Preview
Copywork
About This Passage
Selden uses a long, single sentence to show the family's weekly ritual of listening together. Words like 'clustered' and 'straining' show how much effort the family puts into enjoying music. Copy carefully to notice how one long sentence can hold a whole scene.
the Bellini family liked Italian opera every Saturday during the winter when the Opera was broadcast they would sit clustered around the radio in the newsstand straining to hear the music above the di...
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
Retell the chapter from the moment Mario wakes up early through his running off to Chinatown. Include the three adults he talks with (Papa Bellini, Mickey, Mr Smedley) and what each of them gives Chester or says about him.
Discussion Questions
- Mickey invents 'a cricket strawberry soda' by scaling everything down to cricket-size — a tablespoon, a drop of syrup, a dip of ice cream about as big as a fingernail. What in the story shows that Mickey is treating Chester as a real guest rather than a toy, and what does this generosity suggest about how adults should treat small, new visitors?
- Mr Smedley refuses to give Chester music lessons, saying 'he's already been taught by the greatest teacher of all Mario, nature herself.' How do you know Mr Smedley is making a serious point about teaching and not just being modest? What kinds of skill does he think nature gives better than a school can?
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Vocabulary Builder
Item 1
Gathered closely together in a small group, like the Bellinis around the radio.
Item 2
Trying very hard to hear or see something, especially over noise or distance.
Item 3
Sent out over the radio or television so many people can hear or watch at once.
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Critical Thinking
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