IMPORTANT: Comprehension questions will be in chronological order as you read through the story. Page numbers are approximate, and will vary with different editions of the book.
Section 1: How It Started-Day One
Vocabulary
- astonish: to strike with sudden and usually great wonder or surprise
- extraordinary: so unusual as to be remarkable
- hollow: an unfilled space
- peculiar: different from the usual or normal
- seminary: a school for the training of priests, ministers, or rabbis
- whittle: a large knife; to shape by cutting or shaving off chips from wood; to wear oneself or another out with fretting
- wonder: something extraordinary; to feel surprise or amazement; a feeling caused by something extraordinary
Vocabulary Usage in the Book
- “…It says, ‘a marvel; that which arouses awe, astonishment, surprise, or admiration.’” (How It Started, pg. 9)
- Sometimes extraordinary things begin in ordinary places. (How It Started, pg. 1)
- Mrs. Pritchard’s doll had yellow yarn hair, an old-fashioned dress, and two hollows carved out of the leathery apple for eyes. (Day 1, pg. 25)
- “I suppose we all have notions that others might find peculiar,” Aunt Pretty said. (How It Started, pg. 6)
- Papa was an educated man, been to seminary… (Day 1, pg. 27)
- Pa whittled on a stick and I was staring hard at a drawing book. (How It Started, pg. 2)
- And the Wonders started right on our own front porch on a hot summer night I would have forgotten on the spot if it hadn’t been for what got started and kept on going. (How It Started, pg. 1)
Vocabulary Sentences
- Emily will astonish her mother by cleaning the entire house before she returns home from doing errands.
- Hudson will never forget the extraordinary moment when everyone applauded him for reciting the Gettysburg Address from memory.
- The boys begged their dad to teach them how to whittle a bar of soap into the shape of a fish.
- Inside the hollow log slept a bunny with all her babies.
- Emerson is thrilled to have completed all his seminary courses so that he can now become a Jewish rabbi.
Comprehension Questions
- Aunt Pretty tells Eben to wake up and see the world. (How It Started, pg. 2)
- Eben is reading about the Seven Wonders of the World. (How It Started, pg. 4)
- Aunt Pretty says that they have the wash hanging on the line every Monday and they could call it the Hanging Laundry of Sassafrass Springs. (How It Started, pg. 5)
- Eben says he spends so much time thinking about foreign places because someday he is going to see them. (How It Started, pg. 7)
- Eben’s book says that a Wonder is “a marvel; that which arouses awe, astonishment, surprise, or admiration.” (How It Started, pg. 9)
- Pa offers to buy Eben a ticket to Colorado if he finds Seven Wonders in Sassafras Springs. (How It Started, pg. 10)
- Eben plans to look for Wonders by going up one country lane and down the next until he covers all of Sassafrass Springs. (Day 1, pg. 14)
- Pa gave Eben a break from chores, which he counts as a Wonder. (Day 1, pg. 14)
- Jeb can’t accompany Eben on his search for Wonders because he is taking care of his siblings. (Day 1, pg. 18)
- Eben recalls a verse that says, “He that seeketh findeth” and another part that says, “Ask, and it shall be given you.” (Day 1, pg. 18-19)
- When she was a little girl, Mrs. Pritchard sometimes received an orange, a peppermint stick, a new pair of socks, or an embroidered handkerchief for Christmas. (Day 1, pg. 27)
- When she wakes up on Christmas morning, the first thing Mrs. Pritchard sees is her stocking with her very own baby doll, Miss Zeldy. (Day 1, pg. 29)
- Eben’s first Wonder is Mrs. Pritchard’s doll because it helped saved her life when she was a sick little girl. (Day 1, pg. 32)
Section 2: Day Two-Day Three Continued
Vocabulary
- abrupt: to happen without warning
- bedraggled: limp, wet, or dirty from rain or mud
- gingerly: very cautious or careful
- hardscrabble: having poor soil; getting a meager living from poor soil; having harsh and difficult conditions because of poverty
- marvel: one that causes wonder or astonishment; to become filled with surprise, wonder, or amazed curiosity
- perturb: to cause to be worried or upset
- skedaddle: run away, scram; to flee in a panic
Vocabulary Usage in the Book
- Around half past three, Pa stopped abruptly. (Day 2, pg. 36)
- Mighty bedraggled. (Day 2, pg. 58)
- “I don’t know about this,” I told Jeb as we gingerly walked up the front steps. (Day 2, pg. 39)
- He lived just outside Sassafras Springs in a cluster of small hardscrabble farms everybody called Bent Fork, because it was tucked in next to the bend of the creek. (Day 3 Cont. pg. 84)
- “…Pop thought this old saw was a marvel.” (Day 3 Cont. pg. 86)
- “But he wasn’t,” said Pa, unperturbed as usual. (Day 3, pg. 64)
- I skedaddled out of there before I had a chance to ask him about Wonders or his cousin Holt. (Day 3 Cont. pg. 74)
Vocabulary Sentences
- The class came to an abrupt end when someone accidentally set off the fire alarm.
