"Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places." — Roald Dahl (Matilda)
"Every book is a mystery, and every reader is a detective, uncovering secrets one page at a time." — Unknown
A good mystery keeps you guessing until the very last page.
What we're reading and talking about today:
(To view the videos, please click on the underlined chapter numbers)
Tuesday, March 10 - Chapters 13 and 14
Read by Mr. Pomel, Mrs. McLaughlin, Mrs. Sussman
Think about:
Where did Artie get the purple envelope?
Ms. Hilliard's note said that the "case of the mysterious Moonstone is nothing compared to the challenges to come". Does that interest you in reading books 2-7 of the Key Hunters series? If so, you can find them at our Morris County public libraries!
More: If your family enjoyed this mystery story, here is a list of mystery movies with ratings
Monday, March 9 - Chapter 11 and Chapter 12
Chapters 11-12 read by Mrs. Fenstermacher, Mrs. Goldberg,
Mrs. Kalavrouziotis
Think about:
Author Eric Luper used some great words:
fortuitous (lucky); tampered (messed with); distraught (upset); flimsy (easily broken); complex (hard to understand); preposterous (makes no sense).
Easier:
How does Evan change throughout the story?
Harder:
What do you think is the climax of the story?
Friday, March 6 - Chapter 9 and Chapter 10
Chapter 9 read by Mrs. Rizzo, Ms. Vassoler, Mr. Titus
Chapter 10 read by Mrs. Marrese and Ms. Martucci
Think about:
Easier:
Artie said you can tell fake or real gemstones apart by how they sink or float; which gemstones sink and which float?
What did our detectives learn from the piece of white cloth found on the rope ladder?
Harder:
Why didn’t Ms. Crowley admit to Artie who she really was?
Why do authors use “red herrings”?
What does "the stakes are high" mean?
Did the notes about suspects help you decide if any of them were more suspicious than the others?
The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew series are popular mystery books; try one from our library!
Thursday, March 5 - Chapter 7 and Chapter 8
Chapter 7 read by Mrs. Allieri, Mrs. Downey, Mrs. Stambouly
Chapter 8 read by Mrs. Conte, Mrs. Lisewski, Mrs. Wylie
Think about:
Easier:
How did Watson, the dog, help find a clue?
What was found hanging on the bottom of the rope ladder?
Harder:
Even though Artie said "The first rule of detective work is... always follow the slobber", really one of the most important things in solving a mystery is to be very _b_e_v_nt (looking carefully), so that as many clues as possible might be found.
Artie used Watson's slobber to decide whether to go up or down the rope ladder; do you think this was a "hunch" or was it "forensics"? (look at the definitions under the puzzle ----->)
Wednesday, March 4 - Chapter 5 and Chapter 6
Read aloud by Mrs. Brennan and Mrs. Reynolds, and Ms. Potts
Think about:
Easier
Who gave the Musgraves’ their grandfather clock?
Why does Chloe believe the butler is guilty?
Harder
Why is the diamond called a moonstone?
Why aren’t the Musgraves upset about losing the moonstone?
What two things does Artie say they need to search for?
If you wonder about Sherlock Holmes stories, you might want to watch this movie:
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/sherlock-holmes-and-the-great-escape
Tuesday, March 3 - Chapter 3 and Chapter 4
Read aloud by Ms. Geannakakes and Mrs. Pratola
Think about:
Easier
How is the underground library described?
What kind of books did Evan see in the library?
What do you guess is Ms. Hilliard’s favorite color?
Harder
Would you like to be whisked into another dimension?
Is there a story you would like to be whisked into?
What do you think about this conversation on page 20:
Cleo: “I don’t see how a book can offer us answers."
Evan: “Do you realize what you just said?"
Cleo: “I look up everything on the internet.”
Monday, March 2 - Chapter 1 and Chapter 2
Read aloud by Mrs. Camean, Mrs. Wagner, Mrs. Turnbull and Mrs. Clark
Think about:
Easier
Why does Chloe lose recess time every day?
What color is Miss Hilliard's book cart?
Harder
Mrs. Crowley refers to Cleo and Evan as "super-sleuths"; what does she mean?
Cleo said, "Every second you waste time thinking about something is a second you miss doing something." Do you agree? Why or why not?
mystery-word-search.pdfMYSTERY – Something hard to explain.
SUSPECT – A person who might have done it.
FORENSICS – Science used to solve crimes.
DETECTIVE – A person who solves crimes.
SLEUTH – A crime-solving helper.
MOTIVE – The reason why.
MEANS – How it was done.
VILLAIN – The bad person.
VICTIM – The person harmed.
WITNESS – Someone who saw it happen.
HUNCH – A strong guess.
RED HERRING – A false clue to mislead readers.
BREAKTHROUGH – A big step forward.
SETTING – Where and when it happens.
DEDUCTION – A smart conclusion from clues.
SUSPENSE – Excited, nervous waiting.
EVIDENCE – Proof or clues.
CRIME – Breaking the law.
ACCOMPLICE – A helper in a crime.
CLUE – A small helpful hint.
ALIBI – Proof you were somewhere else.
OBSERVATION – Noticing carefully.
GUILTY - The person who committed the crime.
Eric Luper
"I discovered I wanted to be a writer when I was in college at Rutgers University. Introduction to Creative Writing was the first class I ever took where I felt as though I could really spread my wings and express myself. Although I'd never done much serious writing before then, I seemed to take to it...Writing is fun!
Before I was a writer, I had a number of interesting jobs including: paperboy, dry-cleaning clerk, office temp, bartender, worker at a rehabilitation center for birds of prey, factory worker in a factory that made those foil things that go around potted plants, restoration worker on a medieval castle in southern France and salesperson for printed T-shirts and sweatshirts. Nowadays, in addition to being a children's writer, I'm also a chiropractor, which is a doctor who works on the spine.
In my free time, I also like to make projects in a blacksmith shop. I mostly make chef knives, but I also make jewelry, bottle openers, wall hooks and other fun projects. Working in a blacksmith shop is a lot of fun, but it can get hot! When I'm not writing, I love spending time with my wife and two children, Ethan and Lily. We go to the lake where we hike and go boating. We also love to ski (water and snow). But I never go anywhere without a book!"
