Types of Characters
Who is the protagonist of the novel? (First and Last Name)
Castle Cranshaw aka Ghost
In the exposition, readers meet the characters, setting, and conflict.
Name 1 important setting we are introduced to in the exposition.
Ghost's house in Glass Manor, Mr. Charles's store, the track at Martin Luther King Park
What type of figurative language is present in this quote?
"My heart thump-thumped, thump-thumped, and I could feel my insides turning colors" (Reynolds 179).
Onomatopoeia
Then the coach blew the whistle, and off he went. I could tell he was pushing as hard as he could, but he just wasn't going nowhere. Nobody cheered for him, and a few of the other kids even laughed. "We'll see who's laughing when we get to the mile," the coach barked at the sniggering runners.
A word's connotation is the emotion or feelings behind the word. It can be positive, neutral, or negative. Sniggering is laughing at someone in an unkind way.
What is the connotation of sniggering?
negative
What is Glass Manor?
The neighborhood/part of town Ghost is from. The not-so-nice side of the city.
A static character is a character who stays the same or does NOT change in any significant way during a story.
Name 1 static character in the novel and what stays the same about them.
Ghost's mom, Aunt Sophie, King, Brandon Simmons, all the veteran runners, Mr. Charles, Coach Whit, etc.
What stays the same will vary!
The rising action is when the majority of the story where readers learn more about the characters, setting, and conflict and the tension/suspense increase.
Name 1 conflict from the novel and how it got worse in the rising action.
Ghost gets in even more trouble at school--fighting Brandon in the cafeteria, being suspended, and running away from/skipping school.
Ghost gets in more trouble in general. Ghost breaks the law, stealing for the first time when he ran away with the shoes.
Is the figurative language present in this quote a simile or metaphor? How do you know?
"'Look at you,' Ma said, hugging my neck, her eyes instantly wet....'You look like a superhero'" (Reynolds 169).
Simile. It is a comparison of two things (Ghost and a superhero) using the word like.
Denotation is the literal meaning or dictionary definition of a word.
What is the denotation of a sprint?
A short, fast race.
A race 400 meters or less.
A short spell of running full speed/all out.
What does objective mean?
What does subjective mean?
Objective means that things are based on fact and can be proven.
Subjective means something is strongly influenced by the author's opinions and feelings.
A round character is a character readers know a lot about. This character has a lot of traits and details. They are well-developed.
Out of all the characters in the book, who is the MOST round? Why?
Ghost/Castle Cranshaw
Readers know the most about his life, background, personality, thoughts, reactions, feelings, etc.
The falling action is the series of events leading to the solution of the conflict. Things begin to settle down as the story wraps up plot points and answers questions.
What is one thing that happens during the falling action of the book?
Coach pays for Ghost's running shoes.
Coach threatens to lock Ghost in the trunk if he ever steals again.
Ghost got ready for the race in his own bedroom.
Ghost, Aunt Sophie, and King miss the bus and have to walk to the park.
Ghost stops into Mr. Charles's store to see him before the race.
Ghost introduces his family to the team.
Ghost's mom learns his nickname is Ghost.
What type of figurative language is present in this quote? How do you know?
"Chapter 2: World Record for the Fastest tryout Ever" (Reynolds 8).
Hyperbole. It is exaggerating how fast Ghost's tryout was. He was definitely fast, but it is highly unlikely that he's the fastest person ever to try out for a track+field team.
Based on the context clues in the following text, what does the bolded, underlined word most likely mean?
"As you all know, our very first meet of the season is this Saturday. You've worked hard these past few weeks, and I'm proud of you. So to get you excited about smoking everybody this weekend, I'm gonna give out this year's Defenders uniforms."
Race.
A sports competition between two or more teams, involving various different running races.
Like a game but for track.
A theme is the general life lesson of a text that readers can take home and apply to their own lives. In your own words, what is a theme of this passage?
"Mr. Charles says, 'My sister's a big-time college professor at one of those smarty universities. Both my parents were lawyers. And me, I sell you sunflower seeds.' I asked, 'What's wrong with that?' Shoot, having your own store seemed like a sweet deal...'Nothing is wrong with it. Not to me and you. But to them? Oh, they look at me like some kind of letdown. You know what they call this place? Charlie's little store,' he said, his voice now more serious. 'Little. Don't ever let someone call your life, your dreams, little. Hear me?' I nodded" (Reynolds 91-92).
