Red Socks and Yellow Socks s28

CHALLENGING WORDS

barely dangerous humming inches million purring screamed suddenly terrible whiskers

SUMMARY

The Littles live in the walls of the Biggs’ house. When the Biggs go on vacation, the Littles soon have to deal with mice because the house sitters are terrible housekeepers. To get rid of the mice, the visitors get a cat—something the Littles are afraid of. --- Conversation Questions---

(1) Summarize this story for me. (Answer) The Littles live in the walls of the Biggs’ home. The Biggs go on vacation. The housesitters are terrible housekeepers. They get mice because of the mess. The Littles try to get the Newcombs to get traps, but instead get a cat. The Littles are afraid of the cat at first, but soon become its friend. (Follow Up) Do you think the Biggs would like the Littles living in their walls?

(2) List the characters in the story. (Answer) Mr. and Mrs. Little, Granny, Lucy and Tom Little. The Biggs. The Newcombs. (Follow Up) Did the Biggs or Newcombs know that the Littles lived in the home?

(3) Imagine you saw the Littles in your house. What would your reaction be? (Answer) Any logical answer. (Follow Up) What do you think your parents’ reaction would be?

(4) Assume you were one of the Littles. Would you be afraid of cats? (Answer) Any logical answer. (Follow Up) Would it be easy to make friends with the cat?

(5) Relate to a time you were afraid of something. (Answer) Any logical answer. (Follow Up) Are you still afraid of it?

(6) Explain what tame means. (Answer) Trained, harmless, housebroken. (Follow Up) Have you ever tamed a pet?

(7) Tell me how tall the Littles were. (Answer) Mr. and Mrs. Little were barely six inches small. Tom, Lucy and Granny were even smaller. (Follow Up) What did the Littles have that we don’t have?

(8) Explain how the Littles tried to get the Newcombs to get mouse traps. (Answer) Tom ran under Mrs. Newcombs’ feet dressed like a mouse. (Follow Up) Did it work?

(9) Recall how Tom got the cat to like him. (Answer) He talked to it, then reached up and touched her fur. (Follow Up) Is he afraid of it now?

(10) Tell me who became friends. (Answer) Tom and the cat. (Follow Up) Where did the mice go? Activities

1. Make a flipbook of the story.

2. Draw and label all of the Littles and the cat. Give the cat a name.

3. Write a short story of some fun adventures you could go on in someone’s house if you were one of the Littles.

4. Write a summary of the story.

Introduction

1. Show the students a toy mouse. Ask them what type of person might be afraid of mice. “Today we will read The Littles Make A Friend.”

2. Copy and color the picture on page 16. Ask the students if they know who these people are? Ask them if they know what they might be afraid of. “Today we will read about the Littles.”

3. Show the students the cover of the book. Ask them if they know who these two children are. Ask them if they know who their new friend might be. “Let’s read The Littles Make A Friend and find out.”

Book Title: The Littles Make a Friend Author: John Peterson Illustrator: Jacqueline Rogers ISBN: 0-439-20301-5 # of Text Pages: 29 AR: 2.4 LEX: 180 Building Oral Vocabulary 7 yummy 14 scary 26 cellar Prediction Questions 9 Will the Littles like the new family? 11 What will they problem be? 21 Why don’t they get a mousetrap?

This resource is provided by THE LEARNING CORPS—Barren County Board of Education, an AmeriCorps project funded in part by the Kentucky Commission on Community Volunteerism and Service and the Corporation for National and Community Service.