Home Activities

Talk About What You Are Reading:

Look at the cover of the book ask, what the book will be about?

Guiding questions:

  • When do you think this could take place?  Who/what is a Stone Fox?
  • What do you think will happen next?
  • What can you tell me about the story so far?
  • Can you predict how the story will end?
  • Why do you think the character did _______?
  • What would you have done if you were the character?
  • How would you have felt if you were the character? (use different characters)
  • As I read____________, it made me picture________ in my head. What pictures do you see in your head?
  • As you read, what are you wondering about?
  • Can you put what you’ve just read in your own words?
  • Can you remember the title?
  • In your opinion, was it a good title for this book? Why or why not?
  • Were your predictions about the story correct?
  • If there was a problem, did it get solved?
  • What happened because of the problem?
  • Why do you think the author wrote this book?
  • What is the most important point the author is trying to make in his writing?
  • What was your favorite part of the story?
  • If you could change one thing in the story, what would it be?

Analyzing Advice:

Tell you child that one of the characters in the book gives this advice: Where there's a will, there's a way. Ask students to tell what this means to them. Have students speculate about how this advice might apply to the story.

Extension:

The race is over; Willy has won a bittersweet victory. He has lost his good friend, Searchlight. We know that Willy has won the $500 necessary to pay the back taxes and save the farm; however, the book ends with many unanswered questions. Have students think of as many questions as they can about the future of Grandfather and little Willy. Record questions on the board. Students should also copy the questions down to use later. Some suggestions.

  1. Will Grandfather get better?
  2. Will Grandfather and Willy pay the taxes on the farm from now on?
  3. Will Grandfather and Willy start a new college fund?
  4. Will Willy go to college or just grow potatoes for a living?
  5. Will Willy have to borrow money to go to college?
  6. Will Willy get a new dog?
  7. Will Stone Fox continue to enter races?
  8. Will Stone Fox win enough money to purchase the land needed for a Utah homeland?

Have students work in groups or individually (or as homework) to write a paragraph titled "Little Willy and Grandfather: Ten Years Later." Remind students that Willy will not be so little now that he is 20 years old! Students should make sure that their paragraph content includes the answers to at least four of the questions listed on the board and discussed in class (they can answer more and add their own, too!). Have students read their compositions aloud. Discuss.