About
When Teddy, a young sorcerer, offers to send Jack and Annie on a dream vacation, they can't wait to go. The brother-and-sister pair wish for a trip to a beach paradise, and the magic tree house whisks them off to the coast of Mexico. Everything starts out perfectly as they raft around a coral reef. But then a hungry shark attacks and their dream vacation turns into a nightmare!
Read one section at a time, then discuss the questions to review understanding. These questions are a starting place for conversation, not a complete test of the chapter.
Chapter 1
Comprehension questions
What were the children up to when they found Teddy’s note?
Page 5 — They had just finished snorkeling and were riding their bikes home
5
How do Merlin and Morgan want to thank Jack and Annie for their hard work?
Page 10 — By sending them on holiday, a vacation
10
Where do Jack and Annie want to go on vacation and why?
Page 11 — Cozumel; the snorkeling is great there
11
Chapter 2
Comprehension questions
Why didn’t Jack want Annie to record or take pictures of the beach?
Page 19 — He didn’t know what he would say to his parents if they saw the video or pictures
19
Why was Jack hesitant to take the raft?
Page 20 — He didn’t know who it belonged to
20
What did Jack read in the guidebook about coral?
Page 24 — It’s made of animals, is very delicate and takes a long time to grow, so you shouldn’t touch it
24
Chapter 3
Comprehension questions
Describe what Jack saw as he snorkeled in the water?
Page 27 — Fish, turtles, crabs, jellyfish, a stingray
27
Why was it so difficult for Jack to control the raft?
Page 32 — The current was pushing him around
32
What did Jack see that made him panic?
Page 33 — A shark fin coming towards them
33
How did Jack and Annie escape the shark?
Page 35 — They used a coin from the velvet bag and said they’d like to have fun escaping the shark, so the waves pushed them further out to sea
35
Chapter 4
Comprehension questions
What did the kids learn they were floating towards?
Page 40 — Eastern shore of the Yucatan Peninsula
40
Why did the kids want to use a magical coin?
Page 46 — To wish for money so they could pay for a hotel, dinner, ferry ride and the theme park they read about
46
Why did Annie want to check out the theme park before going to the hotel?
Page 48 — She heard music and wanted to see if there was a performance going on
48
Chapter 5
Comprehension questions
How did Annie convince Jack to skip buying the tickets and slip through the opening of the wall?
Page 54 — She told him the show would be over if they spent the time to buy the tickets
54
What did Jack notice the audience was wearing?
Page 55 — Boy were wearing loincloths or feathered robes and the women and girls wore colorful dresses with big jewelry; many men wore headdresses
55
What happened when Annie spoke to the boys watching the dance?
Page 58 — They were frightened and one told his mom; the dance stopped, the warriors came and got Jack and Annie and took them to the House of Columns
58
Chapter 6
Comprehension questions
What did Jack and Annie realize while waiting in the House of Columns?
Page 64 — Teddy accidentally sent them to ancient Mayan times, not to Cozumel in their time
64
What happened to the velvet coin purse?
Page 67 — Annie put it down to help put the raft on the beach and left it on the sand
67
Why does Heart-of-the-Wind’s father think Jack is to be the next ruler?
Page 75 — He thinks the gods sent Jack
75
Chapter 7
Comprehension questions
Why did Annie call Heart-of-the-Wind brave?
Page 78 — She loves to explore and swim in the dark by herself
78
How did Jack and Annie escape the House of Columns?
Page 80 — Heart-of-the-Wind distracted the guards and the kids jumped out the window
80
Who are the Ones-Who-Tell-the-History-of-the-Forest and why?
Page 83 — Howler monkeys; they howl at night as if they’re telling a story
83
How did the kids get passed the jaguar in the forest?
Page 86 — Heart-of-the-Wind gave him peaceful thoughts
86
Chapter 8
Comprehension questions
What did Heart-of-the-Wind call the sinkhole?
Page 90 — The Sacred Well
90
Describe the Underworld.
Page 91 — A huge chamber with a hole in the top letting moonlight in, huge columns of white rock stretched down from the ceiling (stalactites), with animal statues guarding it, then to a narrow pitch-black cave
91
Why did Jack and Annie suggest Heart-of-the-Wind be the next leader of her people?
Page 98 — She was a great leader, with courage and compassion
98
Chapter 9
Comprehension questions
What was Annie’s plan for convincing Heart-of-the-Wind’s father that she’d make a great leader?
Page 104 — Use the cell phone to have Jack record a message to her father, to plant the idea that she could be the next leader
104
How did Heart-of-the-Wind respond to using the phone and watching the message?
Page 106 — She was in awe
106
Why did Heart-of-the-Wind want to make the wish?
Page 111 — She wanted to make a miracle for the kids, just like they had done for her
111
Chapter 10
Comprehension questions
How did Jack and Annie get back to Cozumel safely?
Page 117 — A huge whale shark swam under them, lifted the raft onto its back and swam to the shore
117
Why did the whale behave that way?
Page 118 — When Heart-of-the-Wind spoke the words for the coin, she asked that a shark help the kids have a fun and safe ride
118
What did Jack find when he looked up Heart-of-the-Wind on the computer?
Page 129 — That she had become a ruler of the Mayan people, was the first female ruler, and became ruler under extremely unusual circumstances
129
Downloads
All the book’s resources, or just the ones you need, ready to read or print.
Worksheets
Practice sheets with space to write your answers.
Download one reading section
A small printout with all the resources for the selected section.
