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Middle School: Escape to Australia
Last updated Monday, February 5, 2024
Author: James Patterson
Illustrator: Daniel Griffo
Date of Publication: 2017
ISBN: 0316272620
Grade Level: 5th (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Feb. 2024
Synopsis:
Rafe isn't exactly considered a winner in Hills Village Middle School to say the least, but everything's about to change: he's won a school-wide art competition, and the fabulous prize is getting to jet off to Australia for a whirlwind adventure!
But Rafe soon finds that living in the Land Down Under is harder than he could've ever imagined: his host-siblings are anything but welcoming, the burning temperatures are torturous, and poisonous critters are ready to sting or eat him at every step. So with the help of some new misfit friends, Rafe sets out to show everyone what he does best: create utter mayhem!
| Note to readers: |
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This is Book 9 in series about Rafe Khatchadorian, a middle school artist. In this book, he wins an all-expense paid trip to Australia.
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If there is a map or globe in the room, try and show the distance from Chicago, Illinois to Sydney, Australia. FACTOID: if you can get a direct flight from Chicago to Sydney it is at least 21 hours.
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| Discussion topics for before reading: |
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Read the first paragraph above. Tell them about the flight to Australia. Let them know it might be about 3 hours shorter from LAX.
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What is the farthest you have traveled from here or to Los Angeles? Where did you go or come from? Why did you go? How did you travel? How long did it take?
Vocabulary
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zombie: a person believed to resemble the “walking dead”.
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wayward: following one’s own inclinations; doing the opposite of what is expected.
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replicate: to duplicate or repeat
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xylophone: a percussion instrument with wooden bars of various length that produces musical scales when struck with a mallet.
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flashback: a focus of one’s mind on a vividly remembered previous event.
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toxic: containing or being a poisonous material.
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| Discussion topics for during/after reading: |
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The kids in Australia play a number of sports like skate boarding, surfing and volleyball. To you do any of these activities? Which ones?
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Do you like to do art work? What kind (even if it’s just doodling)?
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There are number of animals that are native ONLY to Australia. This means they are found in the wild only in that country. If you want to see one you will have to go to a zoo, wild animal park or aquarium. Some fo them are kangaroos, koala bears, Tasmanian devil or a duck-billed platypus. Have you ever seen one of these creatures?
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| Craft ideas: |
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Make a Valentine’s Day card. (READERS: Write the word Valentine on the board or on a piece of paper so they have the correct spelling.)
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Draw a picture of one the animals native only to Australia. (Readers: The program may have pictures on the Pinterest site. Or, if any of the kids have smart phones, hey can Google “Animals native only to Australia” and get a list for themselves.
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*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions.
You can use them, but you don't have to use them.
You can expand upon them, or add your own twist.
Remember, though, that the focus of your time should
not be on the development and execution of a craft;
the focus should be on the read-aloud and the
enjoyment of the book!
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