7. What song do the Black Dinosaurs sing for the tryouts?
8. What makes their song funny?
9. What would you perform if you could be in a talent show?
10. Make a prediction: What will happen when the list is posted?
CHAPTER 3
1. Why do the boys stay late with Mr. Cavendish?
2. Why does Ziggy like being in the school when it’s empty?
3. How do the boys discover the new girl?
4. Describe Tulip when the boys first meet her.
5. Why does Mr. Cavendish call 911 even though Tulip is not seriously injured?
6. Why are Rico and Ziggy excited about having the responsibility of dialing 911?
7. Where do Tulip and her mother come from and why are they homeless?
8. Why do you think Jerome invites Tulip and her mother to his house?
9. How can you tell all four boys want to impress Tulip?
10. If you discovered a medical emergency at your school, what would you do?
CHAPTER 4
1. Give an example of how rumors operate in a school.
2. Compare the school when it is empty to when students fill the halls.
3. Compare how Tulip looks when the boys first meet her to how she looks the following morning.
4. What difficulties might be encountered in trying to find Tulip’s school records?
5. How does Tulip shine in math class?
6. Write some additional verses to Rico’s silly poem about the zoo and to Tulip’s poem about the blues.
7. What does Tulip say after she finishes reciting her poem? What was your response to her poem?
8. How does Brandy react to Tulip and why?
9. Why is poetry a good way to express feelings?
10. Make a prediction: What will the other students think of a new girl who is good at everything?
CHAPTER 5
1. How will the choir participate in the talent show?
2. How do you know Mr. Cavendish is a teacher who focuses on encouragement?
3. What is noticeable about Tulip’s singing voice?
4. Why are the Black Dinosaurs worried?
5. What does Tulip say when she finishes her song?
6. What does Tulip say when she completes every task well?
7. Name several negative things about being homeless.
8. How do you think Tulip feels about being the new student at her school?
9. What do you think the other students understand about Tulip’s situation?
10. Make a prediction: What will happen at the talent show?
CHAPTER 6
1. How did the boys build their clubhouse?
2. Describe the inside of their clubhouse.
3. Which of the four boys dislikes bugs? How do you know?
4. Tell how the boys could use the prize money to improve their clubhouse.
5. How does Jerome’s grandmother help Tulip and her mom?
6. What do the boys think about Tulip and her skills and abilities?
7. Why do you think the boys are a little worried about their chances in the talent show?
8. What do they decide to do to improve their act?
9. Write some additional verses to “Fooba Wooba John.”
10. How do you know Jerome is surprised to see Tulip?
CHAPTER 7
1. Why do you think Jerome is so nervous about having Tulip in the clubhouse?
2. What is unusual about having a girl in the clubhouse?
3. How did the club get the name the Black Dinosaurs?
4. What do you think it was like for Tulip during the hurricane?
5. What do you think the boys learn as they talk to Tulip about the hurricane?
6. What is the difference between collecting money to send to a disaster and meeting a person who was involved in the disaster?
