Teaching Guide

Scribbler of Dreams by Mary E. Pearson

 

 

Prediction Guide

 

Pre-reading:

 

  1. What career could be associated with a “Scribbler of Dreams?” Can you think of any others?
  2. Read the quote by Longfellow before the opening of the novel, explain its meaning, then predict its significance in the story.

 

Chapter 1

 

  1. Will Kaitlyn always hate the Crutchfields?
  2. Will she meet any of them at school?

 

Chapter 2

 

  1. Will Kait make any new friends?
  2. What do you know about her intelligence? How will that be important?

 

Chapter 3

 

  1. Will Kait’s father really get to come home?
  2. Will she become friends with Bram?

 

Chapter 4

 

  1. Will she share her journal with him?
  2. What will happen between them? What makes you think so?

     

Chapter 5

 

  1. How will Kait handle “the bookends” later in the story?
  2. Will she tell Bram her own last name?

 

Chapter 6

 

  1. Will she tell him off?
  2. Will she tell Abby?

 

Chapter 7

 

  1. Would it be, like she said, only, “a temporary lie?”
  2. Will she end up going? What makes you think so?

     

Chapter 8

 

  1. Will anyone at school figure out her true identity?
  2. Will she go to the pool party?

 

Chapter 9

 

  1. Will she finally tell him?

 

Chapter 10

 

  1. Will she get the journals of Maggie Crutchfield?
  2. Will she continue to want to stay Kait Hampton forever? Why or why not?

     

Chapter 11

 

  1. What is making her cry? Will she tell him the truth now?

 

Chapter 12

 

  1. How long can she keep pretending?
  2. Who, if anyone, will betray her identity?

 

Chapter 13

 

1. Will she go see the Crutchfield land?

2.Can she convince Bram it wasn’t his fault?

 

Chapter 14

 

  1. Kaitlyn could blow the family hatred apart with the diary, will she?
  2. Will she tell Bram now that’s she found out about her Great Aunt?

 

Chapter 15

 

1. Can she convince Bram that his father’s death was an accident?

2.Do you think Kaitlyn will attend college?

 

Chapter 16

  1. Will Kait be blackmailed by the bookends, J.B. and Buzz?
  2. Will Kaitlyn defend her father?
  3. Do you think she will ever get the courage to tell him?

 

Chapter 17

 

  1. How will she handle betraying her family if they find out?

 

Chapter 18

 

  1. Can things ever be like before? Why or why not?
  2. How can Kait get Jack Crutchfield to admit the truth?

 

Chapter 19

 

  1. Will Abby tell their parents?
  2. Can Becky forgive Kait for another lie?

 

Chapter 20

 

  1. Will their love survive the truth?
  2. What is Rick doing there?

 

Chapter 21

 

  1. Will the girls return to Holy Trinity?
  2. Will she find something on Rick’s desk?

 

Chapter 22

 

  1. Will the bracelet be kept after he finds out?
  2. Will he find out? How?

 

Chapter 23

 

  1. What do you think Kaitlyn realizes during class?

 

Chapter 24

 

  1. Will her parents stand behind her decision? Will she have to prove why?
  2. Could Rick get revenge? How?

 

Chapter 25

 

  1. Will Kaitlyn regret anything herself? What?
  2. Can her parents ever accept the idea that the Crutchfields have been victims too?

 

Chapter 26

 

  1. What would Bram’s mother do if she found out Kait was a Malone?
  2. Who will best accept the truth at home?

 

Chapter 27

 

  1. Should Kait follow Becky’s advice?
  2. Will she?

 

Chapter 28

 

  1. Will Abby forgive her?

 

Chapter 29

 

  1. Will he believe that she didn’t plan it?
  2. Will he ever understand her side?

 

Chapter 30

 

  1. What will happen to the bracelet?
  2. Will Kait be allowed to keep the journals?

 

Chapter 31

 

  1. Will the bookends get her back? How?
  2. Will her speech change anyone? Who the most?
  3. What do you think happens between the Crutchfields and the Malones after the closing of the novel?

 

 

Comprehension Guide/ Quiz Questions

 

Knowledge:

 

  1. In a journal Kait says, “Regret is a lonely companion.” Define how this theme is explored throughout the novel.
  2. List all the mistakes characters made in the book. Be sure to identify who did what.

 

Comprehension:

 

  1. Describe the history between the Crutchfields and the Malones in your own words.
  2. Retell the events that led to the death of Bram’s father.

 

Application:

 

  1. Illustrate the reasons why Kaitlyn was willing to continue her deception.
  2. How do you think the relationship between the two families can finally be repaired.

 

Analysis:

 

  1. Compare how the book would be different if written through Bram’s eyes.
  2. Examine the relationships between parents and children throughout the book. Who do you think is closer to their parents? Why?

 

Synthesis:

 

  1. If you had been in Kaitlyn shoes, how would you have handled the situation?
  2. How would you feel if you were Bram? Would you have forgiven her? Why or why not?

 

Evaluation:

 

  1. Predict the future relationship of Bram and Kait.
  2. Can you guess if Bram will go to art school and Kait to college?
  3. Will Kait’s father sell the land to build the respite housing?

 

 

Multiple Intelligence Projects

for Scribbler of Dreams by Mary E. Pearson

 

 

Verbal/ Linguistic

 

Kait describes her journal as, “just thoughts, glimpses, things running through my head.” It is quite a different description than that of a typical diary about what a person did, said, ate, wore. Keep a journal for at least five days in a manner that Kait would be proud of!

 

Logical/ Mathematical

 

Create a Venn diagram (intersecting circles) comparing the two families- Crutchfields and Malones. Be very specific.

 

Visual/ Spatial

 

On page 35 Bram describes his technique for sketching. “There is a roundness, a depth, a hidden side to everything that holds it together…” Sketch the same item several times (a green apple perhaps?) and each time try to draw deeper into the object. Then, write a couple sentences about your experiment.

 

Body/Kinesthetic

 

In pairs, choose a scene from the book to act out together. It can be any scene you wish. BUT, you must memorize your lines!

 

Musical/ Rhythmic

 

Find some lyrics you think Kait would appreciate. Copy them down, and explain why you chose them.

 

Interpersonal

 

Group Project:

 

Plagiarism becomes an issue with the “bookends”- Buzz and J.B.  Research how this topic is becoming widespread in colleges, high schools and other institutions. Find websites that are devoted to weeding out plagiarism, and what resources can be used to stop it. Learn what constitutes cheating, and what is simply quoting a source. Also, find resources that help students write papers with original content. Laminate this useful “cheat sheet” and use it for future essays and courses.

 

 

Intrapersonal

 

Being a good reader is knowing when your comprehension breaks down so you can recover. Have you ever read a whole page and thought, “HUH? I have no idea what I just read!” That is because there was a breakdown in your thought processes. Reread any chapter you want of Scribbler of Dreams and stay mindful of your wandering thoughts.

 

Think about:

 

Do my thoughts, feelings, and memories relate directly to what I’m reading?
Am I distracted by hunger or fatigue?

Am I predicting what I think could happen next?

How long does it take me to realize that I’m not comprehending?

 

Write the answers to these questions, and a brief journal about what you learned during this exercise.


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