CHAPTER ONE
1. Briefly identify the children in the McConnell family.
Susan McConnell, Mrs. And Mr. McConnell, the McConnell twins, and Craig
2. What does Susan mean by “someday”?
Eventually she’s going to move away and live somewhere else.
3. Who is David Ruggles? How does Susan feel about him?
He’s a good boy who is against Mr. Griffin, also. Susan likes him, a lot.
4. Several other students of Room 117 are introduced. Briefly identify them.
Susan, David, Jeff, Mark, and Betsy.
5. In the classroom scene, what emphasizes Susan’s feelings of being an outsider?
She’s talking about wondering how Betsy has all the popularity without trying and how Susan just stares down at her desk.
6. Two teachers are introduced. Briefly identify them.
Mr. Griffin, and Dolly Luna.
7. Mr. Griffin is very strict and stern with the students. Do you think these qualities make
him a good teacher? Briefly explain your answer.
In a way, because it keeps the class from going wild, but he’s too strict and even people he are working hard he looks down on them because their not perfect like he wants them to be.
8. An allusion is when a writer refers to a person, place, poem, book, or movie that the
reader, is expected to recognize. Find an example of allusion in this chapter.
Susan thinks she’s like Ophelia.
9. In what ways does Susan think she and the dying female in Hamlet are similar?
Their both sad, and Susan feels all alone.
10. A metaphor is a comparison of two things that are basically unlike, in order to create a
sharp picture. In this first chapter find the metaphor involving a bird that helps the author
Define how Susan is feeling about her life.
Dropped like a feather covered stone to the ground.
11. Jeff says, “That Griffin’s the sort of guy you’d like to kill.” Why doesn’t Susan think he is serious?
Because she may think that he is just mad and he wouldn’t do anything like that. Basically he’s just angry and he doesn’t mean what he’s saying.
12. Frequently, objects which seem inconsequential when first mentioned become an
important part of the plot later. In the last six paragraphs do you notice any object that might be foreshadowed?
CHAPTER TWO
1. Why does Mark say the following? “Jeff’s done a neat job of lining us up for a mass flunkout.”
That he has flunkout so much that is seems planned.
2. Explain Mark’s special dislike of Mr. Griffin.
He doesn’t like him because Mark’s ex girlfriend got him a paper to turn in and Mr. Griffin found out and ruined all that, than she had to move away.
3. “Jeff had seen that look before, and it always meant something.” What look does Jeff see? What does Jeff think it means?
He had mischief and a deep thought look in his eyes like he was forming a evil plan.
Why do Jeff and Betsy go along with Mark’s plan to kidnap Mr. Griffin?
They think it would be funny and neither on of them like him either because he is too strict and gives them bad grades.
Why does Mark believe Dave will go along with the plan?
Because Dave seems like a innocent person and needs good grades.
What does Mark know about Susan that makes him think she will be their decoy?
That she likes David and he can lure her in.
7. A flashback is a scene that interrupts the ongoing action to show an event that happens
earlier. Briefly describe the flashback in this chapter. Explain why the author chooses to
include it.
Mark setting the cat on fire for fun.
CHAPTER THREE
The members of David’s family are introduced. Briefly identify them.
David, his mother, and his grandma.
Why does David think he needs a good education?
He wants to prove to his family that he can do it, and they pressure him to do well.
Find the metaphor in this chapter that helps illustrate the emptiness of David’s life.
That he may kidnap Mr. G to get into a good college and support his family.
Support or refute the following statement:
David goes along with Mark because he dislikes Mr. Griffin and needs a better English
grade to get into law school.
CHAPTER FOUR
Why are Saturday’s special for Susan?
Because she gets to sleep in, she doesn’t have to worry about school, and she doesn’t have to worry about school lunch.
2. Find a quotation in the chapter that illustrates the idea that Susan feels a part of the picnic
group.
"It's such a heat day out."
3. Who is Lana?
Mark’s ex girlfriend, who took a paper from the college for him to use, and they got caught, and they broke up and she moved away.
4. How does Susan feel about Mark before the picnic?
He intimidates her, and she is scared of him.
5. A symbol is an object, person, or place that has a meaning in itself and that also stands
for something larger than itself. How may the eyeglasses be a symbol in this chapter?
To show how she looks, and how innocent she is and seems.
6. Foreshadowing is also used to create interest and build suspense. Since this is a mystery
story, there are many examples of foreshadowing. Find an example of foreshadowing in
this chapter that lets the reader know Susan is going to have problems.
"Never Susan thought cleliriously, never in all the time to come will I ever be as happy as I am right now- and she was right.
CHAPTER FIVE
1. How does the author illustrate Kathy Griffin’s stubborn personality?
She’s telling Mr. Griffin that he needs to tell Sue she’s doing a good job if that’s what he thinks, and she is telling him that he needs to stop being so strict.
2. Briefly explain Mr. Griffin’s reason for leaving Stanford to teach high school.
He left Stanford to teach high school because he saw that most the kids in Stanford didn’t know half of the stuff that they should have learned in high school, so he went back to teach high school so that the high school students would be more prepared for college.
3. What does Mr. Griffin think about Susan?
That she’s a good student and she really tries, and her work is good.
4. Why is Kathy Griffin upset by her husband’s description of Dolly?
Because she thinks it reminds her of herself and he acts like he doesn’t like Dolly so she thinks that may be how he sees her.
5. How does her husband make her feel better?
He tells her she isn’t like Dolly and he told her he loved her before he left.
6. Why does Mrs. Griffin want Brian to compliment Susan on her writing?
So that it will encourage her to do better, and let her know she isn’t a bad student.
7. Find an example of foreshadowing in this chapter.
When Kathy is talking to Mr. G about being less strict and to be real it seems he might.
8. Why do you suppose the pills are mentioned again? Why does the author bother
mentioning his tie?
Because they want to emphasize that he needs his pills, and the tie is mentioned to show that he’s a perfectionist.
9. We learn that Mrs. Griffin is pregnant. How does she hope having a child will change her husband? Why might the author have added the pregnancy into the story.
She thinks it will make him more lenient on his students because he realizes their just children and their not perfect. The pregnancy might have been added to show she wants him to change in that way, and to show that later on in the story when Mr. G “left” her it would make it hard to believe.
CHAPTER SIX
1. What little things go wrong with the kidnapping?
Susan didn't go in the opposite direction.
With David’s alibi?
He had to put his grandma to sleep.
With Betsy’s alibi?
She got pulled over by the cops and got a ticket in Mark's car.
2. In what way does Mr. Griffin earn the respect of his kidnappers?
He won’t give in and he tells them that it’s ridiculous and he won’t beg them.
3. Why is Susan especially upset about her part in the kidnapping?
Because Mr. G tries to tell her to go so she won’t get caught.
4. Why does Betsy say the following to Susan? “Honestly, I don’t understand you.”
Because Betsy doesn’t get Susan, and why she is the way she is and does what she does.