- Camille walked gingerly down the street, making sure there were no stray dogs nearby.
- Garrett knows he will marvel at the lunar eclipse tonight.
- Their dog Rover entered the house bedraggled after getting caught in the downpour.
- The hardscrabble farmer couldn’t figure out how to improve the soil to make his harvest more bountiful.
Comprehension Questions
- Eben thinks about the faraway mountain in Silver Peak, Colorado, while he is weeding corn. (Day 2, pg. 36)
- The Saylor house has curlicues and fancy trim, a fine porch that curved all around the house, and a big sleeping porch upstairs. (Day 2, pg. 38)
- No one wants to hire Cully as a handyman because his own house is about to cave in. (Day 2, pg. 45)
- Eben’s second Wonder is Cully’s bookcase because it held the secrets of the universe, saved a man’s life, and is still holding up Cully’s house. (Day 2, pg. 60)
- Holt Nickerson rode his horse while he was asleep with his eyes open, and no one ever saw him again. (Day 3, pg. 67)
- Jeb doesn’t want to travel the world with Eben because his parents want him to take care of their farm some day. (Day 3, pg. 71)
- On his way to the general store, Eben sees Albert Bowie, his brother Vern, and Rae Ellen. (Day 3 Cont. pg. 76)
- Eben feels in a spot because he isn’t sure what Rae Ellen told her and because he didn’t want to be seen walking with a girl. (Day 3 Cont. pg. 80)
- Hiram Yount tells Eben that his pa just sent a letter to Colorado yesterday. (Day 3 Cont. pg. 81)
- Eben hears Calvin Smiley playing music a handsaw and a fiddler’s bow. (Day 3 Cont. pg. 84-85)
- Calvin Smiley had gotten rid of the grasshoppers by playing music on his saw. (Day 3 Cont. pg. 90)
- Eben’s third Wonder is Calvin Smiley’s saw. (pg. 92)
Section 3: Day Four-Days Six and Seven
Vocabulary
- beckon: to summon or signal typically with a wave or nod; to appear inviting
- congregate: to come together into a group, crowd, or assembly
- culprit: one guilty of a crime or a fault
- nuisance: one that is annoying, unpleasant, or obnoxious
- quench: to put out the light or fire of; to cause to lose heat or warmth
- rambunctious: uncontrolled in a way that is playful or full of energy
- tally: to list or check off by items; to make a count on
Vocabulary Usage in the Book
- Eulie started toward the door, beckoning for me to follow. (Day 4, pg. 104)
- Later folks congregated outside to chat. (Day 5, pg. 118)
- It was a two-seater with a window, so if there was mischief, Grandpappy could look out and see who the culprits were. (Day 5, pg. 131)
- “I may have to call the county sheriff and tell him you’re making a nuisance of yourself,” I told her. (Day 5, pg. 122)
- The sun was blistering and there didn’t seem to be enough water in the world to quench my thirst. (Day 4, pg. 95)
- I jumped, but it was just Mrs. Peevey talking to her rambunctious dog. (Days 6 & 7, pg. 164)
- “What’s the tally so far Pretty?” asked Pa as he served himself a generous helping. (Day 4, pg. 101)
Vocabulary Sentences
- The rambunctious child hung upside down in her seat while waiting to be called in to see the dentist.
- The kids like to congregate near the ice cream store, hoping for a free sample.
- The elderly woman shouted at the culprit who was running away with her purse.
