Booked

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What do you think the word verbomania might mean? Explain your rationale. What words do you see in the longer word? What connotation do you associate with this word, and why?

Teaching Suggestion: This term might be new to students, but breaking it apart into verb and mania can help them to hypothesize about its meaning. Nick rebels against reading his father’s dictionary but also demonstrates his love and talent for vocabulary. Over the course of the novel, he approaches words as he approaches soccer; this builds the theme of Verbomania as a Sport. After considering these or similar resources, students might practice the intentional use of very long words in sentences, dialogues, or skits. These words also might connect to other subjects students are studying, providing a chance for cross-curricular learning.

• With “What's the Longest Word?,” PBS presents a 7-minute video about long words, what they mean, and even the definition of the word word.
• “13 Fancy Words to Use to Boggle People's Minds” by BBC examines some extremely long words, including one that means the fear of long words.

2. What are the main rules of the game of soccer? How does it compare to other team sports like football, basketball, or hockey? How does a team sport compare to a solo activity like hiking or a sport with individual performance components like cross-country? Why might soccer have such popular appeal worldwide?

Teaching Suggestion: Soccer is a driving force in Nick’s life, so increasing knowledge of and interest in this sport will provide a connecting foundation for readers. If time permits, small groups might work together to discuss the question; consider grouping students who play different sports and participate in different activities together so that each can share “expert” information for comparison. Information from these or similar resources can help students develop additional context on the topic. The first two of these resources refer to the 2023 Women’s World Cup. The history in the article might appeal to some readers, while the visuals in the video can help others access the topic. The article explains how a contest focusing on soccer is helping refugees.

• This resource by Olympics.com lists all winners of the FIFA Women’s World Cup over the years and highlights Spain’s win in 2023.
• This 5-minute video from FOX Soccer includes highlights from Spain’s 2023 World Cup victory.
• “A Good Goal” from Time For Kids explains how soccer, art, and a contest are helping refugees.

Short Activity

Use a current word list from a vocabulary lesson to design an original word activity or game. Consider word lists from literature, science, math, or foreign language. Share your activity or game with a partner or small group. In a brief reflection paragraph or journal entry, write about the experience of creating this activity or game for others.

Teaching Suggestion: Nick has an impressive vocabulary, partly due to his father’s encouragement  but mostly because he sees the power in words. The resources here offer numerous ideas for modeling a word game or activity and adapting word list study into a creative and paper-based learning experience, which offers another way to connect with the theme of Verbomania as a Sport. Students’ created activities and games could be opportunities to build class community; they might also be useful for early finishers, reading or vocabulary development, or review strategies in the class using the word list.

• “5 Vocabulary Games That Build Content Knowledge in High School” from Edutopia finds ways to make vocabulary learning fun.
• In “4 Vocabulary Games for Your Classroom,” National Geographic offers ideas for word play in learning.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

Why is it important to stand up for yourself and other people? What are some reasons a person might not stand up against bullying, mistreatment, or other negative behaviors?

Teaching Suggestion: This topic might be difficult for students to discuss due to personal experiences; consequently, a private writing opportunity or journal entry time might be the best approach. Nick struggles to face the bullies at his school even though he wants to. Some of the cruelty he experiences involves racism; utilizing this prompt for more general discussion might help to prepare students for deeper reflection as they read. Students might also discuss realistic ways others can help someone who is the target of bullying.

• “It's Cool to Be Kind” from Time for Kids explores the importance of being an upstander.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who need or would like to pursue a service learning project might list ways to spread kindness in the school or larger community. Additionally, they might set a goal that involves taking action as an upstander, independently pursue the goal, and report back or reflect on their action and learnings.