Reading Journal II

(chapters 17-32)

Student’s name:

Class:
 Chapters 17-18
VOCABULARY

1. Beamed a. Closely, attentively

2. Remainder b. Had a big happy smile on your face
3. Intently c. Left
4. Started out d. What is left over

QUESTIONS

1. Name the boys Jeff met in the bathroom.

2. Why did Robbie say that Jeff was “the guy who gave Chalkers the black eye”?

3. Why couldn’t Jeff be friends with Bradley anymore?

4. Why did Bradley choose his new eight friends over Bradley?

5. How do you think Jeff is feeling? Support your answer with evidence from the book.

6. What name did Brian call Bradley?

7. How do you think Bradley is feeling? Support your answer with evidence from the book.

8. Is Jeff right to treat Bradley like this?

ACTIVITY

1. Email to Jeff. Write an email advising Jeff about his relationship with Bradley and with his
new eight friends.

 Useful language:
 If I were you, I would…
 In my opinion, you should/shouldn’t…
 One thing you could do is…
 It’s a good idea that you…

Then, you will exchange emails with your classmates and answer back as if you were
Jeff.

EMAIL TO JEFF:
EMAIL FROM JEFF:
 Chapters 19-22
VOCABULARY

1. Chuckled a. Burst, interrupted

2. Jerk b. Failing
3. Barged c. Laughed quietly or inwardly
4. Flunking d. Moving because you are anxious or bored
5. Assured e. Promised, guaranteed
6. Hesitantly f. Spoke in a contemptuous way
7. Restlessly g. Very stupid person
8. Scoffed h. With indecision

QUESTIONS

1. What did Bradley decide about his friendship with Jeff and about having friends?

2. What did Jeff tell the counsellor about Bradley and their friendship?

3. How did Jeff explain Bradley’s black eye to his new eight friends and to Carla?

4. What was Jeff’s reason for not wanting to come back to see Carla?

5. Describe Jeff’s smile when he walked past the girls’ bathroom? Who does it remind you
of?

6. Summarize what Colleen said to the counsellor. What do you think about what she said?

7. How does Carla always greet Bradley when he visits her office?
8. What did Bradley tell the counsellor that had happened to his eye? Why did he do that?

9. Bradley tells Carla he is sick. According to him, what did the doctor say? What would
happen to him if he talked about school?

10. Complete these sentences that Carla said to Bradley:

a. Maybe the reason you say you don’t like anybody else is because
________________________________.
b. When you tell a lie, the only person you’re lying to is ______________________.
c. If you did your homework, the tests ___________________________________.
d. I think that the only reason you say you want to fail is because
________________________________.
e. I think you’re afraid of ______________________.
f. I have lots of confidence ______________________.

11. Do you think Carla was right when she said these things to Bradley? Why (not)?

12. Write three positive things Carla said about Bradley.

13. What does the word “topic” mean? Can you think of other words for “topic”?

14. How does Carla always say goodbye to Bradley when he visits her office?

15. What did a fourth-grade boy say to Bradley?

16. What was Brain’s Halloween costume?

17. Do you agree with Claudia that Carla will not want to talk about Bradley’s topics? Give a
reason for your answer.

18. What did Claudia say about Carla that upset Bradley?

19. What happened to Bradley’s list?

20. What other topics do you think Bradley should have added to his list?
ACTIVITIES

1. [HOMEWORK] Write a list like Bradley’s, with whatever comes into your mind.

2. [CLASSWORK] Write your name on a small piece of paper. Put these pieces of paper in a
bag. Draw one name but not your own name. Write as many good qualities about that
person as you can.
 Chapter 23
VOCABULARY

1. Chubby a. Dispersed
2. Skinny b. Great surprise
3. Scattered c. Rather fat
4. Astonishment d. Really thin
5. Mumbled e. Said indistinctly and quietly

QUESTIONS

1. What did the counsellor and Bradley talk about?

2. Why was that conversation so important?

3. What did Bradley do that astonished the counsellor?

4. What can you infer from Bradley’s words: “No, they might think I was ugly, but not you”?

5. Describe the monster that Bradley drew.

ACTIVITIES

1. Bradley begins to see himself as a monster and we are given the idea of the outside vs.
the inside, the bad vs. the good. Draw a picture of Bradley’s monster showing his bad
outside and his good inside. Be as faithful to the book as possible.
 2. Write an “I Am” poem from Bradley’s point of view, showing the struggle that is going on
in his mind. Follow the instructions between brackets.

