Winter According
to Humphrey
Novel Study
Name: _________________________
1
Before Reading:
Predict: Look at the cover and read some of the
chapter titles. Make a prediction of what you believe
this book is about.
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After Chapter 1: What a Lark
Narrative Elements: Complete the narrative
elements.
Characters:
Setting:
2
Point of View: Which point of view is the story
written?
a) First person
b) Third person
Which words or phrases helped you determine the
point of view?
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Who is narrating the story? ______________________
Mood: What is Humphrey's mood at the start of the
story?
a) joyful
b) anger
c) gloomy
Analyze: "Hurry-Up-Harry" Why does Humphrey
know Harry as Hurry-Up-Harry and not simply
Harry? Explain.
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3
Vocabulary - Synonyms and Antonyms: Write a
synonym and an antonym for the underlined word.
"She had a big smile on her face and she carried a
stack of papers."
Synonym of big: _________________________________
Antonym of big: _________________________________
Read for Details: Ms. Lark arrived to talk to the
class. Who is Ms. Lark?
a) the principal
b) the music teacher
c) Mrs. Brisbane's best friend
Figurative Language: Write the type of figurative
language used in the following Chapter 1 excerpt.
hyperbole
alliteration
simile
personification
metaphor
onomatopoeia
"Sophie said she was sorry..."
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Infer: How did Ms. Lark react when she found out
about Humphrey?
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4
Vocabulary: "It is hard for a small, excitable
creature like me not to squeak up when I hear
something wonderful..."
What does the word excitable most likely mean?
a) liable to get angry in a short period of time
b) liable to become quickly energized
c) liable to slow down ones thought and think deeply
into the situation
Analyze: Analyze and explain the following excerpt:
"Thomas sometimes stretches the truth a little."
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After Chapter 2: Singing Snowflakes
Reflect: Mrs. Brisbane asked Holly if she was
feeling alright. Why was Holly tired and not acting
like her normal self?
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5
Analyze: Which of the snowflake facts did you find
the most interesting?
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Parts of Speech: "The hill was bumpy, so we
bounced all the way down."
Which part of speech is bumpy as used above?
a) adjective
b) noun
c) verb
Reread to Clarify: Why was Holly making gifts for
everyone in the class?
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Read for Details: "'Greetings, Aldo!'" Who is Aldo?
a) Mrs. Brisbane's substitute
b) Og's caretaker
c) the school janitor
6
Vocabulary - Context Clues: Define the vocab.
words using context clues and/or a dictionary.
"...because I can't shimmy up such a tall, smooth leg."
shimmy - ________________________________________
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"Aldo admires Mrs. Brisbane."
admire - ________________________________________
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What is one person or thing that you admire? Why?
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After Chapter 3: Jingle Jangle
Vocabulary - Synonyms and Antonyms: Write a
synonym and an antonym for the underlined word.
"It's a happy song and I loved it so much..."
Synonym of happy: ______________________________
Antonym of happy: _______________________________
7
Read for Details: "Bells on bobtail ring, making
spirits bright..." What does bobtail mean?
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Vocabulary - Prefix: "After all, unlike humans, I
already have a tail."
Underline the base word and circle the prefix in:
What does the prefix mean? ______________________
In which word does the prefix 'un-' mean the same as
it does in 'unlike':
a) uniform
b) underwear
c) unfold
Read for Details: The boys and girls were going to
be dressed in costumes during Ms. Lark's snowflake
song. What are each group going to be dressed as?
Boys: ___________________________________________
Girls: ___________________________________________
8
Reflect: What did Paul say was wrong with Ms.
Lark's song?
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After Chapter 4: Sour Notes
Infer: "I was on pins and needles until Friday, waiting
for Ms. Lark to come back." Based on the excerpt,
how is Humphrey feeling?
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Cause and Effect: Fill in the cause.
Cause: ___________________________________
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Effect: Ms. Lark stopped playing the
keyboard. Once the children noticed Ms. Lark
stopped playing, they stopped singing.
