YARD WAR
What important movement is taking place in the United States during the time of this story?
The Civil Rights Movement
What project did Anna Hunt originally choose for her Social Issue assignment?
To find out why Rachel Riley went from popular to outcast.
Why did the men in the ship not come back for Leif and Carl and the other men left behind to catch and smoke salmon for the trip?
The trip up the coast was dangerous, and they had somehow met their death before they could return.
After the Sweep cleaned a chimney, why did he tell the homeowner to burn the fire hot all night long?
He said it was to keep sparrows from nesting in the flue, but it was really so that he and the girl could go back that night and have a warm place to sleep next to the warm chimney.
What is a "bog body"?
A body found in a peat bog.
How does Dee know the waiter at the country club?
The waiter is his pastor.
In what language do Anna, her mother, and sister often communicate?
They spoke Polish.
How did the men in the camp know in advance that a ship was coming through the fog?
They could smell the smell of death even before they could see the ship.
What item must a sweep keep with him (or her) at all times, lest a thousand tragedies befall him (or her)?
They must keep their hat with them.
Why did Estriled want to learn how to become a warrior?
An uncle whom she loved a lot died in battle while attacking another land, so she wants revenge on the tribe that killed him.
What is Dee's job at Trip's house?
Dee does the yard work.
What did Blake Wyatt throw to start the food fight and why did he throw it?
He threw a hamburger at another student who said that he had a crush on Rachel Riley.
After the men from the death ship left, Old Carl said that they were men who had lost something and needed to search endlessly for what they had lost. According to Old Carl, what had they lost?
They had lost their shadows.
Besides his hat, what other gift does the Sweep leave for the girl?
A piece of crumbly char about the size of her fist that felt warm to the touch
Why would the boys make fun of and kick Varick around?
His back was twisted, and he couldn’t run as fast or as far as they could.
How did a "shotgun shack" get its name?
It is so small that if you fired a shotgun through a wall on the side, it would go right through the whole shack.
What event caused Anna to want to know more about why Rachel Riley was such an outcast?
When no one clapped or made any sound when Rachel’s birthday was announced even though some kids cheered for her (Anna) despite the fact that she was new to the school and hadn’t made any friends yet.
What starts to happen to the men who had seen the men who lost their shadows?
First two, and then nearly all of them come down with a fever and quickly deteriorate and die.
Why was Crudd going to three weddings in one day the first time we meet him in “Sweep”?
Paying a sweep to attend a wedding assured years of happiness for the couple.
What is Varick’s “Learning Shelf”?
It’s a shelf filled with animal bones and parts which he studies and contrasts with human parts.
What scared Trip and Dee when they were throwing the football in the backyard?
There was a cottonmouth (a poisonous snake) next to the football.
Why was May 20 of the prior school year important in finding the truth?
It was the date of the last photo of Rachel Riley on Instagram.
Just before he dies, what does Old Carl tell Leif and Little Carl to do?
He puts them in a canoe with food and supplies, pushes them from shore, and tells them to go north, away from the sick air. They should never come back.
Mister Crudd brings in a new woman every few months to cook and keep house for him. Nan thinks they work for free. Why would they agree to do this?
Crude is supposedly handsome, and they hope he will ask them to marry him. So far he hasn’t.
Of the initial two ideas, what theory about Estrild’s death did the author think was more likely than the other?
That she had been offered as a sacrifice to a pagan god in the hopes of experiencing a better harvest the next growing season.