I am (two special characteristics of Bradley)

I wonder if (something Bradley is curious about)

I hear (an imaginary sound)

I see (an imaginary sight)

I want to (an actual desire)

I am (the first line of the poem)

I pretend to (something Bradley pretends to do)

I feel (a feeling about something imaginary)

I touch (an imaginary touch)

I worry about (something that really worries Bradley)

I cry because (something that makes Bradley very sad)

I am (the first line of the poem)

I understand that (something Bradley knows is true)

I say (something Bradley believes in)

I dream about (something Bradley actually dreams about)

I try to (something you make an effort to do)

I hope that (something Bradley actually hopes for)

I am (the first line of the poem)

3. Now write an “I Am” poem about yourself.

I am

I wonder if

I hear

I see

I want to

I am

I pretend to

I feel

I touch

I worry about

I cry because

I am

I understand that

I say

I dream about

I try to

I hope that

I am
 Chapter 24
VOCABULARY

1. Stammered a. Disturbing, upsetting

2. Bothering b. Said quickly and irritably
3. Snapped c. Shut forcefully and loudly
4. Slammed d. Spoke with sudden involuntary pauses and a tendency to
5. Flailed repeat the initial letters of words.
e. Swing wildly

QUESTIONS

1. Why do you think Jeff was mean to the girls?

2. Why did Colleen say to Jeff, “Don’t worry! I won’t”?

3. What happened after Jeff tapped Melinda’s shoulder with his first?

4. What do you think will happen at school tomorrow?

ACTIVITY

1. Imagine you are Colleen. Make a birthday party invitation to give to Jeff on a separate
piece of paper. (RSVP is an abbreviation for “Répondez s’il vous plait” or “Please reply”.
You must include Colleen’s name and a phone number.)
 Chapter 25
VOCABULARY

1. Oatmeal a. “avena en copos”

2. Lumpy b. “rayuela”
3. Snarled c. Full of unwanted compact mass
4. Hopscotch d. Said aggressively

In which way are these words similar? And different?

 Stare
 Glare
 Glance

QUESTIONS

1. Why is Bradley trying to be so good?

2. What story had Jeff told his friends about his black eye?

3. Where did Bradley go to hide from Jeff and his gang at recess?

4. In this chapter, how do you think Bradley is feeling?

5. How do you think Jeff is feeling?

ACTIVITIES

1. [CLASSWORK] Role play. In groups of three, one student is going to be Bradley; another,
an angel; and another one, the devil. The angel must try to convince Bradley to be good
and the devil must try to do the opposite. Bradley will answer them. Perform for the rest
of the class.

We will do this activity in class, but think about possible things that both the devil and
the angel would tell Bradley.

THE DEVIL WOULD TELL BRADLEY… THE ANGEL WOULD TELL BRADLEY…

BRADLEY WOULD ASK…

2. [CLASSWORK] Conscience alley. In this activity we are going to explore together the
struggle that is going on in Bradley’s mind and how he is gradually changing. You will
make groups of three: Bradley will be with an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the
other. The angel will try to convince Bradley to be good, and the devil will do the opposite.
Bradley will ask some questions about what has happened to him in the story and about
what he should do, e.g. Should I go and see Carla today? What should I say to Jeff when
I see him next? How can I get Mrs Ebbel to like me? When you are ready, you will perform
for the rest of the class.

Chapters 26-28
VOCABULARY

1. Desperate a. “Damas”
2. Stall b. Compartment for one person in a set of toilets
3. Checkers c. Confused
4. Befuddled d. Cried making loud, compulsive gasps
5. Genuine e. Dangerous
6. Sobbed f. In an unwilling and hesitant way
7. Sniffled g. Sincere, honest
8. Reluctantly h. Sniffed repeatedly
QUESTIONS

1. Back in class after recess, Bradley remembers Jeff and his friends picking on him, and
thinks “the worst part wasn’t getting beaten up. The worst part was that he knew
everyone would love it so much”. Why do you think Bradley feels this way? Have you
ever known anyone that felt this way?

