Carry on Mr.Bowditch Chapter 16

Carry on Mr.Bowditch Chapter 16

1)Why did Captain Prince repeatedly exclaim to Nat “you mathematician!” ?

A: It always drove Captain Prince crazy when Nat started talking and he couldn’t understand him, so he’d always yell “you mathematician!”

2)Describe the outrigger canoe.

A: The outrigger canoe is a little canoe that can go very fast and can float well because it is made out of bamboo.

3)What happened on the return trip that made the crew short-handed?

A:On the way back, they ship sprung a leak so a lot of the men had to stay underboard to help pump the water out.

4)Who was waiting for Nat when he reached the wharf? Why wasn’t he pleased?

A: Elizabeth was waiting for him at the wharf, Nat wasn’t pleased because Elizabeth was with a different man waiting for Nat.

Thought Questions:

1)How did Nat’s feelings for Elizabeth change durring the voyage? Why do you think he only realized how he felt when he was far from home?

A: Nat missed Elizabeth more when he was out at sea. I think that he realized this when he was out at sea more because he hadn’t seen her in a long time.

2)Which do you think would be worse- a leak or a fight?  What is the difference between these two disasters and the responses  they demand?

 A: I think that a leak is worse, because you can easily drive someone away, but you can’t easily patch a leak.

3) Does the age gap between Nat and Elizabeth seem significant to you? Do you think it is more or less significant in Nat’s time than it would be today?

A: I think that since Elizabeth is 17 and Nat is 24- 7 years of age is a big difference. I think that 7 years is more significant now then back then because now most people try to marry someone that is in a year or two of age with them.

Carry on Mr.Bowditch Chapter 15

Carry on Mr.Bowditch Chapter 15

1)What was Lem Harvey’s problem?

A:  Lem had a temper and was “born to fight”.

2)What did Nat offer the crew? What was there response?

A: Nat offered the crew that he would teach them navigation if they wanted him to. A lot of them thought that they would like it, but Lem Harvey didn’t want anything to do with it.

3)What kind of ship approached the Astrea? What colors was she flying?

A: A fighting ship approached the Astrea. The ship’s sail was red and white stripes.

4)What, according to Nat, prevented Lem from learning?

A: The thing that prevents Lem from learning is his anger.

5)What made the men think the sea was on fire?

A: The men thought that the sea was on fire because there were a bunch of sea animals that lit up.

Thought Questions:

1)Nat said “It did things to a man… to find out he had a brain.” Explain. Do you agree?

A: I think that was Nat means is when a man finds out that he is actually good at something then is encourages him. I do agree with that.

2)Why did Nat lie for Lem? Were his actions justifiable?

A: Nat lied for Lem so that Captain Prince wouldn’t yell at Lem. I think that it was a nice thing for Nat to do, but not the best thing.

3)How did learning change in Lem’s attitude? Why do you think it did?

A:I think that learning helped Lem remember that he was smart, so that encouraged him.

Carry on Mr.Bowditch Chapter 14

Carry on Mr.Bowditch Chapter 14

1)What did Mary want to tell Nat?

A: Mary wanted to tell Nat that she was happy that Nat had insisted on her marrying David because it had been the happiest two years in her life.

2)Where did Mr.Derby want to send Nat and Captain Prince next? What language did Nat need to learn for the voyage?

A: Mr.Derby wanted to send Nat and Captain Prince to Manila. Nat would have to learn spanish if he was going to go on that trip.

3)Why was Mr.Collins upset with Nat for teaching the sailors?

A: Mr. Collins didn’t want Nat to teach all of the men because after they learned then they could go on other ships.

4)What did Elizabeth do right before Nat left?

A: Elizabeth ran and gave Nat a hug before he left and said that she would always watch for him.

Thought Questions:

1)Latham describes the deaths of Nat’s friends and families in very brief, straightforward sentences. What is the effect of this technique? How does it fit into Nat’s way of dealing hardships?

A: I think that the author didn’t want to make all of the deaths a big deal. I think that this shows that Nat likes to get over the hard things fast.

2)Some of the men Nat taught were able to take new, better positions as a result. If you had the ability to do so, is moving up in a career always the best choice?

A: I think that it’s always a better idea.

3)Do you think Lem Harvey’s training methods were effective?

