About
After unscrupulous collector S. Wendell Palomino cons sixth-grader Griffin Bing out of a valuable baseball card, Griffin puts together a band of misfits to break into Palomino's heavily guarded store and steal the card back.
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 how this story begins?
Page 1 — Two boys are in a condemned building sleeping over. They invited a whole crew of others and even gave them a plan of how to sneak out of their homes, but no one else showed. The boys talked about why no one else came and reviewed the stories they had heard of how the horse was haunted
1
Chapter 2
Comprehension questions
Describe Griffin and how he found the baseball card.
Page 10 — A man with a plan; curly hair; determined to not be taken advantage of; stands up for what he believes in even if it’s misguided; comes from a home where parents are trying to make ends meet. He found the card by exploring the haunted home. It was in a locked drawer on a desk
10
Chapter 3
Comprehension questions
List two things you learn about Griffin in this chapter.
Page 17 — He and Ben are in sixth grade; Griffin always sticks to the plan
17
Chapter 4
Comprehension questions
How is Griffin going to fight fire with fire?
Page 40 — By stealing the card back from the man at the pawn shop
40
Chapter 5
Comprehension questions
Describe Ben and list a characteristic that Ben showed in this chapter.
Page 41 — Griffin’s friend who follows him and always supports him; in the 6th grade; also stands up for what he believes in; he showed integrity in this chapter by standing up to Griffin and not wanting to rob the pawn shop
41
Chapter 6
Comprehension questions
What changed Ben’s mind about the heist?
Page 56 — He saw that Griffin’s house was for sale and Griffin told him about his family’s financial situation
56
Chapter 7
Comprehension questions
What security fact did Griffin forget to put on his plan?
Page 61 — The Doberman
61
Chapter 8
Comprehension questions
What two items of the plan were worked out in this chapter?
Page 69 — Savannah is working to tame the Doberman, and Ben’s dad helped them figure out the alarm code
69
Chapter 9
Comprehension questions
What was Savannah’s reaction when the boys told her what they were up and what was the consequence?
Page 76 — She was angry and yelled. The Doberman began to grovel and whimper at Savannah
76
Chapter 10
Comprehension questions
What could derail the heist at this point?
Page 87 — Ben falling asleep and missing the next step
87
Chapter 11
Comprehension questions
Why do you think the safe and dog aren’t at the store?
Page 92 — Listen to your child’s answer
92
Chapter 12
Comprehension questions
Find a simile on page 95.
“Yet, deep down, it was like trying to enjoy great food while suffering from a gut-blaster stomachache.”
What is Ben expressing in the last two sentences of page 95.
Page 95 — Even though Griffin’s family is taking them to fun places, it’s hard to enjoy being there when you know Griffin is moving and there won’t be fun times anymore. Ben is thinking about the times they’ve spent together in the past, knowing there won’t be times together in the future
95
How did the boys find where the card is?
Page 98 — They found the Doberman and realized the card and safe were taken to Swindle’s house
98
Chapter 13
Comprehension questions
Summarize this chapter.
Page 100 — The boys went to Swindle’s house and found Luther and found he uses a high-tech security system. They also met Swindle’s neighbor and learned he is always outside observing the activities in the neighborhood. Their teacher helped them figure out where to go to see Swindle’s floor plan to get into his house
100
Chapter 14
Comprehension questions
Predict how the boys will get into the house via the bathroom skylight?
Page 116 — Listen to your child’s answer
116
Chapter 15
Comprehension questions
Were you correct in your previous prediction?
Listen to your child’s answer
Griffin thinks the heist will be easy once each person’s job is broken down. What do you think might go wrong?
Listen to your child’s answer
Chapter 16
Comprehension questions
Why didn’t Griffin want Darren on the team?
Page 132 — He’s a talker and might tell on them; they don’t trust him
132
Chapter 17
Comprehension questions
If you were a part of this heist, what responsibility would you want to have? Why?
Page 133 — Listen to your child’s answer
133
Chapter 18
Comprehension questions
Does Griffin have a right to be nervous about the heist? What could go wrong?
