| Discussion topics for before reading: |
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Describe where you would hide as a mouse. Identify 5 spots from where you're seated.
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What adjectives would you use to describe a mouse?
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Does anyone enjoy completing mazes and/or has visited one in person? What did you like or dislike? (Examples: virtual maze, pencil maze, corn maze, hedge maze)
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Do you think that animals can understand us when we talk to them? Might they be able to speak
so that we can understand them? Do you have a pet that can understand you?
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If your pet could speak, would you bring him/her to school?
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Many of the animals we keep as pets (like dogs and cats) are domesticated; they are comfortable
living with humans and they can be house-trained. How might it be difficult to have a wild creature
(even a small one, like a field mouse) as a pet?
Vocabulary
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Parka - A large windproof jacket with a hood, designed to be worn in cold weather.
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Sleekit - Scottish phrase meaning crafty or smooth.
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Sneer - A facial expression of displeasure characterized by scorn or contempt.
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Flushed - To become red in the face from strong emotion or exertion.
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Nimble - Quick and precise movement or thought; agile.
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BMX (bicycle moto-cross riding / racing): riding or racing bicycles “off-road” on dirt trails that have
natural obstacles and challenges.
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Cheapskate: a selfish or stingy person…someone who does not like to share…even just a little
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Rowdy: noisy and disorderly
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Jiggered: English slang word meaning damaged or broken
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Mouse droppings: mouse poop
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Mouser: an animal (e.g., a cat) or device that catches mice, or scares them away
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Waffle Stompers: shoes or boots with deep treads for traction in the dirt or snow…leave a track
that looks like the surface of a waffle.
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Mystified: confused by something that seems irrational or difficult to understand
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Nipped: to pinch, squeeze, or bite sharply…
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Ventriloquist: a person who can speak so that the sound seems to come from somewhere else
(e.g., an entertainer who makes their voice appear to come from a dummy of a person or animal).
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| Discussion topics for during/after reading: |
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Why's Ralph best understood by those with common interests (motorcycles and cars)?
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Why do you think the maid was shrieking at Ralph’s frothing and foaming?
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What does Ralph’s refusal to share the motorcycle have in common with his unwillingness to go through the maze without taking a shortcut?
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Why does Ralph conclude that reacting calmly is better than getting excited/angry?
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Ralph has too many relatives, and all of them want to ride his motorcycle for themselves. Should
Ralph share? When is it right to share, and when is it right to refuse to share? What might be a
good method way to maintain friendships while protecting one’s own prized possessions?
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Ryan is new to his elementary school and doesn’t have many friends. Have you ever had a new
person in your classroom or have you ever been the new kid? What things can the other kids in the
classroom do to make the new person feel welcome and become friends?
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Miss K, the teacher, always finds new ways to make learning fun. Do you like the ways Miss K tries
to give challenging assignments that reflect on the things that are happening in class?
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Sometimes 'rules' get in the way of creative problem-solving; Ralph takes a surprising shortcut by running on top of the maze, instead of through it - he ran across the top of the maze! Did this break the 'rules' or was it a smart way to solve a tricky problem?
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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!
