Category 1
What consequence did Nisha's parents give her for changing her grandparents' photo into giant tortoises?
On page 6, the text states "her parents banned her from using the computer for a week except for school work."
What is Nisha's science teacher's name? (chapter 1)
On page 5, the text states that "She tried to make them just like the scientific notes Dr. Robinson had shown her class in his science laboratory."
Prove that Nisha is a girl.
Any evidence that shows "her" or "she" in a sentence about Nisha.
Who is the only person who believes Nisha about the secret in the tree (chapter 1)?
Scruggs
What steps did Nisha take to prove the secret in the tree (chapter 1?)
What advice did Nisha's science teacher give her? (chapter 1)
On page 7, the author says that "Dr. Robinson had said to the class: 'SCience can reveal the truth. But until people see with their own two eyes, they won't believe."
What evidence can you find that shows Nisha's parents have "bitten off more than they can chew?" (chapter 1)
On page 8 it says, "Nisha's parents always had time for her. Now they were hardly ever at home."
On page 9 it says, "Nisha's dad used to love cooking meals for them, but now they had frozen dinners instead. He was always too tired to cook. Nisha's mom never had any time to go shopping with her."
When did Nisha say that her problems REALLY started? (chapter 1)
Where is Nisha's special place and what does she do there? (chapter 2)
On page 11 it says that "She loved the grove. It was her own forest, her special place. She loved coming in here at all times of the day to sit and sing, to watch the trees, and to weave daisy chains in the summer."
What does Nisha think is different about the leaves on the gnarled tree? (chapter 2)
On page 14 the author says that "the leaves had curled in the way they always did when the sun disappeared but tonight something was different. She was sure that the leaf had something inside it."
Why were Nisha's parents acting differently on Thursday evening? (chapter 3)
On page 15, the author says that Nisha's parents looked happier then she discovers that it's because the property developer had visited her parents to talk about the grove again.
What is the miracle Nisha's parents have been hoping for?(chapter 3)
On pg 15 Nisha's dad says they they could really use the money that the property developer is offering for their land.
How did Nisha's parents react when she tried to show them what she had noticed in the trees? (chapter 3) Remember to answer in your own words THEN support it with evidence.
On page 16, I can tell that Nisha's dad was irritated because he sighed, questioned what she is doing, and told her that she interrupted his cleaning and work.
On page 17, I can tell that Nisha's dad doesn't believe her and is impatient because he says "There's nothing there Nisha...It's just leaves and branches. Let's just go back to the house now.
On page 18, what evidence do you see that proves what the word "steely" means?
I know that steely means stern or strict because it was a type of look that meant that the conversation was over and Nisha couldn't argue back.
Why are Nisha's steps described as "determined?" (chapter 4)
Page 20 says "If her parents needed proof, then Nisha would get it."
Why was Nisha unsure about the leaves in her observation? (chapter 4)
On page 23, it explains that Nisha couldn't see what the tops of the leaves looked like because she was observing the leaves from below.
According to the text, why does Dr. Robinson warn his students not to use their imaginations during observation? (chapter 4)
It's important to avoid seeing something that isn't there or seeing things based on what you already know instead of what you actually see. On page 21 he says, "Record the things you can observe."
How are the illustrations on pages 25-27 related? (chapter 4)
They form a series following the path of the blobs and they help the reader to visualize the stages of Nisha's investigation and discovery.
I can't believe my daughter is wasting my time AGAIN. First she broke our rules with technology and now she is being completely ridiculous and imagining magic in the trees. I need to focus on my work so I can make more money for my family, not spend the evening looking for magical creatures in a tree! I wish she would be more serious and grow up.
What does "meander" mean on page 26? Look for clues in the rest of the sentence!
Meander means to follow a winding curve. I know this because the text describes the blobs going around the tree, behind some bushes, then into the trunk on page 26.
Point of View: Put yourself "in the shoes" of Nisha's parents. Why might they have good reasons to be skeptical of Nisha's discovery?
According to the text on page 6, it sounds like Nisha has been irresponsible before in the past.
Why is it so hard for Nisha to communicate something factual to her parents, even though her parents like to deal with facts? (chapter 3)
Nisha's father has a scientific explanation for why the leaves look as they do, but Nisha doesn't. On page 17, she describes BIG IDEAS like, "it might be a new species or a rare creature" but not the little details or observations to convince her parents.
How do the details on page 14 reveal a different side of Nisha's character? (chapter 3)
Earlier in the book, Nisha shows that she likes using her imagination. On page 14, she becomes interested in closely observing something rather than just using her imagination. She is persistent and watches the tree for the rest of the week.
Why does the author choose to write Nisha's discovery of the yellow blobs something that happens by accident when he could have written it differently? (chapter 4)
The author is showing that science sometimes involves chance or luck. They are showing that a good scientist is flexible and can adapt to new information.
What does the illustration on page 27 contribute to the story? (chapter 4)
It shows us a different perspective. It emphasizes the size of the hole and suggests that the blobs live in the tree.