Leprechauns Don’t Play Basketball

By Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones

Grades 2-4; Genre - Fantasy; GRL M; AR pts: 1.0

Bailey School kids get stuck in the middle of a feud between a leprechaun and Mrs. Jeepers.  Mr. O'Grady visits Bailey School to supposedly teach the kids how to do Irish folk dancing, but Mrs. Jeepers begins to behave strangely and the kids learn of an old legend of why vampires don't like leprechauns.

Comprehension Questions

Chapter 1

1. Why were kids pinching each other?  It’s St. Patrick’s Day  p. 2
2. What color do you need to wear so you don’t get a pinch on St. Patrick’s Day?  They weren’t wearing green   p. 3
3. How does Mrs. Jeepers feel about leprechauns?  Doesn’t like them/ their mischievous   p. 5

Chapter 2

1. Why couldn’t Eddie cut Liza’s hair?  Mrs. Jeepers stopped the scissors from closing   p. 9
2. How was Eddie behaving?  Like a bully, mean, mischievous   p. 10
3. Why was Eddie being such a bully to everyone?  He wanted to have a little St. Patrick’s Day fun   p. 11

Chapter 3

1. Where was Mr. O’Grady from?  Ireland   p. 14
2. What does Mr. O’Grady carry at his waist?  A leather pouch   p. 14
3. Why is Mr. O’Grady visiting the school?  he’s going to teach the kids Irish folk dancing p. 16
4. What did Eddie do to Melody’s shoelaces during gym class?  Tied them together   p. 17

Chapter 4

1. Why didn’t Eddie want to dance with the other third graders?  He felt dancing was for girls   p. 20
2. What are the three things Mr. O’Grady said the Irish love?  Dancing, gems, playing tricks  p. 24
3. What happened when Mr. O’Grady rubbed the gems in his pouch?  Strange things   p. 27

Chapter 5

1. Why do the kids think Mr. O’Grady is a leprechaun?  Has treasure, from Ireland, short  p. 30
2. Who had found Mrs. Jeepers when she said, “So he has found me.  I did not think it would be so soon”?  Mr. O’Grady   p. 32

Chapter 6

1. Who did the kids ask to tell them about leprechauns?  Howie’s grandmother   p. 35

Chapter 7

1. Describe the Fairy Stone.   Green, strong magic, most powerful of all magic stones, helped leprechaun take possession of lands   p. 39
2. What color did the leprechauns wear before they went into hiding?  Red/ scarlet   p. 40
3. Who do the kids think was the teacher that tricked the leprechaun emperor to steal the Fairy Stone back?  Mrs. Jeepers   p. 43

Chapter 8

1. What was the name of the dance Eddie said he wanted to teach Mr. O’Grady?  Honey Bee Waltz  p. 49
2. What was in the jar Eddie pulled out during gym class?  Bees   p. 49
3. What did Mr. O’Grady do to get rid of the bees?  Pulled out his small red stone   p. 51

Chapter 9

1. Who did Eddie have to see as a consequence of his trick with the bees?  Principal Davis   p. 53
2. What did Howie suggest the kids needed to do to stop Mr. O’Grady from taking the Fairy Stone from Mrs. Jeepers?  Make him look them in the eye to make him do whatever they say   p. 55

Chapter 10

1. What’s the Emerald Isle?  Ireland   p. 42
2. How long can leprechauns be away from the Emerald Isle?  Three days    p. 57
3. How did Eddie try to trick Mr. O’Grady to make him look in his eyes?  Eddie said there was something in his eye and asked him to look to see what it was   p. 61
4. Was Eddie able to get Mr. O’Grady to look at him in the eyes?  No   p. 63

Chapter 11

1. What did Mr. O’Grady do to hopefully trick the Fairy Stone away from Mrs. Jeepers?  Twirl her around   p. 64
2. How did Eddie stop Mrs. Jeepers and Mr. O’Grady from twirling?  Grabbed Mr. O’Grady’s ankle  p. 65
3. Who looked into Mr. O’Grady’s eyes and told him to leave Bailey School?  Liza   p. 65

Chapter 12

1. How do the kids think Mr. O'Grady traveled back to the Emerald Isle?  a rainbow   p. 69
2. How did Mrs. Jeepers feel after Mr. O'Grady left the school?  like her regular self/ happy   p. 70
3. How did Coach Ellison feel about the kids making Mr. O'Grady leave the school?  upset/ angry   p. 71