9
Reread to Clarify: Why did Ms. Lark ask Joey to
stop singing?
a) Joey was singing too loudly.
b) Joey was singing in a foreign language.
c) Joey was singing off-key.
Reread to Clarify: "I want everything to be
perfect." Why is Ms. Lark worried about the show?
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Reflect: What did Humphrey mean when he said, "I
wouldn't want to be like Ms. Lark."?
a) Humphrey does not like her attitude.
b) Humphrey would not want to hurt anyone's
feelings.
c) Humphrey does not want to be human.
Connect: If you were to give Og a gift, what would
it be? Why?
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10
After Chapter 5: Presents-PresentsPresents
Character Traits: Identify and describe one
character trait of Holly. Cite evidence from Chapter
5 to support your chosen character trait.
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Figurative Language: Write the type of figurative
language used in the following Chapter 5 excerpt.
hyperbole
alliteration
simile
personification
metaphor
onomatopoeia
"Rolling-Rosie Rodriguez got annoyed..."
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11
After Chapter 6: A Sweet Idea
Reflect: Humphrey found Holly's list of presents.
What present was listed for Humphrey?
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Vocabulary: "Holly went to sleep right away. She
must have been exhausted from working so hard."
What does the word exhausted most likely mean?
a) to feel overly excited and ready to work
b) to feel very tired or weak
c) to use up all the resources contained within
something
Reflect: Holly's parents told her she will not be
making presents for everyone in her class. She can
make one present for the whole class. What did
Holly choose to make for the entire class?
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Vocabulary - Synonyms and Antonyms: Write a
synonym and an antonym for the underlined word.
"...but Holly's writing was neat and I could make out
the names."
Synonym of neat: ________________________________
Antonym of neat: ________________________________
12
After Chapter 7: In a Spin
Read for Details: List three holidays mentioned by
the students in Chapter 7.
1) _______________________________________________
2) _______________________________________________
3) _______________________________________________
Connect: In Chapter 7, the students took turns
telling the class their favorite things about the
holidays. What is your favorite thing about the
holiday season? Why?
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13
Reflect: Why does Humphrey believe Og does not
remember his mother?
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Vocabulary - Context Clues: Define the vocab.
words using context clues and/or a dictionary.
"...I have to be careful not to break anything,
especially the baby in the manger."
manger - ________________________________________
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"This time, I didn't think Thomas was exaggerating at
all."
exaggerating - ___________________________________
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Reflect: Humphrey talks to his bud Og quite a bit.
do you think Og understands Humphrey? Explain
your thinking.
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14
After Chapter 8: Sad Lad, Glad Dad
Reread to Clarify: How does Joey feel about the
upcoming Winter Wonderland show? Why?
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Create Mental Images: Good readers form images
in their minds as they read. Draw the image you
created in your mind of the following excerpt: "Aldo
looked at us and smiled a big smile that made his
furry mustache look like a half-moon on its side."
15
Reflect: Why was this Christmas a special one for
Aldo?
a) He is going to get a raise.
b) He is going on vacation for the holiday.
c) He is going to be a father.
Vocabulary - Prefix: "A giant hand reached in the
cage and removed my water bottle."
Underline the base word and circle the prefix in:
What does the prefix mean? ______________________
In which word does the prefix 're-' mean the same as
it does in 'removed':
a) rescue
b) rename
c) referee
Reflect: The author titled Chapter 8 "Sad Lad,
Glad Dad." Why is this a good title for Chapter 8?
Explain your answer.
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16
Vocabulary - Context Clues: Define the vocab.
words using context clues and/or a dictionary.
"He kept his mouth firmly closed."
firmly - _________________________________________
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Antonym of firmly: _______________________________
After Chapter 9: More Sour Notes
Cause and Effect: Fill in the cause.
Cause: ___________________________________
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Effect: The girls started laughing. Daniel
turned red looked panicky. Ms. Lark asked
Daniel to stop.
