About
Stanley’s family is on a ski vacation in Canada on the way to a wedding. Stanley meets a new friend and they literally get carried over the mountains to where the Inuit live. The boys learn to be a team and what it really means to be a good friend.
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 made skiing hard for Stanley?
Page 1 — The wind
1
How does Stanley’s brother treat him now that he’s flat?
Page 2 — Teases him about it
2
Why does Stanley feel lonely now that he’s flat?
Page 5 — Didn’t have much in common with other people
5
When Arthur wrecked, why did the boy tell Stanley not to move him?
Page 8 — he may have broken bone
8
Chapter 2
Comprehension questions
What did Arthur’s ankle look like after his accident?
Page 12 — A cantaloupe
12
Why can’t Arthur go to the snowboarding championships?
Page 14 — Has to heal
14
Who did Arthur want Stanley to give his ticket to?
Page 16 — Nick/ the boy who helped him
16
Why was Stanley happy to go with Nick to the competition?
Page 17 — Needed to make a new friend
17
Chapter 3
Comprehension questions
What does it mean to brag?
Page 20 — To be boastful, talk about yourself like your better than everyone else
20
What did Stanley become so Nick could join the snowboarding competition?
Page 21 — A snowboard
21
What did Nick yell to his dad when he was stuck in the air with Stanley?
Page 28 — “We’re going to fall!”
28
What did Stanley do to help Nick calm down when they were stuck in the air?
Page 30 — talked to him about other things
30
Chapter 4
Comprehension questions
What did Stanley become that gave him and Nick a soft crash landing when they fell out of the sky?
Page 36 — a parachute
36
What is an Inuit?
Page 37 — Native person to the land of Canada
37
What kind of house does Tulugaq live in?
Page 38 — little wooden house
38
Where did the shaman tell Stanley and Nick to go?
Page 45 — Niagara Falls
45
Chapter 5
Comprehension questions
How did Stanley and Nick travel to Calgary?
Page 49 — Dog sled
49
What does Mountie Martin do for a living?
Page 55 — He’s a police officer
55
What is Canada’s national sport?
Page 58 — Hockey
58
When Mountie Martin found out Stanley had never been to a hockey game, where did he take the boys?
Page 62 — A hockey game
62
Chapter 6
Comprehension questions
What two things did Stanley fold himself into at the hockey game?
Page 68 — A maple leaf and hockey puck
68
What did the boys win at the hockey game?
Page 66 — Two plane tickets and two hockey tickets to the next game in Toronto
66
Why did the boys want to win the tickets and go to Toronto?
Page 70 — It got them closer to Niagara Falls
70
Chapter 7
Comprehension questions
How many gallons of water go over Niagara Falls every second?
Page 74 — 150 gallons
74
What struck Stanley and almost blew him into the falls?
Page 74 — The wind
74
What did Stanley make around Nick as his friend slipped and fell into the waterfalls?
Page 75 — A barrel
75
Have you ever been to Niagara Falls? If not, tell me what you think it would be like.
Listen to your child's explanation.
Chapter 8
Comprehension questions
Why did Stanley’s and Nick’s parents come to Niagara Falls?
Page 79 — They thought Nick was yelling, “We’re going to the Falls.”
79
What did Dr. Dave think was the cause for Stanley’s flatness?
Page 80 — Falling into the crushing falls
80
Where was the wedding that both families were going to?
Page 82 — Niagara Falls
82
How did Arthur feel about how he’s treated Stanley?
Page 87 — Bad
87
Created by Jeff Brown & Written by Sara Pennypacker
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