Character & Setting
Who is the boy planning to find or looking for at the start and throughout the excerpt?
His Father
Define "mellow"
Calm, gentle, pleasant
How does the boy get the book?
He takes it from a barrel after a man threw it away.
The boy says books have words like store signs and stories his mother told. Is this literal or figurative?
Figurative
When children ask “Kin you read that big a book?” what can you infer about the boy’s previous reading experience?
e can read simple signs and some newspaper words, but not complex texts; text: "He did not understand what it said; the words were too new and strange.
What is the name of the dog mentioned in the boy’s story?
Sounder
What does "cistern" refer to in the passage
A water storage tank;
What interrupts the boy at the cistern and ends the school day?
Dogs chasing a pig
he Montaigne excerpt includes the line that cowardice is the mother of cruelty. What theme does this idea suggest?
Theme: Weakness leads to cruelty; courage/respect oppose cruelty
The boy hides his bruised hand in his pocket. What does this small action tell you about him? Use text clues.
He is shy and hides hurt or weakness; text: "The boy had put his bruised hand into his pocket so no one could see it
Where does the teacher live (describe features that make it seem nicer than a cabin)?
A cabin with gate, green grass yard, whitewashed gate, two lamps and lots of books — more like a house
What does "animosity" mean
Hostility or hatred
why does the teacher decide to take the boy home
The teacher washes his hand, has books, offers school and shelter, and will make a cot; he is kind and trustworthy.
Identify one example of imagery (a phrase that creates a picture)
"The mellow eyes of the man" or "the white dot swinging back and forth in the sun" — creates gentle or distant images.
The mother calls the teacher’s offer a "sign." What does this suggest about the family's beliefs or hope?
The family believes in signs from the Lord and sees hope in small events; text: "It’s a sign; I believes in signs
Why does the boy prefer to walk near the unpainted cabins rather than the painted houses? (Use setting details.)
He feels safer and sometimes people there speak kindly or give him food; the unpainted-cabin area is friendlier
Explain the word "addled
Confused or mentally unsettled;
Put these events in order
(A) The teacher reads about Cyrus, (B) Dogs chase a pig, (C) The boy finds the book in trash, (D) The boy’s mother hears his story
Correct order: C, B, A, D
What theme about kindness or friendship is shown by the teacher’s actions?
Theme: Kindness and generosity
The boy thinks “He’s conjured” when he sees the teacher. What can you infer about the boy’s cultural background or the beliefs he learned at home?
He learned folk beliefs about "conjured" people from his mother; text: "He’s conjured," ... "He’s conjured or addled... 'Conjured folks can conjure you,' the boy’s mother always said."
Describe how the teacher’s cabin interior contrasts with the boy’s home.
Teacher’s cabin: two lamps, two stoves, books on shelves, whitewashed gate and green yard; boy’s home has fewer comforts (one lamp/stove, no fence/grass).
Use the word "sanctuary" from the text to write one sentence explaining what the pig did
"The pig ran to its sanctuary under the building when it heard the call,
After meeting the teacher, what new opportunities does the boy consider?
Going to school, living at the teacher’s cabin, learning to read, doing chores at the schoolhouse, possibly writing letters for the family.
The teacher talks to a plant: what does this reveal about his character and how does that connect to a central theme of the excerpt?
Talking to the plant shows patience, care, and respect for life
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