Reflect: Why did Daniel have trouble playing the
song?
a) He had not practiced at home.
b) He did not have trouble, it was the singers.
c) He couldn't play on the keyboard.
17
Vocabulary - Synonyms and Antonyms: Write a
synonym and an antonym for the underlined word.
"He looked so miserable, the girls stopped giggling."
Synonym of miserable: ___________________________
Antonym of miserable: ___________________________
Reflect: List two reasons Mrs. Wright banned
glitter from the Winter Wonderland program.
1) __________________________________________________
2) __________________________________________________
Read for Details: Daniel and his grandfather took
Humphrey home for the weekend. Who took Og
home for the weekend?
a) Holly
b) Aldo
c) Mrs. Brisbane
d) Ms. Lark
Analyze: "He said 'later' a lot." Instead of doing
what he needs to get done, Daniel says he will do it
later. Daniel is a ______________________.
a) procrastinator
b) activator
c) immediate worker
18
After Chapter 10: Practice Makes
Perfect
Analyze: Analyze and explain the following excerpt:
"I glanced over at Daniel and could see that his mind
was miles away."
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Reread to Clarify: Why does Daniel not enjoy
practicing the piano?
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Vocabulary: "Daniel grumbled under his breath, but
he found the music and set it on the piano, right by my
cage."
What does the word grumble most likely mean?
a) to joyful cheer about a success
b) to cough or choke with not a lot of noise
c) to complain or mutter in a unhappy way
19
Vocabulary - Prefix: "...the pie and the mess
magically disappear."
Underline the base word and circle the prefix in
What does the circled prefix mean? ________________
In which word does the prefix ‘dis-’ mean the same as
it does in ‘disappear’?
a. distance
b. dishonest
c. disaster
Vocabulary - Context Clues: Define the vocab.
words using context clues and/or a dictionary.
"I could be on the streets of a big, bustling city."
bustling - _______________________________________
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Predict: "And there I was. No Lulu, no humans, just
me and the piano." What do you predict will happen
next?
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20
After Chapter 11: The Keys to Success
Cause and Effect: Fill in the cause.
Cause: ___________________________________
___________________________________________
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Effect: Daniel caught Humphrey out of his
cage.
Figurative Language: Write the type of figurative
language used in the following Chapter 11 excerpt.
hyperbole
alliteration
simile
personification
metaphor
onomatopoeia
"CLANK-CLINK-CLUNK! CLUNKETY-CLINK-CLINK!"
______________________________
Analyze: Analyze and explain the following excerpt:
"Those words were music to my ears."
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21
Parts of Speech: "That night, I rested quietly in my
cage in Daniel's room."
Which part of speech is quietly as used above?
a) adverb
b) conjunction
c) verb
Reflect: Why did Humphrey not play 'Jingle Bells'
when Daniel put him back on the piano keys?
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Vocabulary - Context Clues: Define the vocab.
words using context clues and/or a dictionary.
"'It sounded like 'Jingle Bells,' but I'm sure it was a
fluke...'"
fluke - __________________________________________
_________________________________________________
"...there was a lot of talking and commotion as coats
and hats were hung up..."
commotion - _____________________________________
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22
After Chapter 12: Keep Calm and
Focus
Summarize: Summarize Chapter 12. Be sure to
include the central (main) idea of the chapter.
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23
Figurative Language: Write the type of figurative
language used in the following Chapter 12 excerpt.
hyperbole
alliteration
simile
personification
metaphor
onomatopoeia
"...Slow-Down-Simon took a wrong turn and the line of
boys toppled like a row of falling dominoes!"
______________________________
Vocabulary - Context Clues: Define the vocab.
words using context clues and/or a dictionary.
"Meanwhile, the boys pranced like frisky horses..."
frisky - __________________________________________
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Synonym of frisky: _______________________________
Connect: Would you consider the dress rehearsal a
success? Cite evidence to support your answer.
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24
After Chapter 13: Helping Hands
Create Mental Images: Good readers form images
in their minds as they read. Draw the image you
created in your mind of Holly's present to the class.
