Carlie, Harvey and Thomas J. are three foster kids who come to live with the Masons for the summer. Carlie is a suspicious, smart-talking fifteen year old who was safer on the streets than at home with her violent stepfather. Harvey is an introspective thirteen year old, wheelchair-bound after his father drunkenly runs over his legs with the family car. Thomas J. is a awkward eight year old, raised by eighty-year old twins after having been abandoned by his mother as a baby. The children feel pretty helpless and isolated, 'like pinballs' until, thanks to Colin and Ramona Mason, they learn to care and discover that they do have control over their lives.
Novel by Betsy Byars.
Reproducible chapter questions, plus comprehension questions, a story summary, author biography, creative and cross curricular activities, complete with answer key. 64 pages.
The students will:
• enjoy and develop an appreciation of good literature.
• compare information and ideas from several sources, including personal experiences.
• use a variety of strategies to read, respond to and understand texts.
• write clearly, using more sophisticated vocabulary and in a variety of forms, to communicate information and describe feelings.
