Setting
Where does Dan live?
Dan lives in Grand Island, Nebraska. There are many examples that show this. One example is on page 123, when after the tornado, Arthur says "Why us, then? Grand Island, Nebraska, the All-American City," suggesting that they live in Grand Island
What is the big problem in the story?
The big problem in the story is the tornado that changes Dan's life.
The government helping the people that suffered from the tornadoes corresponds to the ___ of the book.
Answer: resolution. This is where the main problem finally gets solved (well, partly).
Is this story based off of an event in real life? If so, what year did it happen?
Yes, this story is only part-fictional! On June 3, 1980, a string of seven tornadoes touched down on Grand Island.
Part of the plot is always when you introduce the characters. How does the author talking about red-letter days and black-letter days at the very beginning of the story influence the plot?
By talking about red-letter and black-letter days, the author is foreshadowing what is going to happen next.
How do Dan's feelings toward his mom, especially about helping her, change throughout the story?
At the beginning of the story, Dan doesn't want to help his mom at all (this scene is described on pages 25 and 26), but at the end, Dan is even willing to risk his own life to try to help Ms. Smiley out (this scene is described on page 85).
The first chapter, "As told by Dan Hatch", doesn't really fit as the exposition of the story. If you were to place it somewhere in the book, where would you do so?
Sample Answer: I would put it just right after "Five O'Clock". In "Five O'Clock", there is already some foreshadowing, as in "Clouds were building fast as we started pedaling home,", so it would fit best there
In the book, there are "sirens" that warn Dan and Arthur about the tornado. In our daily lives, we only hear sirens when an ambulance or a police car passes by. What are these sirens?
These sirens are called tornado sirens (more broadly, civil defense sirens). They warn people when natural disasters, such as a tornado, or in war, when nuclear attacks and air raids happen.
Where was Aunt Goldie taken by the truck driver?
Aunt Goldie was taken to a motel in Omaha by the truck driver, where one week later she was transported back to where the Hatch's were. You can tell from pages 145 and 146.
How do Dan's feelings toward Ryan change throughout the story?
At the beginning of the story, Dan hates Ryan, wishing that he wasn't there, as in "As far as I was concerned, we could have gone on that way forever - without Ryan". However, by the end of the story, Dan realizes that he saved Ryan's life, and starts to love him - as an older brother.
Name a scene in the story that is part of the falling action.
Sample Answer: Dan finding his Mom is part of the falling action, since this is leading towards Dan and Arthur reuniting with their families.
Where was the beach that Dan and Arthur went to in "Five O'Clock"? That is, where exactly? (It is a real-world location).
They were at Mormon Island State Park. It says so in page 7, "Arthur and I rolled over on our backs on the warm sandy beach at Mormon Island State Park".
The author adds descriptions of when the tornado hits. What is he trying to make the plot look by doing this?
The author is trying to intensify the plot. By describing the scene of destruction, he makes the reader imagine how the tornado leveled everything, which makes the whole plot feel more suspenseful.
Imagine that you are a person that survived the tornado described in the story. How would you change?
If I survived the tornado described in the story, I would be much more aware and careful of my surroundings. This is because I would learn from the tornado that, things can happen when you least expect it.
Based on your knowledge of technology in the era of when this story was set, why do you think that the sirens kept turning on and off?
In the real historical event, most of the tornadoes that hit Grand Island looped backwards, crossing over their own path. The sirens would only detect if there was a tornado nearby, therefore they turned on and off as the tornado crossed their own path.