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= Listen - Novel Study =

As we go through the novel "Listen" by Stephanie S. Tolan, you can answer these literature circle questions. These questions can also be found in the back of the book published by Scholastic. Please feel free to add to your answers by inserting pictures and weblinks.

If you come across a good website, please add it to our wiki below.

** Literature Circle Questions **
Use these questions and the activities that follow to get more out of the experience of reading Listen! by Stephanie S. Tolan.

1. Where is Charley’s best friend, Amy, going for the summer?

2. What is the purpose of the small makeup mirror Charley brings along on her walks?

3. What does Charley learn about Sarita at the end of the summer?

4. Two terrible accidents change Charley’s life dramatically in just two years. Summarize both events and explain how they have affected Charley.

5. Mrs. Davis says Sadie and Coyote are “best friends,” but at the beginning of the book, the dogs are very different. Compare the behavior of the two animals. How do they act around humans? Around food? Around each other?

6. Who is Charley’s “physical terrorist”? Based on what you know about Charley, why do you think she describes him this way?

7. Colleen Morgan’s last book, Trees and Stones Will Teach You, paired her photographs with famous quotations about nature. Look for these quotations in chapters 11, 12, 15, and 17. Choose one quotation and explain how it could be applied to Charley’s life.

8. Charley and Coyote are both fearful and physically weak at the beginning of the summer. Identify the major steps they each take as they overcome their fears and gradually recover.

9. Charley’s mother called Tree “a survivor” because the sweet gum did not die when the water rose around it. What other characters in the book would you categorize as survivors? Make a list of all of the survivors in the story and explain why you think each one deserves this distinction.

10. At the beginning of the book, Charley is bitter about her past and unsure about her future. Compare her attitude in chapter 1 with her attitude in chapter 26. How have Charley’s feelings changed?

11. In chapter 12, Charley wants to ask her mother how she was able to capture such beautiful moments with her camera, why she chose to photograph nature, and why she decided to travel to the rain forest. Imagine that Charley’s mother is alive to answer these questions. What do you think she would say?

12. The dog training books Charley buys at the pet store are not designed to help with a project like The Taming. Based on Charley’s experiences with Coyote, create a step-by-step guide to gaining the trust of a wild creature.

13. Some of the characters in the book are more supportive of Charley’s efforts with Coyote than others. Rank the following characters in order from most supportive to least supportive: Mrs. Davis, Sarita, Paul Morgan, Mr. Heyward. Explain why you put them in the order you did. Use at least one quotation from each character in your explanation.

14. Charley’s relationship with her dad is strained, especially when he works after dinner and on weekends. Do you think Paul Morgan is a good father? Use details from the text to support your answer.

15. In a dream, Charley hears her mother’s voice telling her to “listen!” What do you think this means? In your opinion, is this a good title for the book? Why or why not?

Activities

1. Charley marks her progress with Coyote by numbering each day on her calendar. Using the 69 days she has charted as a guide, create a timeline of The Taming that includes each milestone in the process. Illustrate your timeline referring to scenes in the story.

2. Charley looks for information about Jane Goodall on the Internet and uses some of Goodall’s techniques while trying to connect with Coyote. Do some research of your own about Goodall and write a short report on her life and work.

3. In chapter 25, Charley decides that if her teacher asks her to write about her summer, she will create an illustrated report called “Coyote Summer.” Write this report from Charley’s point of view. Include sketches of Coyote and the natural wonders surrounding Eagle Lake.

4. Research the author and list five interesting things about the author.

Useful websites http://www.stephanietolan.com/ http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002411.shtml