A: I think that they were because he learned a lot and it made him a better person.

Carry on Mr.Bowditch Chapter 13

Carry on Mr.Bowditch Chapter 13

1)Why had Bourbon changed because of the Revolution? What was it’s new name?

A: Bourbon had changed it’s name because of the war. The harbor’s new name is Réunion.

2)What had happened to the harbor? How did this change the Henry’s plans?

A:Bourbon had changed because of the war, so they didn’t let any ships that weren’t theres in or out of the harbor. This changed the Henry’s plans because they were going to enter that harbor.

3)How had the frenchman tricked Captain Blanchard?

A: The frenchmen said that they had given him a ‘good’ deal because he thought that he was so cool for saying Vive la république!

4)What did Nat find when he was studying Moore’s Navigator?

A: Nat found some mistakes in Moore’s Navigator.

5)What did Dr.Bentley tell Nat when he returned to Salem?

A:Dr.Bentley told Nat that David, Mary’s husband had died of a fever.

Thought Questions:

1)Why did the leaders of the French Revolution insist on calling everyone “Citizen”?

A: They insisted on it so that it wasn’t hard to remember all of the different names for people.

3)Is anyone above making mistakes? Have you ever assumed someone was?

A: I don’t think that anyone can not make mistakes. I think that some people like to act like they never make mistakes because they think that it makes them look cool, but it really doesn’t because they’re just acting like that for attention.

Carry on Mr.Bowditch Chapter 12

Carry on Mr.Bowditch Chapter 12

1)What two things did Mr.Derby forbid the ship to do?

A: Mr.Derby forbid the ship from breaking any laws in the ports that they enter and that they can’t do any slave trade.

2)In what way were surveying and navigation different?

A: Surveying was where you had one point and  you draw a line from there, but navigation is way more complex than that.

3)What did Nat propose to use to find their longitude? Why was Captain Prince skeptical?

A:Nat proposed to use a lunar to find their longitude. Captain Prince didn’t think that it would work because we only  get one full moon so often.

4)How did the men respond to Nat’s teaching? Why did Nat teach them?

A: The men at first didn’t really care, but after they learned it and understood it, then they began to care about it more.

Thought Questions:

1)Do you think Nat’s experience as an indentured  servant had anything to do with his opposition to slave trade?

A: I think that he is a little bit more against slave trade because he had kind of experienced it by having an indenture.

2)Can book learning substitute for practical experience?

A: I think that you can learn from a book, but that practical experiences are better.

3)Can everyone learn?

A: I think that everyone can learn, but that sometimes not everyone understands it at first because  we all learn differently.

4)Do you think knowledge would make sailors more or less likely to rebel?

A: I think that the smarter the sailor is, the more he is likely to not rebel.

Carry on Mr.Bowditch Chapter 11

Carry on Mr.Bowditch Chapter 11

1)Why were American ships being attacked?

A:American ships were being attacked because they were neutral at the time so France and England were both attacking them.

2)Why was Nat indignant about the editorial?

A: Nat was always indignant about editorial because it drove him crazy.

3)Did Dr. Bentley agree with Ben?

A: Dr.Bentley doesn’t exactly agree with Ben, but he doesn’t disagree.

4)Why did Captain Gibaut say America needed a navy?

A: Captain Gibaut said that America needed an army so that they can protect themselves.

Thought Questions:

1)Dr.Bentley said, “We can’t have freedom- unless we have freedom.” Explain. Do you agree? Do people still need to hear that statement today? In what situations?

A: He’s basically saying that to have freedom all people have to be free. I do agree with that. I don’t think that people hear it as much.

2)Compare ventures to the stock market. Does on involve a greater risk? A: I think that stock is a greater risk.

Carry on Mr. Bowditch Chapter 10

Carry on Mr. Bowditch Chapter 10

1)Who was Nathan Read? To what new field of study did he introduce Nat?

A:Nathan Read was a man that owned a apothecary shop in another town. Nathan introduced Nat to French.

2)Why had Mr.Jordy say Nat needed to learn proper french pronunciation?

A: Mr.Jordy said that you have to pronounce French correctly so that people would know what he was saying.

3)Explain Elizabeth’s analogy of the chair and Nat’s brain?