- Stand up for yourself and defend your dreams.
- There's nothing wrong with having different dreams from the people around you.
- Don't let people belittle or talk down about your life/dreams.
A major character is a character who has a significant impact on the plot and plays an important role in the story.
Name 1 major character in the novel and at least 1 reason why they are major.
Ghost, Coach, Lu, Sunny, Patina, Mr. Charles, Ghost's Mom, etc.
Reasons will vary!
The rising action is the majority of the story where readers learn more about the characters, setting, and conflict and the tension/suspense increase.
What are 3 events that occurred in the rising action of the novel?
Answers will vary as this is multiple chapters of the novel!
What type of figurative language is present in this quote? How do you know?
"My legs had pretty much clocked out, but instead of letting me just sit down and rest, Coach told me to walk it off" (Reynolds 58).
Idiom. It does not literally have to do with clocks or clocking out. It means Ghost's legs were exhausted/done/out of energy.
Denotation is the literal meaning or dictionary definition of a word. A word's connotation is the emotion or feelings behind the word. It can be positive, neutral, or negative.
"'Shack,' Brandon said. Shack was what he called me as his lame way of making fun of the fact that my name is castle." (Reynolds 33).
What is the denotation AND connotation of the word shack?
Denotation: A decrepit, rundown building. A hut/hovel/shanty. A very simple, small, and rough building made from pieces of wood, metal, or other materials.
Connotation: negative
Look back at chapter 10. Find evidence (a word-for-word quote) that supports the following statement: Ghost's aunt is supportive of him.
"'C-A-S-T-L-E!' Aunt Sophie screamed. 'Smoke 'em! Burn 'em! Dust 'em! Roast 'em! she shrieked. It was like her and Lu's mom were a perfect out-of-control cheerleading pair" (Reynolds 177).
"While primping in the mirror, I heard Aunt Sophie come in. She was hollering about how they were late because she had to make a sign to hold up when I was running" (Reynolds 169).
A dynamic character is a character who goes through a significant change in a story. They grow and learn a lot!
List at least 2 dynamic characters in the novel and what significantly changes about them.
Ghost - He goes from getting in trouble all the time to wanting to do well in school, at home, and on the track team. He is also a lot more mature and calm at the end.
Lu - He goes from hating and being rude to Ghost to truly being his friend.
Brandon - He's stopped bullying and going after Ghost.
Shamika - She laughed at Ghost/made fun of his shoes but then apologized.
Coach (MAYBE) - He has opened up about his past and his feelings have shifted toward his dad.
The climax is the turning point of the story where the protagonist comes face-to-face with the conflict.
What is the climax of the novel?
Coach finds out that Ghost stole the shoes, confronts him, and benches him from the team. Coach and Ghost talk in Coach's cab. Coach then takes Ghost to Everything Sports to make amends/apologize/face Tia.
What type of figurative language is present in this quote? How do you know?
"A tattoo I had never noticed before peeked from the now stretched-out neckline of Coach's shirt" (Reynolds 151).
Personification. It is giving the tattoo the human ability to peer/look out.
Based on the context clues in the following text, what does the bolded, underlined word most likely mean?
"Hello, Principal Marshall here. Is this Castle's Uncle?...Uh-huh. Yes. Well, I need him off the premises as soon as possible. Just for the rest of the day."
Property.
A building and the land on which it is built.
Specifically in this case: School grounds.
A theme is the general life lesson of a text that readers can take home and apply to their own lives. In your own words, what is a theme of this passage?
"But I was glad that we were off my secret—it was like I had never even said anything about what happened with my dad, even though I did. I did. And it seemed like everybody at the table cared and didn't care at the same time. And that made me feel, for the first time, like I was one of them...And it felt good to feel like one of the teammates. Like I was there—really, really there—as me without as much scream inside" (Reynolds 135).
You don’t need to be afraid to share things with people you trust.
It is ok to tell some people secrets. Even if they don't understand, they will support you.
Share how you are feeling because once you get them out, then you will feel better.