Thoughtful p. 15 par. 1
When Ryan comes back from getting popcorn he drops some for Ralph to eat too.  He makes sure Ralph is taken care of and has everything he needs.

Compassionate p. 37 par.6
Ryan agrees to take Ralph to school with him without knowing what kind of trouble the mouse is in.  He trusts Ralph and wants to make sure he is safe.

Character Goal:  To protect Ralph.

Problem:  Ralph needs a place to stay and has asked Ryan to take him to school.  Ryan agrees to help the mouse but isn’t sure what he’s going to do with him.
Possible Solution:  Ryan will find a cage for Ralph to live in at school and be the class pet.

Discussion Director
Cause/effect:  What happened to Matt after Ralph spent a fun-filled night riding his motorcycle in the hotel lobby?
Prediction:  Do you think Ralph will end up being the class pet when Ryan takes him to school?
Character:  What is the name of the hotel manager?
MCEOG:  Who is Miss Kuckenbacker?
a. Ryan’s Mother
b. Matt’s wife
c. Ryan’s teacher
d. A guest at the hotel
Original thinking question:  If Ralph leaves all of his friends and family behind in the hotel to go and live in the school, who will Ralph spend his time with at the school?

Passage Picker
p. 16-17 par. 1-2
As the car…motorcycle was safe.
This is a great descriptive passage because it tells where Ralph lives and why he lives there.  It also explains how Ralph got his coveted motorcycle.
Q - Have you ever owned anything that you didn’t want to share?  What was it and why did you not want to share it?
 A – I used to not share my toys with kids who came to play at my house.  I didn’t want my toys to be broken so instead of losing my toys I didn’t let the kids play with them.
The author includes this passage in the story because we need to know as much about Ralph as we can so we can understand how he lives and what he does at the hotel.

Word Wizard
Crouched p. 13 par. 1:  “Ralph, crouched beside Ryan, waited for the adults to leave so he could bring out his mouse-sized motorcycle.”  Verb- to make yourself smaller so people can’t see you.  “To stoop or bend low-verb” This word helps us visualize what Ralph is doing.
Winced p. 17 par. 6:  “He winced when the clerk banged the bell on the desk for Matt, even though Matt was standing right there, waiting to carry the guests’ bags.”  Verb- to make a funny face.  “To shrink back involuntarily- verb.”  This word helps us see Ralph’s actions as well as enhanced our vocabulary.
Wearily p. 25 par. 2:  “Wearily Ralph pushed his motorcycle back to the cave under the clock where it was safe.”  Verb-tired, worn out.  “Worn out in strength, energy, or freshness-adverb.”  This word makes things descriptive.
Bewildered p. 44 par. 3:  “Deep inside the parka pocket, Ralph felt sad, brave and noble, frightened and bewildered.”  Adverb-confused, worried.  “Perplex, confused-verb.”  This describes Ralph’s feelings to us, and helps us understand what he’s going through.

Summarizer
Today’s reading introduced us to the main characters, Ryan and Ralph.  Ralph is a mouse who can talk to people, and Ryan is a boy who can talk to mice.  Ralph and Ryan live in a hotel and play together often.  Ralph owns a motorcycle that is the envy of all his friends and relatives.  After going for a spin one night Ralph’s motorcycle in injured and he feels the need to leave his family.  Ralph asks Ryan if he will take him to live at school.  Ryan agrees and Ralph begins his new life at Ryan’s school.