2. Where did Bradley go to hide from Jeff and his gang during lunch?

3. Where did Bradley go after being caught in the girls’ bathroom? Do you think this was a
good decision? Explain why.

4. What did Bradley do when he first entered Carla’s office that he had never done before?

5. So far, we’ve seen Carla wearing a white shirt covered with different-coloured squiggly
lines, a light blue shirt with yellow mice running all over it, a white shirt with one red and
one blue triangle, and a black-and-white checkered shirt. Do you think she wears clothes
that she likes or does she wear clothes that she hopes children will like? Why?

6. What items of clothing did Bradley and Carla have in common?

7. What did Carla say Bradley could do that Mrs Ebbel would notice?

8. When Carla suggested that he do homework, why did Bradley cry and insist that he
couldn’t do it?

9. How did Carla calm him?

10. Why did Bradley stay in Mrs Ebbel’s room after school?

11. What fact did Bradley offer to prove to his animal friends that he and Carla were in love?

12. How did Bradley find success with his maths homework?
ACTIVITIES

1. Use chapter 27 to find evidence that Bradley is changing. Don’t forget to include the page
number.

CHANGE EVIDENCE FROM THE TEXT

Bradley says to Carla, “Yes, but I don’t think I should tell you
He shows some her name. She probably doesn’t want anybody else to know!”
consideration for others. (page 102)

He is facing the truth about

himself. Bradley admits, “No, I can’t even beat up a girl”. (page 103)

Bradley says of Melinda, “You’d like her. She’s nice”.

2. Use the information you have gathered above and write a paragraph about Bradley’s
character development. You should try to use the evidence from the text in your
paragraph.

3. Imagine you are Carla. Complete your record book for this week after having seen Bradley
and observing the changes he is making.

Bradley used to be…

Lately I’ve noticed that…

I feel pleased about…

I’m worried about…

My next step with him will be…

 Chapters 29-30
VOCABULARY

1. Fumbled a. Laughed lightly in a nervous or silly manner

2. Rattled b. Looked steadily and intently
3. Relieved c. Puzzled, confused
4. Gazed d. Shook
5. Ripped it up e. Tore it to pieces
6. Giggled f. Used his hands clumsily while doing something
7. Baffled g. Without anxiety or distress

QUESTIONS

1. Why couldn’t Bradley go to sleep?

2. What did Bradley do with his homework?

3. Why do you think Bradley destroyed his homework?

4. How do you think Mrs Ebbel would have reacted if Bradley had handed in his homework?

5. Why was Carla proud of Bradley?

6. What did Carla let Bradley borrow?

7. Do you think Bradley will enjoy reading the book? Explain your answer.

8. From what we know of Bradley, do you think he will write and hand in the book report?
Explain your answer.

9. Why couldn’t Carla have lunch with Bradley?

10. What is a school board?

 Chapters 31-32
VOCABULARY

1. Whatcha doin’? a. “What are you doing?”

2. Mimicked b. Boldly, daringly, bravely
3. Snickered c. Copied his voice
4. Lucky charm d. Greatly surprised
5. Defiantly e. Laughed in a half-suppressed disdainful way
6. Dumbfounded f. Object that is thought to bring good luck
7. Bewildered g. Perplexed

QUESTIONS

1. What was one of the reasons Bradley liked the book he was reading?

2. How did Claudia know that Bradley was in love with Carla?

3. Why do you think Claudia teased Bradley?

4. What did Bradley’s mum ask Bradley regarding the letter from the Concerned Parents
Association? What did she decide to do?

5. Do you think Bradley loves Carla? Explain why.

6. Do you think Carla would lose her job if the Concerned Parents Organization found out
that she kissed Bradley? Explain why.

7. Why couldn’t Carla have lunch with Bradley that day?

8. What happened to Bradley during lunch?

9. Did Bradley and Jeff fight? Why (not)?

10. Why do you think the boys asked Bradley to play basketball with them?

11. Do you think Bradley will remain friends with Jeff and the other boys? Give a reason for
your answer.