Ella Minnow Pea

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-3

Reading Check

1. What is the first letter tile to fall from the display in the center of town?

2. What do Ella and her parents do the night before the first letter is officially banned?

3. What is the first widespread change that occurs after the first letter is banned?

4. What communications are disrupted following the letter banning?

5. Who is the first person exiled from Nollop?

6. Who seeks a temporary visa to Nollop to study the sociopolitical struggle?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. According to the Council, why do the letters fall, and what should be done in response?

2. What punishments are in store for people who use the banned letters?

3. Why do Timmy’s parents report Tassie’s mother?

4. What does Nate warn Tassie’s mother will happen within the next several months?

Paired Resource

“What is an Epistolary Novel? Definition & Examples”

• This article and accompanying embedded YouTube video describe what an epistolary novel is. They provide examples from history as well as some newer forms of the epistolary, such as the famous horror film The Blair Witch Project.
• What are the benefits and drawbacks of epistolary form? Why do you think the author chose this format for the book?

“The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over the Lazy Dog, Across Genres”

• This satirical creative writing piece by Riane Konc takes the pangram “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” and applies it to different genres, meaning to poke fun at the cliches and tropes present in each genre. (Content Warning: Please note that the final piece on the list is listed as erotic and thus should be shared only with appropriate audiences.)
• What tropes are explored in this piece, and do you agree with their presentation? What tropes are seen thus far in Ella Minnow Pea? Is there any crossover between the tropes Konc points out and the ones in the novel?

Chapters 4-7

Reading Check

1. What significant change does the Council ratify, suggesting flash cards as a way to adapt?

2. What does Tassie’s mother do in response to the banning of the letter D?

3. What condition does Amos have?

4. Following the rise of emigrations, what does the Council start to seize?

5. What happens to Nate?

6. When he protests the illegal seizure of his grocery store, what happens to Rory?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How does Tassie feel about Nate Warren?

2. What has the Council stated to do with all island missives?

3. What challenge does Lyttle propose to Nate during their meeting?

Paired Resource

“Third of UK Librarians Asked to Censor or Remove Books, Research Reveals”

• This article, published in The Guardian, provides insight to the increased prevalence of censorship efforts in public libraries.
• This content relates to the theme of Illusion of Power.
• What are some reasons why books are censored? Are there consequences for censorship?

“Classified Documents Leak on Social Media Sparks Debate Over Government Monitoring”

• This ABC News story describes the intersection of government leaks and personal freedoms as outlined by the First Amendment. It highlights how some legal groups are concerned about government surveillance and its implications for personal liberties.
• This content relates to the theme of Illusion of Power.
• Compare/contrast forms of real-world surveillance with what is presented in the novel.

Chapters 8-11

Reading Check

1. Who is responsible for sending threatening notes to the Council?

2. Following his exile, Amos’s letter to Ella and Gwenette contains what?

3. Which characters become Ella’s friends after the departure of her family?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What happens to Georgeanne Townsend’s family?

2. What are the circumstances of Gwenette’s third letter violation?

3. What worry does Georgeanne describe in the letter she posts on Ella’s door?

4. With so many letters now banned, what decision does the Council make regarding written language?

Paired Resource

“Challenging Tradition, Young Jews Worship on Their Terms”

• This New York Times article describes how young Jewish people have changed their form of worship and adapted it to be more reflective of their lifestyles and personal moral codes. (Note: May require subscription.)
• This content relates to the theme of Change Versus Tradition.
• As described in this article, what are some of the consequences—positive and negative—of challenging tradition? Why do traditions get challenged?

“Foster Family Fights for Baby Boy After Judge Decides to Deport Child to Haiti”

• This Florida news story describes the challenges faced by a family fostering a young child when that child is threatened with deportation.
• This content relates to the theme of Illusion of Power.
• How does this scenario mirror the mass expulsion of people that occurs on Nollop? More specifically, how does it compare to the plight of Timmy Townsend?

Chapters 12-17

Reading Check

1. What does Ella gain responsibility for following Professor Mannheim’s death?

2. Mr. Lyttle reveals he is working on what after Ella appeals to him not to leave the island?

3. Ella confesses to reading what in her final message to her parents?

4. What are the five letters remaining before Ella discovers the pangram?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What happens to Professor Mannheim?

2. What happens to Georgeanne after she paints her whole body?

3. What is Ella’s theory about Nollop’s original pangram?

Recommended Next Reads

Embassytown by China Miéville

• In a futuristic settlement on an alien planet, Avice Benner Cho is a living simile, made so to help the local aliens communicate when their unique language prevents them from lying and hyperbolizing. Human politics disrupts the relationship between humans and aliens, leading to a societal breakdown that demands everyone take sides.
• Shared themes include Individual Versus Society, the Illusion of Power, and Change Versus Tradition.
• Shared topics include the uniqueness of language, following one’s moral code, and standing up against government corruption.
• Embassytown on SuperSummary

Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

• When Bernadette Fox goes missing, her 15-year-old daughter engages in an intense search to find her missing mother. Told through found documents like emails and secret correspondences, the mystery unfolds through the emotional lens of a young girl trying to understand an increasingly absurd world.
• Shared themes include Individual Versus Society.
• Shared topics include education, academic and professional achievement, and romantic and familial love.
• Where’d You Go, Bernadette on SuperSummary