A: Elizabeth said that talking to other people is like kicking a chair because if they don’t understand what he’s saying, then he gets frustrated and it’s like he just kicked a chair.

4)What happened to Captain Boardman?

A:Captain Boardman died out on the water.

5)How can you tell time by the stars?

A: You can tell time by connecting a bunch of stars.

6)What gift did Mr.Hodges give Nat in the note?

A: Mr. Hodges gave Nat some money in the note.

Thought Questions:

1)Is pronunciation always important when you study a language?

A:Pronunciation is always important when you study a new language because if you learn it in the wrong way, then you have to re-learn it.

2)Do you think English pronunciation makes sense?

A: I think that English pronunciation makes sense, but maybe that’s just because I’ve grown up knowing English.

3)What is intuition? Did Elizabeth really know when her father’s ship would arrive?

A: Intuition  is when you have a feeling something is going to happen. Elizabeth didn’t know that her father’s ship was going to come in, but she had a strong feeling that it would.

4) Why do you think the freedom following indenture caused such a shock for some people?

A: I think that based on how long they are in a indenture then they just get used to it and don’t know what to do with themselves when they get out of it.

5) In different parts of America, slaves and indentured servants existed at the same time. Do you think the system of slavery and the indenture system are related in any way? What is the biggest difference in the mindset behind those systems?

A: I think that slaves and indenture are kind of the same thing, but that slavery  is where someone owns you, and for indenture you work for that person, and you are kind of owned by them, but kind of not. I think that how the people handle the indenture and slavery is the difference.

Carry on Mr.Bowditch Chapter 9

Carry on Mr.Bowditch Chapter 9

1)What did Mr.Hodges suggested to Mr.Ward?

A: Mr. Hodges suggested that Mr.Ward let Nat continue to stay in the room above the chandlery.

2)What kind of math did Nat use to complement Lizza?

A: Nat gave a complement to Lizza where she had to solve it in Arithmetic.

3)Why didn’t Mary want to Marry David Martin? How did Nat convince her?

A: Mary didn’t want to marry David because then whenever he would go into the sea, she would always have to hope and wait that he would be alive when his ship came back. Nat asked her if she would rather be married to a privateer, or never get married at all.

4)What did Dr.Prince offer Nat?

A: Dr.Prince offered for Nat to be able to go to a library and read books, for free.

5)What happened to Lizza?

A: Lizza died.

6)What did Elizabeth give Nat? Why?

A: Elizabeth gave Nat a book in Latin to keep him busy and not think about Lizza.

Carry on Mr.Bowditch Chapter 8

Carry on Mr.Bowditch Chapter 8

1)What caused the excitement in town on the day of Hab’s visit?

A: President Washington was touring the country, so all of the people were really excited.

2)Which book on astronomy did Dr.Bentley give Nat?

A: Dr.Bentley gave Nat Isaac Newton’s Principia.

3)What did Nat overhear about the chandlery on one of his trips to town?

A:Nat heard that Ropes and Hodges sold their chandlery to Samuel Ward.

4)What did Mr.Ward tell Nat? What did that news mean for Nat’s dreams?

A:Mr.Ward told Nat that he had bought his indenture along with the building and all of the supplies. That news meant that he wouldn’t be able to be a tutor for  the man that asked him to and he also couldn’t start college when he was 21.

Thought Questions:

1)What book did you use the first time you learned a language? Do you think you could learn a new language using Nat’s method?

A: When I first started taking spanish, we used to read little kid books because they were easier to understand. I could never learn the way that Nat does because he’s like super smart.

2)How do you respond to disappointment? Compare your way to Nat’s How is his response consistence with what you have already seen of his character?

A:When I’m disappointed sometimes I just act like I’m not to make sure that no one feels bad. I think that Nat tries to do the same thing as me, but he hides it more.

Carry on Mr.Bowditch Chapter 7

Carry on Mr.Bowditch Chapter 7

1) What did Nat do in the evenings after he finished work?

A: Every night Nat would write in his notebook anything that he had learned that day about ships.

2)What did Mr.Ropes ask Nat to look up? How did Nat misunderstand him?

A: Mr.Ropes asked Nat to look up where surveys started. Nat thought that Mr.Ropes wanted him to tell him about a survey not just where it started.

3)What does an almanac tell you?

