Who confronts and scares Ben in the cellar of Madam Majestic?
The "lizard" in the terrarium.
How is Bear's story different from the boys' story about the lanterns?
Bear says the lanterns turn into fish before they ascend to the stars.
What are the names of the THREE crows that Madam Majestic keeps hidden away?
Margie, Gertrude, and Samantha