Assignments

Monday: Find five facts and 2 pictures of Doge's Palace. Why do they refer to this palace in __Thief Lord?__ Put your information on the Doge's Palace wiki page. Answer questions in your reading notebook: Why was Victor trying to be "friendly" to Bo? Why was chapter 14 called "Premonitions?" Why was this chapter called "Pumping for Information." Do you think Ester sent Victor to spy on the boys? Why? Summarize these two chapters in no more than 5-6 sentences. Read pages 97-101 Due Tuesday.

Tuesday: Go over pages 91-101. Add three items to the wiki. Answer questions in your reading notebook: Read pages 102-116 and write a summary no more than 5-6 sentences for Thursday.

Thursday: Read pages 117-134. Write summaries for each of the chapters. Add at least three items to the Wiki.Why was Scipio so upset about getting everyone to leave the STELLA?

Read pages 128 - 138 due Wednesday, April 22nd Summarize each chapter (no more than 5-6 sentences) in your reading notebook. Why do you think that Victor is so attached to Paula? What does that tell you about Victor? What evidence is given in the text to show that Prosper is very close to Bo? What did Bo tell Victor that he wasn't supposed to? Why, what was so important about what he said? Why is chapter 21 called "Baffled?" Give examples (at least 3) showing the kids working as a team, caring about each other and/or supporting one another. Due Wednesday

Read pages 139-154 Due Friday Summarize each chapter for Friday Answer the following questions - due Friday Find a picture and two facts out about Campo Santa Margherita. Five million lire is about how many dollars? Why was Riccio being a "real gentleman?" What is a gnome? Why did Hornet pretend to be Victor's secretary? Why is chapter 23 called "Quarrels?" Would you trust Victor to help the kids out? Why or why not? Due Friday, April 24th

Read pages 155-175 Due Tuesday, April 28th Write a summary of each chapter. Why was chapter 24 called "Young Master Massimo?" Why does Scipio want to keep his identity secret from the other children? What does this tell you about him? Why do you think Dottor Massimo is so horrible to Scipio? Do you feel that you can trust Scipio now? Should the others? Why or why not? On page 166, it states that the "moon hung high above the city" what does this mean? Why would the author have chosen those words? Why did the others take Bo and not wake Prosper? Describe Signora Ida Spavento. Were you surprised by her reaction? Why do you think she behaved like she did? Due Tuesday, April 28th

Read pages 176-187 due Thursday, April 30th Why is chapter 27 called "An Old Story?" What was the magical thing that happened to the children in the orphanage if they went on the merry-go-round? What was the deal that Ida set up with the kids regarding the wing? Why do you think she set up this deal? Why not just give the wing to the kids and forget about it? Why were the others so mean to Scipio? Scipio said he would never go back home, what does that tell you about him? Is it fair that Scipio was to be thrown out but Prosper and Bo were allowed to stay? Why or why not? Due Thursday, April 30th

Read pages 188-213 due Monday, May 4th Many of the places in this novel have animal statues connected with them. Make a list of the animals; how important are they to the plot? What do these animals represent to the child characters, and to the adults? On page 189, when Barbarossa spoke in a low conspiratorial voice, what does that mean? Why did Barbarossa want to know what the kids had to steal for the Conte? Why would Victor lie to the Hartliebs? What does that tell you about him? What is "corfu?" Why is Ester so determined to find Bo? Why does Ida want to follow along in her boat? On page 206 when the woman says, "He wants to be a grown-up. How different dreams can be!" What does this mean? Why are they so excited to follow the lady and the Conte to the island? What do you think Prosper is thinking at the end of page 213? Which adult characters want to be children, and what children want to be adults? Why?

Read pages 214-228 due Wednesday, May 6th Why do you think Victor went to Scipio's father? Even after the others rejected Scipio, he still wants his father to help them, why? How do you think Bo ended up back with his aunt? Do you think Prosper will end up using the gun? Why or why not? Make a prediction as to what you think will happen next and explain why? Add something to the character page as to how they are all changing.

Read pages 229-244 due Friday, May 8th Why would Victor say he is the kid's uncle? What does that say about Victor? Why do you think Ida thinks it's a good idea to contact Scipio? Why do you think Ida has a collection of false beards? "Hornet was in seventh heaven as she listened to these lies." What does this mean? Who did Idea pretend to be when she went to go and rescue Hornet? What is a Carabinieri? (page 242) Why wouldn't Prosper let Riccio steal the shoes?

Read pages 245-267 due Tuesday, May 12th On page 245 when it said that the, "Conte had duped them," what does this mean? Why would Scipio give the Conte the choice to either give back the money or a ride on the merry-go-round? How could a ride on the merry-go-round compare to getting all that money? Why do you think Victor went out to find Bo? What does this tell you about him? How has Victor changed from the beginning of the book?

Read pages 268-285 due Thursday, May 14th Why would the Conte want to return to being a child? What would be the advantages and disadvantages of this? Why wouldn't Prosper get on the merry-go-round? What was he afraid of? Why would Scipio want to put Barbarossa on the merry-go-round? Why would Barbarossa want to poison the dogs? Make a prediction as to what you think will happen in the next few chapters?

Read pages 286-299 due Monday, May 18th What is blackmail? What are they calling blackmail on page 292? Why do you think Prosper and Scipio are taking Barbarossa to Ida's house? Do you think Barbarossa's punishment seemed fair? Why or why not? Do you think Scipio will like being an adult for the rest of his life? Why or why not? Make a prediction as to what you think will happen in the next few chapters?

Read pages 300-313 due Wednesday, May 20th Why don't you think that Prosper could say anything about what went on at Isola Segreta? On page 307, it says the word "surreptitiously" what does this word mean? Why is Barbarossa stealing chocolates and silver spoons with a camera stuffed under his jacket? Why did Bo and Prosper think that Barbarossa would be perfect for Ester? Find a metaphor on page 313. What does it mean? List five verbs and their type from this chapter.

Read pages 314-323 due Friday, May 22nd Why do you think the kids decorated the attic with items from the movie theater? Why do you think some of the kids want to live at Ida's house and others are looking around for a new home? Why does Barbarossa want to know so much about Ester? Where do you think Scipio ran off to? What do you think is Ida's secret? List five proper nouns from this section of the book.

Read pages 324-345 due Tuesday, May 26th Hornet imagined Ester looking more sinister. What does this mean? Find out three facts and one picture about the painter Titian. Add them to the wiki. Find a simile on page 329, write it out and explain what it is being compared to. Find an image or a fact of the Frari Church in Venice. Add this to the wiki. On page 331 is states that, "Ida and Victor looked at each other conspiratorially"? What does this mean? Why does Barbarossa want to be with Ester? Why would he pretend to be such a good little boy? On page 336, it states that they got, "two bags of provisions." What is that? What did you think of the ending?

Read the "Special Sneak Preview of __Inkheart__" due Thursday, May 28th What does the plaque saying mean: Some books should be lasted, some devoured, but only a few should be chewed and digested thoroughly? Who is this Mo, Dustfinger and Capricorn? Why do you think they have to leave? Does this little sneak preview make you want to read __Inkheart__?

Project/Scrapbook due Thursday, June 4th