- The plate of warm chocolate chip cookies will beckon each family member into the kitchen.
- The fly became a nuisance when it landed on my food!
Comprehension Questions
- Junior Watkins shows Eben his egg. (Day 4, pg. 98)
- Aunt Pretty has Eben take chicken and peaches to the Rowans’. (Day 4, pg. 102)
- Rose-Ivy thought she survived the illness because she doesn’t give up easily. (Day 4, pg. 107)
- Rose-Ivy discovered a man sitting at a table next to a tombstone, crying for his wife who had died. (Day 4, pg. 110)
- Jacob Coogan has the respect of the other kids because he knows about things none of the other kids would ever know about. (Day 5, pg. 124)
- The Pitt family’s favorite trick was knocking over outhouses. (Day 5, pg. 131)
- Rae Ellen brings a ship in a bottle to show Eben. (Day 5, pg. 143)
- Uncle Dutch had found seasickness, bad food, and nasty sailors. (Day 5, pg. 144)
- Eben agrees to give Rae Ellen pie for the first week of school. (Day 5, pg. 151)
- Eben finds Coogie Jackson in the kitchen eating biscuits and ham gravy. (Days 6 and 7, pg. 157)
- While Eben and his friends are taking the watermelon, Mayor Peevey talks to them. (Days 6 and 7, pg. 162)
- Eben’s sixth Wonder is Mayor Peevey’s cloth. (Days 6 and 7, pg. 175)
Section 4: Day 8-The Beginning
Vocabulary
- abrupt: to happen without warning
- bustle: to move or go in a busy or hurried way; to have a lot of busy activity
- coax: to influence by gentle urging, special attention, or flattering
- kinfolk: relatives
- murmur: speech or a way of speaking that is quiet and soft; to make a low, continuous sound
- pester: to annoy or bother someone in a repeated way
- scruffy: dirty or shabby in appearance
Vocabulary Usage in the Book
- After the light had gone, Aunt Pretty stood up and gave me a strange look, then abruptly went inside the house without a word. (Day 8, pg. 183)
- After the dishes were washed and put away, Pa and I sat on the porch in silence, until Aunt Pretty bustled out to join us. (Day 8, pg. 179)
- “…Have to coax Mabel, and Myrt into giving up some milk an hour early,” said Pa. (Day 8, pg. 185)
- “…Says she misses having kinfolk around.” (Day 9, pg. 201)
- “You don’t say,” murmured Uncle Alf. (Day 8, pg. 188)
- Aunt Pretty was so anxious to hear what I was up to, she pestered me all through dinner to tell her the story. (Day 9, pg. 199)
- He had a small suitcase in one hand and a scruffy old dog following him. (Day 8, pg. 195)
Vocabulary Sentences
- Dad’s scruffy beard tickles Julie’s face when he kisses her goodnight.
- It is stressful to bustle from store to store during the holiday season.
- Edwin looks forward to Thanksgiving dinner, when all the kinfolk gather around to share all that they are thankful for.
- Mom had to coax baby Jude back into the car by placing his bottle inside his car seat.
- Marlow liked to pester her little brother by hiding his toothbrush every morning.
Comprehension Questions
- Pa receives a letter saying that Eben can’t visit this year because of people getting sick and even dying of influenza. (Day 8, pg. 181)
- Aunt Pretty shows Pa and Eben her clothespin people. (Day 8, pg. 183)
- Pa and Eben agree that Aunt Pretty is a Wonder. (Day 8, pg. 185)
- Eben goes to Alf Dee’s mule farm to find his seventh Wonder. (Day 8, pg. 185)
- Eben finds a miniature carving of Sassafrass Springs on the table. (Day 8, pg. 187)
- LaFlame showed Uncle Alf how to carve wood. (pg. 192)
- Even discovers that the past, present, and future are all mixed up in your brain. (Day 8, pg. 194)
- The loom sat in the shed until a big wind came and smashed the shed and the loom into a pile of sticks. (Day 8, pgs. 196-197)
- Aunt Pretty arranges for Eben to visit Cousin Lottie in St. Louis, Missouri since he can’t go to Colorado. (Day 9, pg. 201)
- Eben does not want to miss the red-hot snowflakes. (Day 9, pg. 206)