A: A almanac tells you  about  all of the different moon and sun phases.

4)What did the stranger offer Nat after he saw Nat’s almanac?

A: The stranger said that if Nat for some reason got out of his indenture in a year or two, he would hire him for a tutor for his kids.

Thought Questions:

1)Why do you think Nat put so much effort into his notebooks?

A: I think that for Nat reading about all of that stuff and writing it down was interesting for him.

2)Describe Nat’s method of learning about subjects. How do you learn things best?

A: I think that if Nat reads something and then writes it down, then he remembers it. I learn things best with repetition.

3)Do you think you would have the willpower to “sail by ash breeze” for nine years?

A: I don’t think that I could do the same thing for nine years, but I could try!? ?

Carry on Mr.Bowditch Chapter 6

Carry on Mr.Bowditch Chapter 6

1)Why wasn’t Nat happy about Mr.Walsh’s praise?

A: Nat was hoping that he could take a long time to learn book keeping so that he would look bad, and then Ropes and  Hodges wouldn’t want to keep him.

2)How did Lizza describe being indentured? What were the conditions of Nat’s indenture.

A: Lizza said that being indentured was like being in jail, because if you run away, then someone will come and take you back. In Nat’s Indenture, he had to stay at the room above Ropes and Hodges, and he had to work all day and he could only leave Ropes and Hodges for deliveries and if he got permission.

3)What sailing term did Ben Meeker use to describe Nat?

A: Ben said that Nat swallows the anchor.

4)What did Sam Smith say it meant to “sail by ash breeze”?

A: Sam Smith meant that a ‘real’ man goes with the flow and lets what happens, happen without protesting.

5) Why did Mr.Hodges give Nat a notebook?

A: Mr. Hodges gave Nat a notebook to fill with all of the things Ben Meeker told him.

6) How did the log work?

A: A log worked where you entered what someone had bought and how much they had paid for it.

Thought Questions:

1)Does indenturing sound like a fair bargain? Why or why not? Why do you think people no longer use this practice?

A: I don’t think that indenturing sounds like a good deal because basically you work for them for as long as they say and you can’t do anything that they don’t tell you to do. I think that if people tried to do that now days they wouldn’t be able to find people who would be willing to do that.

2)What was the primary difference between Ben Meeker’s and Sam Smith’s perspectives on difficult situations? Which one is the most similar to your own?

A: Ben is more protective and quieter I think, and Sam is more outspoken and louder.

3)Have you ever “sailed by ash breeze”? Explain. What does Nat’s response to Sam’s description tell you about his character?

A: I think that a lot of times, I’ve just gone with the flow. Nat’s response to Sam tells me that he can sometimes shake things off easily, but not all of the time.

Carry on Mr.Bowditch Chapter 5

Carry on Mr.Bowditch Chapter 5

1)Whom did Nat crash into on the street? What did that man tell mother?

A: Nat crashed into the new pastor on his way home.When Nat got home Lizza told him that the pastor had come to their house, and told mother that Nat should go back to school.

2)What happened to Mother right before Christmas?

A: A couple weeks before Christmas, mother died.

3)What happened to Granny two years later?

A: Two years after Mother died, Granny died.

4)What did Nat overhear during the night? How did he interpret it?

A: Nat heard Father and Mary talking together, Nat thought that they were talking about sending him back to school.

5)Who were Ropes and Hodges? What were the terms of indenture?

A: Ropes and Hodges were two men that ran a ship shop, where you can get parts for your ship. Terms of Indenture is when you sign a contract basically saying that you belong to them for so many years.

Thought Questions:

1)Why did Nat and Mary say Father had “lost his anchor to windward”?

A: Nat and Mary say that father had “lost his anchor to windward” because he wasn’t doing very well.

2) Have you ever misinterpreted something you heard? Why is it dangerous to listen in on conversations that are not meant for you?

A: I don’t remember a  time when I’ve misinterpreted someone, but I’m sure that I’ve done it many times. Sometimes if you listen to a conversation that wasn’t meant for you to hear, then you can get in trouble.

3)Nat listened to his father’s conversation because he wanted to know the truth. Why, then, do you think he kept his family from knowing the truth about his feelings?

A: I think that Nat just did the indenture so then his family didn’t have to worry about him, so I think that he didn’t tell them that so that they wouldn’t feel bad.

