
Section 1: Chapters 1-3
Vocabulary
- hearthstone: stone forming the bottom of a fireplace
- feisty: not afraid to fight
- pesky: irritating
- snore: noisy breathing while sleeping
- suspenders: straps for holding up pants
- wheel: to roll
Vocabulary Sentences
- Anna warmed the bread on the hearthstone.
- Shanna’s little brother was pesky all afternoon.
- My grandfather wore red suspenders to hold up his jeans.
- I helped the faber wheel the horse cart out to the barn.
- Both of my friend’s parents snore loudly at night.
- The wild ponies were very feisty while playing in the pasture.
Comprehension Questions
- Caleb asks if Mama sang to him every day. (pg. 3)
- It takes Anna three days to love Caleb. (pg. 6)
- Papa puts an advertisement in the paper for a wife. (pg. 8)
- Sarah Wheaton prefers to build bookshelves and paint. (pg. 11)
- A woodchuck is far off in the field. (pg. 17)
- Caleb rolls a blue marble back and forth. (pg. 18)
- Anna and Caleb are afraid Sarah will change her mind and leave them. (pg. 20)
Section 2: Chapters 4-5
Vocabulary
- paddock: small field where animals are kept
- dusk: before darkness
- rustle: soft (insert comma here) light sound
- dune: hill of sand
- mica: a mineral
- lantern: a light under a glass covering
Vocabulary Sentences
- Larry grew up learning to write by lantern light.
- We slid down the sand dune on cardboard sleds.
- Bats surrounded us at dusk.
- The sparkle in sand can be caused by the mineral mica.
- Kara made the dry grass rustle as she walked through it.
- The sheep were kept in the paddock at night.
Comprehension Questions
- The dogs loved Sarah first. (pg. 22)
- Sarah and Caleb pick paintbrush, clover, and prairie violets. (pg. 23)
- Papa bakes bread for dinner. (pg. 24)
- Sarah scatters the cut hair on the ground so that the birds will use it to build their nests. (pg. 25)
- When Sarah barks like a seal, Lottie and Nick run in to lick her. (pg. 27)
- Caleb’s first word as a baby is “windmill.” (pg. 29)
- Sarah says, “You bet I’m not scared.” (pg. 30)
Section 3: Chapters 6-7
Vocabulary
- sums: adding numbers
- petticoat: skirt worn under a dress
- gleam: shining quality
- whickering: neigh or whinny
- squawk: harsh cry
- bellies: stomachs
Vocabulary Sentences
- Bright spots of sunlight gleam on the ocean.
- Aunt Bess wore a white petticoat under her prairie dress.
- The pony’s soft whickering when he saw me, made me smile.
- Rachel practiced her sums all night before the big test.
- You could see all the children’s bellies shake when they laughed.
- You can always hear Lonnie’s parrot squawk when she comes home.
Comprehension Questions
- Caleb and Anna sometimes walk three miles to school. (pg. 34)
- Caleb says the wind blows the snow and brings tumbleweeds and makes the sheep run. (pg. 35)
- Anna sinks like a bucket full of water when she tries to float. (pg. 36)
- Papa needs five horses for the gang plow because prairie grass is hard. (pg. 39)
- Sarah misses her brother William. (pg. 40)
- Maggie will give Sarah tansy from her garden. (pg. 42)
- Papa brings Sarah the first roses of summer. (pg. 43)
Section 4: Chapters 8-9
Vocabulary
- sly: clever in a dishonest way
- pungent: sharp smell or taste
- eerie: strange and mysterious
- hailstone: ball of ice
- rein: strap fastened to a horse bridle
- stern: strict and severe
Vocabulary Sentences
- Fried garlic has a pungent smell that makes me wince.
- Zak had an eerie feeling walking home alone in the dark.
- The rein broke on Smoky’s bridle when he was chasing the cow.
- Ranisha’s mother gave a stern warning about playing near the river.
- The fox had a sly look in his eyes when he entered the barnyard.
- During the storm, a huge hailstone hit a man on the head.
Comprehension Questions
- Anna wants to learn how to ride a horse and drive the wagon by herself. (pg. 44)
- Seal crawls onto Anna’s lap in the barn. (pg. 48)
- Sarah says that she is glad she saved an armful after the wild roses are scattered by the storm. (pg. 51)
- Papa sends Caleb with an ax to chop a tree for firewood. (pg. 52)
- Caleb says the colors of the sea are missing from the drawing. (pg. 55)
- Anna tells Caleb she believes Sarah is coming back because Seal is still there. (pg. 56)
- Sarah brings back three colored pencils back from town. (pg. 57)