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The Boxcar Children - Surprise Island — Chapter 1

Study guide for 1st – 3rd Grade

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Copywork

About This Passage

This passage shows Henry's burst of joy at the very moment he discovers the barn that will become their summer home. The simple sentence 'this is the best idea I have ever heard' is worth copying because it shows how a child sounds when something delights him completely, and the second sentence quietly reveals that the children were so excited they missed the new floor their grandfather had built — a small detail that says a lot about their grandfather's quiet love.

this is the best idea I have ever heard cried Henry he opened the big door and looked in a new floor had been laid but the children did not notice it

Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.

Discussion Questions

Narration Prompt

Tell someone what happened in this chapter in order. When you get to the most important part, slow down and tell it carefully — what happened, why it mattered, and what you think about it.

Discussion Questions

  1. Grandfather wants the children to live in the barn instead of the little yellow house, even though the yellow house is his. Was Grandfather right to send them to the barn? What in the story makes you think so?
  2. When Captain Daniel says he has a young friend Joe staying with him, Mr. Alden's voice gets sharp and he sends Dr. Moore to ask questions. Was Mr. Alden being careful, or was he being unfair to Joe before he even met him? What in the story makes you think so?

+ 2 more questions in the complete study guide

Critical Thinking

+ 4 more questions in the complete study guide

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More chapters of The Boxcar Children - Surprise Island

Chapter 1 (10th – 12th)Chapter 1 (7th – 9th)Chapter 1 (Adult)Chapter 1 (4th – 6th)Chapter 2 (10th – 12th)Chapter 2 (7th – 9th)View all chapters

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