Directions: Answer
each study Guide question as completely as possible on your own paper. Refer to the text whenever possible. GUM counts.
1. The story starts out En Media Res. What do you think this term means?
2. What is Lisa’s immediate goal?
3. Is Lisa looting? Defend answer.
4. What fictional character does Lisa compare herself to? Why?
5. What does the reader learn from the letter Lisa opens?
1. Is Jill a protagonist or an antagonist? Explain.
2. How is Lisa different from her peers?
3. In what ways has Lisa become like an adult?
4. Describe where Lisa and Todd sleep. Why do they sleep there?
5. Summarize the story Lisa tells Todd? What is the moral? What effect does it have on Todd?
6. What is Lisa’s brilliant idea for tomorrow?
7. According to Lisa, how are animals and people different?
1. How might Lisa’s Girl Scout experiences help her survive now?
2. How does Lisa convince Todd to help? Why does she use this technique?
3. Which rules (or types of rules) have become useless NOW? What are some rules (or types of rules) that may still apply?
4. What in the tone of the letter Lisa finds? What plan of action does Winifred Crowl suggest in her letter? Will Lisa take the suggestion? Why?
5. What is Lisa’s “reckless” idea?
6. How might the other children of the neighborhood be looking at Lisa now? Why?
7. What happens to Todd?
8. What is the purpose of the story Lisa tells to Todd?
9. How does Lisa plan to protect the house?
10. What idea comes to her in the middle of the night?
11. What course is Lisa “struggling to pass”?
1. What must Lisa and Todd do? Why? What might be a better idea?
2. How does Todd keep his head and help Lisa?
3. Define “logical” (in your own words).
4. Describe the defense system.
5. What is the purpose of the invitation?
6. Describe Julie and the condition of her house.
7. What does Julie admit to Lisa?
8. What excuses does Charlie make, and how does Lisa respond to them?
9. What plan does Craig have for the future?
1. What school class does Lisa draw inspiration from for her meeting? What ideas does she generate?
2. How does a “militia” work?
3. What ideas are tossed around during the meeting? Why doesn’t Lisa interject her thoughts sooner?
4. What function does the g (black square in-between paragraphs) serve?
5. Define: “strategy.”
6. Why must Lisa re-engage in society?
1. What promise(s) does Craig make to Lisa? Why?
2. How do Lisa and Craig help each other at the warehouse?
3. Where do Lisa and Craig plan to hide their supplies?
4. Lisa and Craig each have a vision of the future; what are their visions? Comment on each.
1. What are Craig’s plans for the militia?
2. Who interrupts the meeting? Why?
3. Why does Lisa lead the kids to Lake Ellyn?
4. Why doesn’t Jill agree to Lisa’s agreement to help each other?
5. What is Lisa’s view of the challenges they must face in this New World?
6. Why doesn’t Todd ask for a story THIS night?
1. Define: “molotov cocktail.”
2. Describe the appearance of Grand Avenue after the defense plans are underway?
3. Why are fire extinguishers needed?
4. Lisa plans on having Craig’s help, but what are Craig’s own personal plans?
5. What does the Italicized Text indicate?
6. Even though the militia does not help Todd, Lisa allows the children to celebrate their victory? Why?
1. What melody was still in Lisa’s head?
2. Why do the kids cross the roofs via the catwalk planks?
3. What is Todd’s reward?
4. What happens to Lisa and Todd’s home?
5. Hypothesize: What good might come from the disaster?
Project: Persuasive Essay on “Animals, maybe, aren’t so lucky. All they do is what they do—what their
instincts tell them. They can’t invent
plans, and make choices, and dream about tomorrow.” Agree or Disagree.
Project : Research Paper on a notable
plague, virus, or disease. (2 pages/ 2 sources/ typed)
Directions: Answer
each study Guide question as completely as possible on your own paper. Refer to the text whenever possible. GUM counts.
