Trouble River

By: Betsy Byars

Name: Period:

Completed Book Due by December 16th for a Major Test/Project Grade

Vocabulary Words (Week 1):

Word Definition

Cringe To shrink back as if in fear

Dismay A loss of courage

Emphasize To stress; to give special attention to

Gingerly Carefully

Pungent Having a sharp and biting smell

Resume To begin again after stopping

Surge A sudden movement

Agonizing With extreme pain or suffering

Audible Capable of being heard

Crisis Critical time in an event, a turning point

Hamper To prevent from moving freely

Hesitant Undecided, doubtful

Vocabulary Words (Week 2):

Word Definition

Imprint The mark left by an object pressing on

something

Maneuver Skillful movement of something

Ravine A deep, narrow hollow or gorge worn in

the earth by water

Brusque Abrupt and rough in speaking or acting

Confining Shut in, closed in, restricted

Nuisance Aa thing or a person causing trouble or

bother

Prey An animal that is hunted; a victim

Sinister Suggesting or threatening evil or danger

Tempestuous Violent or stormy

Treacherous Not trustworthy, unsafe, dangerous

Clod A chunk or piece of dirt

Cobbler A shoemaker

Date Answer To Daily Warm Up

December

1st

December

2nd

December

3rd

December 4th

December 5th

December 8th

December 9th

December

10th

December

11th

December

12th

Chapter 1:

1. Why were Dewey and his grandmother alone in the cabin?

2. What was Dewey building?

3. How did Dewey’s Pa say Trouble River received its name?

4. When she said, “I get these feelings sometimes,” what did she mean?

Foreshadowing is a literary device in which a writer gives an

advance hint of what is to come later in the story.

Foreshadowing often appears at the beginning of a story or a

chapter and helps the reader develop expectations about the

coming events in a story.

5. What do you think the author is foreshadowing in chapter

1?

Chapter 2:

1. How did Dewey find out there was an Indian creeping

around outside the cabin?

2. Put these events from the story in the correct order

____ Dewey snuck out of the cabin

____ Grandma went out to look for Dewey

____ The Indian hit Charlie in the leg with a hatchet

3. How do you think Dewey and his grandmother will get

away safely?

4. What is the dog’s name?

Flashbacks are interruptions that writers do to insert past

events in order to provide background or context to the

current events of a narrative

5. Explain what information we learned from the flashback in

this chapter?

Chapter 3:

1. Dewey saw a glow on the horizon. What probably caused

the glow?

2. Why did Dewey turn the cows and pigs loose before he

and Grandma left on the raft?

3. What did Dewey get for Grandma to make her trip on the

raft more comfortable?

Chapter 4:

1. Do you think Dewey and Grandma heard a real owl as they

set out? Explain why or why not?

2. Why do they call it “Dead Man’s Creek”?

3. Why do you think Dewey didn’t always follow his grandma’s

orders about steering the raft?

4. What predictions can you make about what will happen in

the remainder of the story?

Chapter 5:

1. What bothered Grandma the most about having to get off

the raft and wade in the water?

2. Where did Charlie sleep while on the raft?

Chapter 6:

1. Why is this chapter named “An Unexpected Stop”?

2. What was in the small bag the Grandma withdrew from

her satchel?

3. How would you describe the grandmother? Give at least

two character traits and examples from the book to

support your answer.

4. Describe one of the problems Dewey and Grandma faced

in the story so far. Tell how it was solved.

Chapters 7 and 8:

1. What was Grandma’s most prized possession? (ch 7)

2. What happened to the Dargans? (ch 7)

3. What did Dewey dream about as he slept? (ch 8)

4. After leaving the Dargans, what was the next danger

Dewey and his grandmother faced? (ch 8)

Chapter 9:

1. Did Grandma like Charlie? How did you know?

2. Describe the trip through the rapids.

Chapters 10 and 11:

1. How did Dewey and Grandma get off the raft?

2. Why was Dewey disappointed in the baby?

3. Put these events in the order they happened in the

story:

___ a) Dewey discovers the Dargans cabin was burned.

___ b) The raft was battered by the rapids

___ c) Pa and Ma left Dewey and Grandma alone at the

cabin

___ d) The wolves attacked Grandma and Dewey

___ e) Dewey and Grandma reached Hunter city safely

___ f) Dewey and Charlie drove the Indian away from

the cabin

4. Dewey was a brave boy. Give 2 examples that show

this.

Fill in the Plot Diagram after finishing reading the novel.