Dear Mr. Henshaw
Discussion Director
1. What was Leigh's problem on page 40? How did Leigh solve his problem? Do you think that this will solve Leigh's problem? What kind of question is this?
Answer: Leigh's problem is that someone keeps stealing the good stuff out of his lunch. Leigh thinks of an idea of putting a new name, like when authors write under a made up name, on his lunch to fool the robber. This is a problem/solution question.
2. Read pages 41 paragraph 3 to page 42 paragraph 3. Is this passage fact or opinion? How do you know? What clues does the text give you? What kind of question is this?
Answer: This passage is opinion because Leigh's family is making up funny songs about shoes on the side of the highway. This passage could also be fact because Leigh is telling the reader about a time that did happen to him in his past. The text gives clues because Leigh tells you that he remembers it happening, yet we know that the songs are just made up by his Mom, Dad and himself and are not real. This is a fact/opinion question.
3. Read paragraph 2 on page 46 to paragraph 2 on paragraph 48. What is the mood of Leigh's writing in this passage? What punctuation gives you clues? What words give you clues? What kind of question is this?
Answer: Leigh writes with expression and excitement in this passage. The writing of this passage gives the reader a sense of Leigh's joyous mood because he heard from his Dad, his lunch was safe again, and Mr. Fridley made him laugh at school. Leigh also uses an exclamation mark when he writes that his Dad phoned, which tells the reader he was excited to hear from his Dad. This is a mood question.
4. Why do you think Leigh asks Mr. Henshaw the question on page 57 paragraph 2, "Do they just go away?" What does this question tell you about Leigh Botts? What kind of question is this?
Answer: Leigh asks this question about Mr. Henshaw's book because he is relating the book to his own life, where his Dad is no longer around much. Leigh is concerned for the bears in the story who do not have their father bear around, which is what he is trying to deal with in his own life. This tells you that Leigh is a concerned person who is aware of others who may be going through the same hardships as he is having to go through. This is a characterization question.