Preview
Copywork
About This Passage
Two short sentences holding a small miracle. Stanley has just made his joke about his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather, and the whole circle howls — and then comes this: 'Even Zero smiled.' Three words get their own paragraph, because at this camp, Zero smiling is news. The second sentence tells us how big the news is: Stanley has never seen it before. Copy both sentences with the paragraph break between them. The word 'Even' does the heavy lifting — it tells us that of all the boys who laughed, this is the one nobody expected.
Even Zero smiled. It was the first time Stanley had ever seen Zero smile.
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
Tell the story of the circle in order: Stanley arriving last and tired, Mr. Pendanski's talk about goals, the monkey-trainer idea for José, Stanley's joke about his great-great-grandfather, Zero's smile, what Mr. Pendanski says to Zero, and Zero's answer: 'I like to dig holes.' Then tell which moment in the circle felt kindest, and which felt most unkind — and say who caused each.
Discussion Questions
- When Stanley jokes about his 'no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather,' the boys howl with laughter — and 'Even Zero smiled,' for the first time Stanley has ever seen. Why do you think Stanley's joke reaches Zero when nothing else has? What part of the chapter helps you decide?
- Mr. Pendanski says, 'We don't laugh at people's dreams' — but later he tells Zero, 'You're not completely worthless,' and the chapter says 'The smile was now gone from Zero's face.' How do Mr. Pendanski's words to Zero match or not match his own rule about dreams? Use the chapter's words to explain what changed for Zero.
+ 2 more questions in the complete study guide
Vocabulary Builder
Item 1
A round shape; here, sitting in a ring to talk
Item 2
Things you aim to do with your life
Item 3
Clever climbing animals with long tails
+ 5 more vocabulary words in the complete study guide
Critical Thinking
+ 4 more questions in the complete study guide
Get the complete study guide — free
Sign up and get your first book with every chapter included. Copywork, discussion questions, vocabulary, and critical thinking.
Sign up free