7. Write some additional verses to “Boom Boom, Ain’t It Great to Be Crazy?”
8. How do you know Jerome likes Tulip a little?
9. Why do the boys feel a little guilty about wanting to win the prize money?
10. What final plans do they make for the show?
CHAPTER 8
1. What is the difference between practicing in an empty auditorium and performing for people in the audience?
2. How do you know the boys are worried about Tulip and her singing abilities?
3. What colors would Ziggy use to paint the clubhouse?
4. What colors would you use if you had to paint a clubhouse? Tell why.
5. What do some of the children dream of buying with $200?
6. Why do you think Mrs. Powell gives the homework assignment that she does?
7. Why do you think Tulip chooses the items that she does?
8. Give examples to show that Mrs. Powell is a good teacher.
9. Write some additional verses to Ziggy’s grocery store poem.
10. Make a prediction. What will happen between Tulip and Brandy?
CHAPTER 9
1. Describe the boys’ practice for the talent show.
2. Describe their costumes for the show.
3. Why do you think the four boys feel confident about the show?
4. How do you know they have doubts as well?
5. Why do you think Tulip wears the same clothes every day?
6. What good things have happened in Tulip’s life recently?
7. What do you learn about Simon and his early problems with reading?
8. How is Simon’s situation similar to that of many other students?
9. How did Mr. Stanker help Simon and change his outlook on school and reading?
10. Practice chanting “Reader’s Rap” with your class. Make up additional verses to go with the chorus.
CHAPTER 10
1. Describe the tension backstage just before the show. Why do you think these things happen?
2. How do you think the people in the audience feel as they wait for the show to begin?
3. Give two reasons why “The Star-Spangled Banner” is a good start for the show.
4. What do you think of Brandy’s poem? What do you think she is trying to say?
5. Describe Tulip’s performance.
6. Describe the performance of the Black Dinosaurs.
7. From the written description, who do you think does the better job—Tulip or the Black Dinosaurs?
8. How do you think the four boys feel when they hear their name called?
9. Why do you think they choose to give the money away, even though they really want it?
10. How do you think Tulip feels about losing the competition but winning the prize?
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
Use the Internet, an encyclopedia, or other books to find out more about the following:
A. Information to explore and discover
1. Talent shows
2. Homeless people in the United States
3. Homeless shelters
4. Hurricane Katrina
5. American folk songs and spirituals
6. Learning to play an instrument
7. Learning to sing and perform on stage
8. Writing poetry
9. Building a clubhouse
10. Difficulties in learning to read
B. Vocabulary
1. Competition
2. Lyrics
3. Stanza
4. Refrain
5. Chorus
6. Donation
7. Enthusiastic
8. Poetry
9. Costume
10. Performance
C. Jobs to explore
1. Music teacher
2. Social worker
3. Homeless advocate
4. English teacher
5. Poet or songwriter
6. Musician
7. Singer
8. Emergency medical technician
9. Grocery store owner
10. Event producer
D. Investigations
1. Find o
ut what happens in your town if someone has no place to live. What shelters or services are available?
2-7. Investigate the following things about Hurricane Katrina:
2. What a category four or five storm is
3. The physical damage that was done
4. The damage to businesses and jobs
5. The damage to people and their lives
6. The resulting homelessness and displacement of people
7. What happened to all the pets and other animals after the storm
8-10. List all the factors that would have to be considered to have a successful talent show, including:
8. Performers, acts, tryouts, and costumes
9. Rules and regulations to make it safe, fair, and sensible
10. Costs, time, tickets, and advertisements
E. Writing activities
1. Tell the story of someone who is made homeless by a storm or any other terrible event he or she has no control over. Draw pictures to accompany your narrative.
2. Write a story, with you as the main character, as you plan a talent show or with you as a performer.
3. Make up a story about any performer you choose, whether a real person or someone you make up. Be creative. Describe the life of that person.
4. Write an account of what it might be like to work at a homeless shelter. Include sights, sounds, and smells in your story.
5. Using any of the poems or songs in the book as a model, write a poem or song of your own.
6. Write a mystery that includes clues about a stranger in your school. At the end of your story show how the clues are solved.
7. Write a newspaper story that reports the events of the talent show at Ziggy’s school. Pretend you are interviewing each performer after the show.
8. Mrs. Powell gives the students an assignment to write an essay called “What I Would Do with Two Hundred Dollars” and to bring an ad that shows the cost of the items they choose. Do the same assignment.
9. Mr. Cavendish said, “Without music and drama and the arts, we are nothing.” Write an essay that explains what you think he means. In your essay you should agree or disagree with his statement.
10. Write a poem about Tulip.
F. Organizations and their websites
(Please note: These are listed for further study and investigation and are for informational purposes only. Use with children at your discretion.)
1. Poetry for kids
www.gigglepoetry.com
2. Poetry for kids
www.poetry4kids.com
3. Talent shows
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talent_show
4. Writing songs with children
www.geocities.com/rainforest/vines/2400/writingsongs.html)
5. Basic information on Katrina
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina
6. On homelessness
www.hud.gov/homeless/index.cfm
7. On ending homelessness
www.endhomelessness.org
SHARON M. DRAPER lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she taught high school English for twenty-five years. She has been active in the National Council of Teachers of English and the master teacher certification program and was named National Teacher of the Year. Her books include Tears of a Tiger, winner of the John Steptoe Award for new talent; Forged by Fire, winner of the Coretta Scott King Award; Romiette and Julio, Darkness Before Dawn, Double Dutch, and the Coretta Scott King Honor Book The Battle of Jericho.
Jacket designed by Karina Granda
Author photograph by Anna Navarro McCall
Jacket illustration copyright © 2012 by Vanessa Brantley Newton
ALADDIN
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
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First Aladdin hardcover edition September 2012
Text copyright © 2007 by Sharon M. Draper
Illustrations copyright © 2007 by Jesse Joshua Watson
Originally published as the series title Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs
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Designed by Karina Granda
The text of this book was set in Minion.
The Library of Congress Control Number for the library edition is 2006931997.
ISBN 978-1-4424-5459-0 (hc)
ISBN 978-1-4424-5457-6 (pbk)
ISBN 978-1-4424-5460-6 (eBook)
Sharon M. Draper, Stars and Sparks on Stage
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