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Copywork
About This Passage
Two sentences that capture the loneliness and danger of the children's nighttime escape. The idiom 'not a soul' elevates simple vocabulary into figurative language; 'dark and still' creates atmosphere through precise adjectives — satisfies criteria A (figurative language), D (thematic weight of isolation), and E (two complete sentences for punctuation practice).
Not a soul passed them on the country road. All the houses they saw were dark and still.
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
- Jess makes many careful choices during the escape — she picks the bread, the matches, the soap, and the towels, and she opens and closes the door without making a sound. What in the story makes you think Jess acts more like a mother to the other children than like a sister?
- The bakeshop woman wanted to send the children to their grandfather. The children believe their grandfather is cruel, but they have never actually met him — they only know what their father told them. Was it right for the children to run away based on what they were told, or should they have waited to meet their grandfather first? What in the story makes you think so?
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Vocabulary Builder
Item 1
Running away from danger to find safety
Item 2
Walked very quietly on the tips of your toes so no one would hear
Item 3
To dig a hole or tunnel to hide inside something soft
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Critical Thinking
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