Story Elements
Where did Wanda live?
Boggins Heights
Peggy was not really cruel. She protected small children from bullies.
What does cruel mean? pg. 16
Cruel - mean
Who are the three main characters in the story?
Peggy, Wanda and Maddie
"Yeah, velvet, too. A hundred dresses," repeated Wanda stolidly, "All lined up in my closet."
What does stolidly mean? pg. 13
Stolidly - calm manner showing little to no emotion
Which character had auburn hair?
Peggy
And many stories circulated about him and the stories were the kind that made people scurry past his house even in broad daylight and hope not to meet him.
pg. 10 What does scurry mean?
To hurry past or move away from quickly.
Who is Wanda's neighbor?
Old Man Svenson
Then the outer fringe of the crowd of girls would break away gradually, laughing, and little by little, in pairs, the group would disperse.
pg. 15 What does fringe mean?
The outer circle, edge or border
What did Wanda give to Maddie and Peggy?
Drawings
They saw Jack Beggles running to school, his necktie askew and his cap at a precarious tilt.
pg. 6 What does precarious mean?
Not in position or not held in place
Who is Wanda's brother?
Jake Petronski
Wanda did not sit there because she was rough and noisy. On the contrary she was very quiet and rarely said anything at all.
What does contrary mean? pg. 3
Actually or truly
How did Maddie change by the end of the story?
Maddie was. . . regretful, remorseful, hesitant, felt bad for the times Peggy bullied Wanda.
She went home and she pinned her drawing over a torn place in the pink-flowered wallpaper in the bedroom. The shabby room came alive from the brilliancy of the colors.
What does shabby mean? pg.76
Shabby means to be in poor condition or in not so pleasant condition.
Who did Wanda write a letter to?
Miss Mason
All of a sudden, Wanda impulsively touched Peggy's arm and said something. Her light blue eyes were shining and she looked excited like the rest of the girls.
What does impulsively mean? pg. 29
Impulsively means to take action without a thought or without thinking. It is done on impulse.
Did Peggy change by the end of the story? Why?
Peggy did not change. She thought she Wanda was doing alright and everything was fine because Wanda gave Peggy a drawing.
"I am sure none of my boys and girls in Room 13 would purposely and deliberately hurt anyone's feelings because his name happened to be a long, unfamiliar one.
What does deliberately mean? pg. 48
Deliberately - on purpose
Who sat in the seat behind Wanda?
Big Bill Byron
"A hundred!" exclaimed all the girls incredulously, and the little girls would stop playing hopscotch and listen.
What does incredulously mean? pg. 12
Incredulously - unable to believe something