Carry on Mr.Bowditch Chapter 4

Carry on Mr.Bowditch Chapter 4

1)What kind of ship was Freedom? Why did Hab show her to Nat?

A: Freedom was a cargo ship Hab wanted to show Nat a different kind of ship that he had never seen before.

2)Why had Hab lied about being cold the previous winter?

A: Hab had lied about not being cold because 1) they didn’t have enough money to buy a new coat and 2) he covered it up by saying only coats are for sissies.

3)Why did the ship owners think that the war was almost over?

A: They thought that the war was almost over because there wasn’t that many privateer ships out.

4)What caused the commotion in the middle of the night? Who was John Derby?

A: A bunch of people were running around yelling that they had won the war. John Derby was the man to sail to England to tell the king that the war had started.

5)What is the peace announcement?

A: The peace announcement  is when two or three countries kind of call a truce.

6)What was “crowding sail”? Why was it dangerous?

A: Crowding sail was when you put up a big sail to get you somewhere faster, but you also have the risk of it snapping.

7)What does it mean to “loose your anchor to windward”?

A:”loose your anchor to windward” means that the wind blew your anchor away.

8)Why did Nat have to leave school? How did Mother comfort him?

A: Nat had to leave school because his father needed help building barrels.

Thought Questions:

1)Why did Hab think boys shouldn’t blubber? What does that statement tell you about his character? What does Nat’s response tell you about his relationship with Hab?

A: Hab said that  boys shouldn’t blubber because they should be able to be stronger than that. That statement tells me that Hab doesn’t like being called a wimp and that he didn’t bring up the coat scenario so that his parents wouldn’t feel bad.

2)How does inflation work? What are products really worth? Why is paper money less stable than precious metals?

A: inflation is when people raise the price a lot. Products are worth what they are made from. I think that back then metal was more expensive to make than paper, so they had metal be worth more.

3)Are peace and the absence of war the same thing? Why or why not?

A: I think that peace is when war is totally done, but absence of war is when they aren’t having war at the time, but it could happen any time.

4)Mother said “If you look at the stars long enough, it helps. It shrinks your day-to-day troubles down to size.” What does looking at stars actually change?

A: I think that stars just distract you from what’s going on.

Carry on Mr.Bowditch Chapter 3

Carry on Mr.Bowditch Chapter 3

1)What question did Nat answer in school? Why was he counted wrong?

A: Nat answered the question- What happened on April 19, 1775 he was wrong because he said that his dad’s ship sunk, but the answer Master Watson was looking for was, the Battle of Lexington ended that day.

2)Why did Nat prefer arithmetic to history?

A: Nat liked arithmetic better than history because he was good at it.

3)What did Father ask Master Watson to do for Nat?

A: Father asked Master Watson to give Nat bigger questions.

4)Why did Master Watson accuse Nat of lying? How did he test Nat’s truthfulness?

A: Master Watson said that he couldn’t have written that so fast, so he said that he had until the next day to tell him who helped him.

5)What news did Nat hear about the Pilgrim? What happened to Tom Perry?

A: Nat heard that the Pilgrim boat had come back. Tom Perry had died fighting another ship.

6)What did the fisherman’s people do when a fisherman died at sea?

A: The fishermen, buried him in the sea and ripped a big piece of paper up into tiny pieces and scatter it.

Thought Questions:

1)What was Mister Watson’s reaction when he heard Nat had been in school two years in Danvers? What does his response tell you about his view of women?

A: He said that it was a place where women teach and that he probable didn’t learn anything. Basically he doesn’t like women.

2)What makes books so valuable? Were they more valuable in Nat’s time? If so, why?

A: Books were valuable back then because they were expensive.

Carry on Mr.Bowditch Chapter 2

Carry on Mr. Bowditch Chapter 2

1)What is a privateer?

A: A privateer is a ship that goes into war, carrying guns only, and if they find a English Ship (for that time) they would capture it and one man would go and sell the whole thing.

2)Why did Granny tell Father to take Nat with him to wharves?

A: Granny told Father to take Nat along, to make sure that he came back.

3)What did Father say he would do if he had money?

A: Father said that if he had a lot of money, he would buy a expectation.

4)What is a expectation? How did the sailor respond to Nat’s offer to buy one?

