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Copywork
About This Passage
These four short sentences are like four stones laid down in a row. Each one starts with the same words — 'I had' — and each one is something Opal did not have at the start of the book. Writers call this anaphora, which means starting sentences with the same words to make a feeling stronger. Opal is counting her good things on her fingers, almost like she cannot believe how fast they have come. Copying these four sentences will help children practice writing about happy moments in a way that does not get all tangled up.
I had a dog. I had a job. I had Miss Franny Block for a friend. And I had my first invitation to a party in Naomi.
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
Tell the story of this chapter. Why do you think Opal kept asking Otis for a job, even when he kept saying no?
Discussion Questions
- Otis the man at the pet store does not look at Opal when he talks to her. He keeps his eyes on the counter or the floor. Why does the author keep telling us that Otis looks down? What does it tell us about him?
- Otis has thick black hair like Elvis Presley and looks a little strange. Was Opal right to give him a chance, or should she have been more careful around a stranger? What in the story makes you think so?
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Critical Thinking
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