The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity By Mac Barnett
Book Discussion and Activities
Discussion Questions:
1. When a novel pokes fun at a certain style or genre of writing, we often say it is a satire. A satire will often use exaggeration to make jokes and to make a supposed serious work look silly. Is The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity a satire? Why or why not?
2. Cliffhangers are plot devices that make a reader want to keep going to find out what happens next. A thriller or mystery will often have a cliffhanger at the end of a chapter so that the reader will want to read more. Can you give an example of a cliffhanger in this book?
3. Even in a satire, it is necessary that the reader cares about the main character. Did you care about Steve? Why or why not?
4. What is your opinion of Dana?
5. What is Steve’s motivation? What about the bad guys? What is Rick’s motivation?
6. Why is Steve accused of being a traitor? What would you do if you were accused of doing something that you didn’t do?
7. How does this book portray librarians? Police? Teachers? Why do you think the author wrote about them in this way? How are the librarians in this book different from the stereotype of a librarian? (Talk about stereotypes and what they are).
8. What is a red herring? (Something that misleads or distracts from the important issue. In a mystery, it makes you think a certain person is the “bad guy” when in fact it is someone else). What are some red herrings in this novel?
9. This book is funny because the adults believed in the unbelievable. What are some of the outrageous things that happened in the book that would have been a big deal in real life?
10. Do the illustrations make the story better? Why or why not?
11. How did Steve’s injured tongue help him solve the case?
12. Thumbs up or down. General thoughts about the book.
Extension Activities: (Extension Activities are related to detective work) 1. Find a picture with many details. View the picture for 30 seconds. Ask questions about the picture to see who can best remember the details. Alternatively, arrange 30 items on a tray. Look at the items for 30 seconds, trying to memorize them. Then take the tray away. Try to remember all of the items. 2. Use Morse Code to make and decipher a message. 3. Visit the CIA kids zone for games to play. https://www.cia.gov/kids-page/games/index.html 4. Practice logic with puzzles. https://www.brainzilla.com/logic/logic-grid/?utm_source=logicgrid-pdf&utm_medium=redi rect&utm_campaign=short-link 5. Place any object in a box, but don’t show anyone. Have someone investigate the contents by asking yes or no questions.
Books in the Brixton Brothers series: The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity The Ghostwriter Secret It Happened on a Train Danger Goes Beserk