A: A expectation is how much a privateer expects he will get when he goes out on the ship, then he will return and give all of the money that he earned to the person who invested in him. The sailor said that he would work a expectation with him.

5)Why did the sailor tell Nat not to mention their bargain?

A: The sailor told Nat not to tell anyone because he would be embarrassed if anyone found out that he had traded little money for a lot more.

Thought Questions:

1)Do you think privateers and pirates are the same? If not, how are they different?

A: I think that they are a lot alike, but that they both have something different about them. For one Pirates don’t do expectations, and privateer’s do, for two, privateer’s do this for war, and Pirates don’t.

2)Are ethics different durring wartime? Should they be?

A: I think that your work ethic is a little different because you’re doing this for war, but I also think that your work ethic should change a little bit.

3)Why did Father call himself Jonah? Was Jonah’s problem bad luck? If not, why did he bring danger to the soldiers?

A: Father called himself Jonah because he thought that bad luck always followed him. In the bible story Jonah, it was his own works that made him jump into sea. The Story of Jonah-  https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jonah+1

4)Why did Father ask Nat if it was better to go back to his trade? Do you think he knew the answer? Do you think he expected Nat to know?

A: Father asked Nat if he should go back to his trade because he wanted Nat to say yes, so that he didn’t feel forced to go back on a privateer. I think that he did know the answer, and I think that he thought that he would make Nat confused, so he would just say yes.

Carry on Mr. Bowditch

Carry on Mr.Bowditch Chapter 1

1)Why did Nat want to stay awake?

A: Nat wanted to stay awake until his brother fell asleep.

2)What bad luck had come to Nat’s family?

A: Nat’s dad had lost his ship and there was a war going on at the time.

3)Why didn’t Nat complete  his good-luck spell?

A: Nat didn’t get to do his good- luck spell because he fell asleep.

4)What did Granny ask Nat to fetch from the neighbors?

A:Granny asked Nat to go to the neighbors and ask for some fire.

5)What prevented Nat from performing his good-luck spell in Salem?

A: At night it started raining, and then Nat’s dad said that it wasn’t supposed to stop raining for three more days.

Thought Questions:

1)If luck is a random chance, why did Nat think he could influence it? Is there such a thing as luck? Why do you think people want to believe in good or bad luck?

A: I think that maybe someone told Nat that he could do it? I don’t think that there is such a thing as luck, because God knows everything he won’t change anything for luck.

2)Would you go to your neighbors if you needed to borrow something? If not, why not?

A: No normally, you would just go to the store and buy it.

3)Are there certain jobs that are “men’s work” and “women’s work”? Do you think it is the job of boys to look after girls and women? How have ideas about these questions changed since Nat’s time?

A: I think that there are things that men are better at and the same with women, but I don’t think that there are jobs for only men, OR women. I think it is a good thing for men to look out for women. In Nat’s time, there were men jobs and women jobs, that the other gender ‘couldn’t’ do.

carry-on-mr-bowditch-cover-image

The Secret Garden Chapter 27

The Secret Garden Chapter 27

1)What did Mr.Craven dream?

A: Mr.Craven dreamed about his wife calling to him and telling about the Secret Garden

2)Who wrote to Mr.Craven? What did she ask him to do?

A: Mrs.Sowerby wrote to Mr.Craven. She asked him to come home and see Colin and Mary.

3)How did Colin meet his father? What was Mr.Craven’s reaction when he saw his son?

A: As soon as Mr.Craven came home he went into the garden

Thought Questions:

1)”To let a sad thought or a bad one get into your mid is as dangerous as letting a scarlet fever germ get into your body. If you let it stay there after it has got in, you may never get over it as long as you live.” Explain. Do you agree?

A: I think that what this is saying is that if you let one sad thing in your life take control of you then you are miserable all the time. I do agree, for most circumstances.

2)Can two opposites things exist in the same person or place (Example: Sadness and Happiness)?

A: I think that on the outside you can act happy, but on the inside you’re actually sad.

3)Was Mr.Craven a bad father? What makes someone a good father? If the book continued, do you think Mr.Craven and Colin’s relationship would be better?

A: I think that Mr.Craven was a bad dad. If someone cares and actually wants to be in their life, then that’s a good dad. I think that based on how the book ended, they would’ve bonded more.

