Characters/Setting
Who is the protagonist in the story and what is her little brother's name?
Melody Vega. Kevin is her little brother.
What tragic event happened the previous December? (ch. 2)
Melody and Kevin’s mother was killed in a car crash.
Mom and Pops worried that the park was getting too crowded. What was one thing that drove Mom crazy about people on the trails? (ch. 3)
When they littered.
Why did Pops think there was something wrong with the grizzly? (ch. 4)
He saw that it was very thin.
What state does Melody and her family live in? (ch. 2)
Wisconsin.
What do Melody and Kevin call their grandfather?
Pops
Pops tells the kids about an animal that attacked him? Name that animal. (Ch. 3)
A porcupine
How did Mel know that the creature that was standing before her was a grizzly bear? (ch. 4)
From the hump that rose up between its shoulders.
How did Pops get the grizzly to go away? (ch. 5)
He rang a huge dinner bell made out of brass and the sound scared the bear away.
Why was it important to know the difference between black bears and grizzly bears? (ch. 7)
Grizzlies were more aggressive and powerful.
Who is Aunt Cassie?
She was Mom’s best friend.
What two things did Mom and Pops believe when it came to the wild? (ch. 3)
You must show respect for the wild and Glacier really belonged to the animals.
What did Mel learn to do from her mother if faced with a grizzly bear? (ch. 4)
She didn’t look it in the eye and she walked backwards very slowly.
Why couldn’t Mel fall asleep after the grizzly went away? (ch. 6)
She kept playing the attack over in her head like a slideshow that wouldn’t stop.
What name had the rangers given the grizzly that attacked Mel’s cabin? (ch. 9)
Old Slim
Where and when did the grizzly attacks take place?
1967 in Glacier National Park, Montana
What clues did Mel have that she wasn’t alone in the forest? (ch. 3)
There was total silence, then a twig snapped, leaves rustled and there were deep, wheezing breaths.
How would the rangers get rid of the grizzly? (ch. 6)
They would trap it and release it far away from the campgrounds and hiking trails.
Why were Grizzly attacks rare? (ch. 7)
Because they only happened when a grizzly was surprised or felt threatened.
Why do bears stand up on their hind legs? (ch. 10)
To get a better look at things.
Who is Stephen Weiss?
A wildlife scientist from the University of Montana that was studying grizzly bears.
Why did Mel think it was her fault that her mom was dead? (ch. 2)
Mel wanted to sleep over at her friend’s house but mom said no because the roads were too icy. Mel convinced her mom to take her and they skidded off the road and into a tree, killing her mom.
What about the ranger’s reaction made Melody angry? (ch. 9)
He called the bear harmless and was laughing about the things he had done to other campers/campsites.
What information did the man at the ranger station give Mel and Aunt Cassie that was cause for concern? (ch. 9)
He told them that they were right about the bear and that it was a much bigger problem. There was more than one bear and if something wasn’t done, someone was going to get killed.
What is an apex predator? (ch. 11)
An animal that can hunt any animal it wants. And no animal wants to mess with it.