Section 1: Chapters 1–6
Vocabulary
- harrumphed: to clear ones throat noisily
- majestic: having or showing impressive beauty or dignity
- muumuu: a woman’s bright and loos fitting dress
- skedaddle: to depart quickly or run away
- venetian blind: a horizontal slat to cover a window that can be opened to let more or less light in
- wan: pale and giving the impression of illness
Comprehension Questions
- The tallest of the three men yelled for Ruby to stop and return the hens. (pg. 2)
- Ruby uses a dry hole in the tangled roots of a tree for her secret mailbox. (pg. 6)
- Melba Jane spits the word: “Chicken” at Ruby when she sticks out her chin. (pg. 12)
- Ruby responds angrily, saying, “Poor old me!”, when Miss Eula says, “Poor old Melba!” (pg. 16)
- The word “Honolulu,” was written accross the page of Ruby’s mother’s notes. (pg. 16)
- After Ruby takes a big bite of a biscuit, her mother tells her how hard it is to lose someone that you have known for a long time. (pg. 22)
- Grandpa Garnet’s favorite flowers were holly hocks, bee balm, lemon verbena, pepper mint, and black-eyed susans. (pg. 25)
- Miss Eula’s big surprise is that Ruby gets to take care of her house when she goes to Hawaii. (pg. 32)
- Miss Eula tells Ruby that they will be under the same sky no matter where they are. (pg. 35)
- Miss Eula thanks everybody for what they have done for her when she turns to the crowd. (pg. 39-40)
- Ruby said, “Woe is me,” and it was reported in the Aurora County News. (pg. 45)
- Ruby offers Miss Eula the free advice that it is never too late to change her mind in her June 9 letter. (pg. 48)
Section 2: Chapters 7–12
Vocabulary
- bunions: a painful swelling on on the big toe
- genius: exceptional natural creative power
- mesmerized: to hold the attention of something
- snarl: to make an aggressive growl with bared teeth
- tornado: an extremely violent windstorm
- tropical: very hot an humid weather
Comprehension Questions
- Ruby wants to tie Melba to an anthill to get her revenge. (pg. 50 )
- Ruby tells Melba that she is going to ignore her after remembering Miss Eula’s advice. (pg. 54)
- Ruby addresses Miss Eula by saying, “Well, Good Garden of Peas Miss Happiness,”. (pg. 58)
- Ruby says that she is a chicken thief, a housepainter, and a floor sweeper. (pg. 62)
- Ruby is going to Mr. Ishee’s house to have root-beer floats. (pg. 66)
- Uncle Tator and Aunt Tot are going to have a baby in October. (pg. 70)
- When she listens to Dove’s aunt and uncle Ruby remembers that her Grandpa and Miss Eula used to finish each others sentences. (pg. 75)
- Melba gives Dove a handmade coupon for a free shampoo and supper at her mother’s beauty salon. (pg. 78)
- Ruby says “It was an accident,” after Melba described what happened. (pg. 84)
- Ruby’s mom let her eat chocolate pudding for dinner after she rode home in the rain. (pg. 87)
- Dove says that Aunt Tot’s mashed potatoes “…look like glue and taste worse.” (pg. 96)
- Ruby’s mom was making loaves of fig bread to give away on June 25. (pg. 101)
Section 3: Chapters 13–19
Vocabulary
- curdled: to separate or cause to separate into lumps
- fiasco: something that is a complete failure
- hysterical: deriving from or affected by extreme emotion
- noggin: a person’s head
- tetanus: a disease that causes muscle spasms
- uniform: remaining the same in all cases at all times
Comprehension Questions
- A can of paint falls on Melba’s head when she knocks over the ladder. (pg. 106)
- Ruby has leftover cornbread and buttermilk because her mom was gone for so long. (pg. 110)
- After saying that she likes her clothes, Dove says that they are all the same. (pg. 115)
- According to Ruby, Ivy’s clucks mean “Come on, you can do it.” (pg. 119)
- When Dove shines the light on the eggs she sees that they are broken. (pg. 123)
- Ruby says that she knows Melba threw the rock when her mom makes her come inside. (pg. 126)
- Miss Mattie finds 6 pink muumuus behind Miss Eula’s Door. (pg. 130)
- When the chick first appears from under Ivy she shakes, peeps three times, and then tries to take a step and stumbles. (pg. 136)
- Phoebe Tolbert was eating mint ice cream and watching television when she heard the crash. (pg. 140)
- “In the Sweet By and By” is ung at the funeral for the chicks. (pg. 142)
- In the July 7th letter, Ruby says that Dove is excited about wearing Miss Eula’s muumuus. (pg. 146)
- Ruby addresses Miss Eula at the top of her July 22nd letter by calling her “Miss Banana Split”. (pg. 150)
Section 4: Chapters 20–27
Vocabulary
- accolades: an award granted for a special accomplishment
- anthropology: the study of human societies and their development
- apologize: to express regret for something that one did wrong
- bravado: a bold manner intended to impress or intimidate
- cicada: a large insect with long transparent wings
- soliloquy: the act of speaking to oneself, usually in theatre
Comprehension Questions
- Dove tells Ruby that Melba Jane used to go stargazing with her father in the summers. (pg. 154)
- Ruby clips a bunch of black-eyed Susans with the scissors she got from the Pink Palace. (pg. 156)
- While standing on the bridge, Ruby says that she will never swim in the water below, again. (pg. 158)
- After she scratched the side of her face, Dove tells Ruby that she knows something that Ruby doesn’t. (pg. 161)
- Ruby’s tingles turn into pin-pricks of amazement. (pg. 163)
- Ruby stopped her tears from coming by clenching her teeth until her jaw hurt. (pg. 165)
- After Melba says that she wants to apologize to her, Ruby tells her that she wont let her. (pg. 167)
- Melba tells ruby that she wonders if her dad was awake the night he died, if he was scared, and if he was thinking about her. (pg. 169)
- The schoolhouse porch is decorated with Chock full’o Nuts coffee cans filled with geraniums. (pg. 174)
- Melba Jane was struggling to stay on stage while Mrs. Vernado was was waiting for her to start her soliloquy. (pg. 177)
- When she is walking home, Ruby remembers that Miss Eula told her that they will always be under the same sky. (pg. 184)
- Miss Eula says Miss Mattie is going to get a shipment of 400 flip-flops. (pg. 186)