1. What is the matter with Lisa?
2. Why do Jill’s orphans fight and argue?
3. What task does Lisa give to Jill’s orphans? What is the reward?
4. What dark image does Lisa have of the future? What is their primary, immediate NEED?
5. What is Lisa’s plan for Glenbard?
6. Why is Eileen crying and how is Eileen consoled?
7. When do the kids vanish from Grandville and where are they going?
Chapter Eleven
1. What are four of the rules that the kids MUST follow for the next two weeks? Why?
2. How many kids currently reside at Glenbard?
3. Who owns Glenbard?
4. What job will Jill have?
5. What is Criag’s new job and how does it affect the other kids?
6. Who is Charlie and what is his new job?
7. List five of the potential defense systems.
8. What are the FUTURE plans for Glenbard?
9. Lisa predicts that Glenbard might one day hold ______________ kids.
10. Why is Glenbard an ideal location? What other places can you think of that might make an equally ideal “castle” for the kids?
1. How long has it been since the plague hit?
2. How do the kids feel about Lisa? Why?
3. Define: “share.” Do you agree with Lisa’s rationale for NOT sharing her city? Explain. In what ways does Lisa, in fact, share her city?
4. According to Lisa, the city will succeed IF…
5. How many times did Tom Logan previously attack Glenbard? How many soldiers does he have?
6. What happened to the guard dogs?
7. What mistake does Lisa make?
8. What happened to Lisa? What happened to Glenbard?
Directions: Answer
each study Guide question as completely as possible on your own paper. Refer to the text whenever possible. GUM counts.
1. What is Todd’s plan to get help for Lisa?
2. Where is Lisa taken?
3. Who has the daunting task of operating on Lisa? How does the operation go?
4. How has Todd changed from the beginning of the story?
5. Compare how Lisa dealt with her house burning down with how she is dealing with her current situation.
6. What does Lisa plan to do next?
1. What does the candle symbolize?
2. Compare and Contrast Lisa with Tom Logan.
3. What plans does Lisa consider?
4. What future does Craig envision?
5. Describe Todd’s disguise.
6. Why does Craig tell Lisa to give up? Do you agree with his rationale? Explain.
1. How is Tom Logan doing?
2. What TRUTH does Lisa discover?
3. Why does Lisa reminisce about the kite? What does this suggest about her state of mind?
1. What is significant about the date may 23rd?
2. Who meets up with Lisa, and where are they going?
3. What does Lisa find in the outside world?
4. What foreshadowing threat does Scott Donald Mennie make to Lisa?
5. What time period does Lisa compare this new era to? Why?
6. What does Lisa find back at the farm?
7. Describe Lisa’s confrontation with Tom Logan.
1. How is Tom Logan weak? How is Lisa strong?
2. What is Lisa’s weapon against Tom?
3. What do Glenbard’s citizens want from Lisa? Why?
4. What does Lisa want to do? What must she do? What must Glenbard do next?
Directions: Answer
each Final Essay Question as completely as possible on your own paper. Refer to the text whenever possible. GUM counts.
1. Which pieces of O.T. Nelson’s story, The Girl Who Owned a City, are consistent with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Piaget’s stages of Child Development? (Give specific examples from the text and cite pages).
2. What are 10 “playground rules” that twelve-year-old kids might turn into new laws? (i.e. “finders keepers!”)
3. Compare Lisa’s developing leadership skills with those of Tom Logan.
4. Hypothesize: Now that all of the adults are dead, kids have the power to re-shape the world any way that they see fit. What local, state, national, and global changes would you like to adopt? What is the likelihood of creating a world better than the one that was left behind? What hindrances must be faced and overcome first?
5. Define: “childhood.” Discuss the concept of “childhood” and the importance of PLAY. Relate to third-world children and children during the American Industrial Revolution. Connect to present-day American Children. Is “childhood” a realistic and healthy concept? Explain.