Commas
Where should the commas go? (series commas)
Melinda Jack and Damien were sent to the dean's office. (three people)
Melinda, Jack, and Damien were sent to the dean's office.
Which of the following words WOULD NOT describe Dean and Don?
belligerent, compassionate, brutal, aggressive
Compassionate
What device do you see here: "You wind for the kick. WHACK! POW!" (190).
onomatopoeia
alliteration
imagery
What does Nick's vomiting in school foreshadow?
His appendicitis
Why does Nick read All the Broken Pieces his book for school willingly?
To earn TV minutes and to get to talk to April (one answer is sufficient)
Do you need commas in this sentence?
Jim and Alice went to the library and borrowed books.
No.
How do we know that Mr. Hall is stern or strict?
He makes Nick sit in a hard chair and read his dictionary, he cancels cable when Nick doesn't do his chores, he doesn't let Nick play soccer one weekend until he reads in the dictionary, etc.
"the volcano of butterflies in your belly ERUPTS!" (172).
Metaphor (best answer)
Hyperbole (weak answer)
Nick says that if he were the main character in All the Broken Pieces (the book he's reading for school) he would stand up to the bullies. Why shouldn't we believe him?
He didn't stand up to Don and Dean when they were beating up Coby.
What is one example of a time that shows Nick likes words, just not reading his dad's dictionary?
His daydream of telling Don and Dean off
His use of the word "limerence" for his poem
He uses big words like "flummoxed" in his narration.
Where should the commas go?
Jen please pass out the colored pencils
Jen, please pass out the colored pencils.
What makes Mrs. Hall a fun mother?
She plays ping pong and soccer with Nick. She also jokes around with Nick (even when he does not answer her texts).
What device is used? What does the author mean?
"Coby . . . speeds down the sideline like a cheetah" (180).
Simile
Coby ran very fast.
Nick's mom comes home twice. What are her two reasons for coming home?
Nick saying he wants to die
Nick's operation
Why does Nick write down everything he wants to say to April before he calls her?
He knows he gets nervous when he talks to her.
Where should the comma go?
I was hungry so I ate a snack.
I was hungry so I ate a snack.
How does April deviously make Nick a member of her book group?
When Nick asked her for a suggestion of what to read, she told him to read Out of the Dust the book the group was reading.
What device is used here?
"Call it, the ref says, then tosses the quarter. Coby calls tails" (177).
Alliteration
Why does the principal of Nick's school make the students watch Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech?
Don and Dean's racist remarks to Coby in the cafeteria fight.
Why does Nick repeat "ONLY" when he hears how long it will be before he can play soccer?
It doesn't seem like a long time to the nurse, but Nick thinks three weeks are an eternity. Also, the Dallas Cup is in a week.
There are series and direct address commas in this sentence.
Martin Lisa and Janice went to the mall and they bought Christmas presents.
(There are three people)
Martin, Lisa, and Janice went to the mall, and they bought Christmas presents.
Name one character trait of Coby and back up your answers.
He's obsessed with soccer: won't stop talking about the Dallas Cup; room is painted with the colors of the Singapore Lions and Ghana Black Stars
Insensitive: Only concerned about having a ride to school when he hears Nick's parents are separating.
Excellent soccer player: Beats Pernell one on one. Almost takes the ball from Nick, but kicks Nick's ankle accidentally (also aggressive)
What phrase does Nick use throughout the book?
"Get this"
Why doesn't Ms. Hardwick make Nick share the poem that he wrote in her class?
She was impressed by his vocabulary
What sign is there that Nick's parents might not get back together way before they tell him that they are getting divorced?
Coby hears Nick's parents arguing in the lobby of the hospital.