Reading Module 2 Tips

How you can help

• What examples of word play do you see in the city and character names?

• What are some of the puns we have talked about in class? What word (s) are word play? What background information is needed to understand the pun? 

• Describe the town of Abandon. How do the descriptions of the town and characters portray the meaning of "abandon"?

• With which characters do you most connect? Why?

• Do you agree more with King Azaz or the Mathmagician? Why? How would you work to convince others that your city is best?

• What characters transform, or change, throughout the story? In what ways do they change?

• Phantom Tollbooth is filled with idioms. We spend time in class explaining the meaning of each but discussing these with your child will definitely help them understand!

"half-baked idea" "making mountains out of molehills" "upsetting the apple cart"

"splitting hairs" "make hay while the sun shines" "leave no stone unturned"

"eating your words" "don't bite off more than you can chew" "bite my head off"

"in one ear & out the other" "out of the frying pan, into the fire" "drive a hard bargain"

• Students need to know how to write a paragraph describing how a character's thinking changes after interacting with others. They will be provided with the following template.