The Secret Garden Chapter 26

The Secret Garden Chapter 26

1)Why did Colin practice giving lectures?

A:Colin practiced giving lectures because he said that when he gets older and when he needs to give lectures about Magic, he has to be ready.

2)How did Colin know he was well?

A:Colin knew that he was well because he remembered the first time that they brought him in there and since then, he had felt much better.

3)Who came into the garden after Dickon sang?

A: Mrs. Sowerby came into the garden after Dickon finished singing.

4)What was Mrs.Sowerby’s name for magic?

A: Mrs. Sowerby’s name for magic was the Good big thing.

Thought Question:

1)Is there a definite moment when someone becomes well, or is it a gradual process?

A: I think that it could go either way, depending on how sick they are.

2) After Dickon sang his Doxology Colin said, “Perhaps it means just what I mean when I want to shout out that I am thankful to the magic.” Does his comment change the way you think about the magic in this book.

A: This changed my whole viewing of Colin’s magic.

3)Do you think Colin’s “Magic” was another way of recognizing God’s works?

A: I think that it is.

4)How do you think Colin and Mary helped Ben Weatherstaff? Why did he suddenly see the value in the Doxology?

A: I think that Colin and Mary helped Ben by teaching him how to love people. I think that what Colin said about his magic, made a big difference in Ben.

5)Do you agree with Mrs.Sowerby that names (Magic, The big good thing, God) do not matter? What is the danger of that argument?

A: I think that it depends, I don’t think that you should call God “Magic” but the other two aren’t bad names. I think that some people will argue that those names don’t justify God, which I think is true-beside God 😉

The Secret Garden Chapter 25

The Secret Garden Chapter 25

1)Why did the children avoid the robin’s corner of the garden?

A:The children didn’t want to disturb the robin’s mate and the eggs.

2)Why did the robin and his mate worry about Colin?

A: The robin and his mate were worried about Colin being close to them because they saw how Colin acted and how slow he was and thought that he might be a danger to them.

3)What did Mary and Colin do on rainy days?

A: Mary and Colin went to the part of the house that no one used, and they  ran and played and looked in every room.

4)What changed did Mary notice in Colin’s room?

A: Mary noticed that Colin pulled up the curtain over his mother’s picture.

Thought Questions:

1)Why did Colin begin to leave the curtain open over his mother’s picture? What does that tell you about his character development?

A: Colin opened the curtain because he said that whenever he looked at her picture it made him feel like magic filled the room.

2)Was Colin’s father fond of him in your opinion? What does it mean to be fond of someone? Are fondness and love the same thing?

A: I don’t think that Mr.Craven is fond of his son. I think that to be fond of someone, you have to care about them and love them. I think that fondness and love are similar, but not exactly the same.

3)Mr.Craven us not physically present in the book very often. Do you think that he his a important character? If so, In what way? How does he influence Colin?

A: I don’t think that Mr.Craven is important, but I also don’t think that  he’s not important. Mr.Craven is a bad influence on Colin because he doesn’t really even care about him, so he really isn’t a good influence on Colin.

The Secret Garden Chapter 24

The Secret Garden Chapter 24

1)Whom did Dickon tell about the secret garden?

A:Dickon told his mom about the secret garden.

2)Why did Colin have to complain from time to time?

A: Colin had to still complain a little bit to make it believable that he was still a little ill.

3)What made it difficult for Colin to pretend to be ill?

A: It was hard for Colin to act like he was ill without cracking up.

4)How did Mrs.Sowerby help Mary and Colin keep their secret?

A:Mrs.Sowerby sent milk and biscuits for the children, so that they wouldn’t have to go inside for lunch every day.

5)Where did Dickon learn about exercising?

A: Dickon learned about  exercising from his mom.

Thought Questions:

1)Was it fair for Colin and Mary to deceive the staff? Was it unkind?

A: I don’t really know if it was fair or unkind for them to do that… I would say it’s not the kindest thing to do.

2)Do you think Mary would’ve changed as much as she did if she had not met Colin? Who do you think is the main focus of the story, Mary of Colin?

A: I don’t think that Mary would’ve changed as much. I think that Mary and Colin are both kind of the focus of the book… I can’t tell which one is more of a focus.