About
N is for Nugget . . . Howdy from Montana, pardners! Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose are spending a week at a dude ranch. When they pan for gold, Josh finds a huge nugget. But gold fever has struck, and soon the nugget is stolen. It’s up to the kids to round up the thief.
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
Summarize the premise of this story and who the characters are (you don’t need to include the main characters).
Page 1 — The friends are in Wyoming at a ranch; they won this experience from helping the person who lost the lottery ticket; Ma and Pa own the ranch, Jud is their son, Lulu is the cook and Thumbs (but we’re not sure who he is yet)
1
Chapter 2
Comprehension questions
Summarize Thumb’s story around the campfire.
Page 18 — A fire was started in the woods with lightning. A bear cub came running from the woods and was burned; they caught him and took him to the vet the next morning and when he was better, he was sent to a zoo. The mama bear came running through destroying everything, looking for her cub but couldn’t find it. The mama bear is still looking for her cub and comes through the camp 2-3 times each summer
18
Chapter 3
Comprehension questions
What do you think the noises on the porch were from?
Page 25 — Listen to your child’s answer
25
Chapter 4
Comprehension questions
Choose a word to describe Josh and explain what his reward was.
Page 34 — Determined; patient; he found a potato sized gold nugget
34
Chapter 5
Comprehension questions
Who are the other guests at the ranch?
Page 15 — Fiona, Ed, the Clydes
15
Who stayed back at the ranch during the horse ride?
Page 42 — Ed, Fiona, Thumbs
42
Chapter 6
Comprehension questions
Why do you think the dinner bell is ringing when it’s the afternoon?
Page 51 — Listen to your child’s answer
51
Chapter 7
Comprehension questions
Were you correct in your prediction?
Listen to your child’s answer
What was the emergency?
Page 52 — Someone had tied up Lulu, Fiona and Ed and the large nugget was missing from the safe
52
Chapter 8
Comprehension questions
Why do the friends suspect Thumbs?
Page 62 — He was the only one who wasn’t on the ride the entire time. He could have tied everyone up, stole the gold and raced out to the meadow on his horse
62
Chapter 9
Comprehension questions
Do you agree that Josh lied to Ma to get out of playing cards? Why, or why not?
Page 71 — Listen to your child’s answer
71
Chapter 10
Comprehension questions
Why is it suspicious that Ed is pacing and getting ready to leave the ranch?
Page 79 — If he were the robber, he’d want to get off the ranch as quickly as possible so he wouldn’t get caught
79
Chapter 11
Comprehension questions
Use another word to describe Josh in this chapter and explain why you chose it.
Page 86 — Selfless, charitable; he donated his nugget to the ranch to save it
86
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.