Page 144 — Listen to your child’s answer
144
Why do you think the card is cold?
Page 147 — Listen to your child’s answer
147
Chapter 19
Comprehension questions
How was the heist going so far?
Page 150 — Really well. The only hiccup they’ve had so far is Melissa intercepted an email to Palomino and the auction wanted to pick up the card early, but Griffin responded to them with the wrong address
150
Chapter 20
Comprehension questions
Choose a word to describe the team and how they worked together in this chapter. Explain.
Page 159 — Flexible-Ben knew he couldn’t climb to the roof because of his narcolepsy and Melissa was happy to swap responsibilities. Encouraging-when Darren slipped on the roof, no one made fun of him, Pitch encouraged him and gave him clear instructions
159
Chapter 21
Comprehension questions
What went wrong with the heist?
The vent pipe and Pitch fell into the house spraining her ankle; now the crew can’t exit the house that way
What do you think Luther is trying to tell Savannah?
Page 171 — Listen to your child’s answer
171
Chapter 22
Comprehension questions
What problems did the crew solve in this chapter?
Page 172 — Melissa figured out the security system so they can get out of the house without triggering the alarm; Savannah found out why Luther was agitated, there’s a mean German shepherd in the basement. She shut the dog into the room, but it’s hitting the door trying to break it down
172
Chapter 23
Comprehension questions
What complicated the plan even further in this chapter?
Page 180 — The man finally arrived to pick up the card; Ben fell asleep so he didn’t warn everyone; the card wasn’t in the safe
180
Chapter 24
Comprehension questions
Predict what Griffin is going to do to get the card out of the tree.
Page 193 — Listen to your child’s answer
193
Chapter 25
Comprehension questions
Why did Griffin and his friends respect Griffin’s dad more in this chapter?
Page 199 — They used his invention to get the card out of the tree and saw that it was a great invention
199
Chapter 26
Comprehension questions
Ben missed everything that happened inside the house. Pretend you are talking to him and tell him what happened from the time you climbed the roof to when he ran over to see what was going on.
Page 208 — Listen to your child’s answer
208
Yikes! A police car is in front of Griffin’s house when he gets there. Why do you think they are there and predict what Griffin will do.
Page 208 — Listen to your child’s answer
208
Chapter 27
Comprehension questions
Describe the sight Palomino probably saw when he arrived to his home.
Page 214 — A broken window with glass all over the floor; dogs laying down in the kitchen; turkey skeleton on the floor of the kitchen; an empty plastic baggie that held the card
214
Chapter 28
Comprehension questions
What the heist crew did was a serious crime. Predict what will happen when the police arrive?
Page 223 — Listen to your child’s answer
223
Use a word to describe how Griffin is feeling right now? Explain.
Listen to your child’s answer
Chapter 29
Comprehension questions
What consequence is Griffin feeling now that he hadn’t predicted?
Page 231 — How this would affect his parents
231
Chapter 30
Comprehension questions
Find a metaphor on page 237 and explain what the author means by using it.
Page 237 — Ex. “It was a glowing coal on an icy night, a tiny measure of justice.” Griffin was feeling satisfied that Palamino didn’t have many customers amidst the possibility of getting arrested
237
Chapter 31
Comprehension questions
Why did Officer Vizzini finally arrest Griffin?
Page 242 — He had the card and now there was evidence to arrest him
242
Why is the officer going to release Griffin?
Page 245 — Palomino isn’t pressing charges and the card is being sent to the last surviving member of the Rockford family
245
Why isn’t Griffin’s family moving anymore?
Page 247 — The publicity from the card has generated interest from investors for the SmartPick
247
Chapter 32
Comprehension questions
What’s ironic with who ended up with the baseball card?
Page 250 — It went to Darren, who tried to steal the card during the heist
250
What did the money go towards and why?
Page 250 — The Cedarville Museum where the Rockford house used to be. Darren’s parents didn’t want to reward him for stealing the card
250
What did you enjoy about this story?
Listen to your child’s answer
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