Cause and Effect: Fill in the effect.
Cause: The students leaned in to look at the
gingerbread man in the gingerbread house.
Effect: ___________________________________
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25
Vocabulary: "All my classmates were eager to find
out what was in the box."
What does the word eager most likely mean?
a) enthusiastic and excited about something
b) enthusiastic and excited but not willing to do
something
c) unwilling to help and undecided whether or
not to help
Figurative Language: Write the type of figurative
language used in the following Chapter 13 excerpt.
hyperbole
alliteration
simile
personification
metaphor
onomatopoeia
"'We'll have to wait forever for Harry!'"
__________________________________
Infer: Describe Holly's reaction when she saw the
rebuilt gingerbread house.
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26
Vocabulary - Synonyms and Antonyms: Write a
synonym and an antonym for the underlined word.
"'...we wouldn't want anything to ruin this beautiful
house...'"
Synonym of beautiful: ____________________________
Antonym of beautiful: ____________________________
Mood: Using one word, what is the mood at the
conclusion of the chapter?
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After Chapter 14: The Prefect
Present
Reflect: Why did Mrs. Brisbane freeze black paper?
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Parts of Speech: "I was resting comfortably in my
cage when I heard Aldo approaching."
Which part of speech is comfortably as used above?
a) adverb
b) preposition
c) adjective
27
Reflect: What present did Humphrey give Og for
the holidays? How did Og receive the present
Humphrey made him?
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Figurative Language: Write the type of figurative
language used in the following Chapter 14 excerpt.
hyperbole
alliteration
simile
personification
metaphor
onomatopoeia
"'There were about a million broken snowflakes...'"
_______________________________
Vocabulary: "While I looked longingly at my beloved
Nutri-Nibbles, Mighty Mealworms, Veggie Dots, and
Hamster Chew-Chews, I passed right by."
What does the word longingly most likely mean?
a) a strong desire for something not within reach
b) a mixed feeling of happiness and sadness over
something in the past
c) thinking deeply about something in a sad or
serious manner
28
Analyze: What did Aldo mean when he said, "You've
got glitter once, you've got it forever."?
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Vocabulary - Context Clues: Define the vocab.
words using context clues and/or a dictionary.
"My whiskers wilted as the sticks gave off a smell like
stinky fish."
wilted - _________________________________________
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Synonym of wilted: ______________________________
After Chapter 15: On with the Snow
Mood: What is the mood at the start of Chapter 15?
Why? Explain your answer.
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29
Reflect: Who is taking Humphrey and Og home for
the holidays?
a) Ms. Lark
b) Daniel
c) Mrs. Brisbane
Reread to Clarify: Daniel put Humphrey in his
pocket. Why didn't he just take Humphrey in his
cage?
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Cause and Effect: Fill in the effect.
Cause: Humphrey pulled himself higher out
of Daniel's pocket to get a better look.
Effect: ___________________________________
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Reflect: What did Ms. Lark do when she saw
Humphrey running on the floor?
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30
Connect/Reflect: Would you consider the Winter
Wonderland show a success? Why or why not?
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Vocabulary - Context Clues: Define the vocab.
words using context clues and/or a dictionary.
"I was jittery enough as it was, but that shrill blast
almost made my jump out of my fur coat!"
jittery - _________________________________________
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After Chapter 16: Decking the Halls
Narrative Element: What is the new setting
introduced in Chapter 16? Be descriptive!
Setting
31
Figurative Language: Write the type of figurative
language used in the following Chapter 16 excerpt.
hyperbole
alliteration
simile
personification
metaphor
onomatopoeia
"Thank goodness, Og was as quiet as a mouse."
_____________________________
Reflect: "'It could have been . It might have been. It
must have been Santa!'" List three reasons
Humphrey believes Santa came to the house.
1) __________________________________________________
2) __________________________________________________
3) __________________________________________________
Read for Details: What did Mrs. Brisbane give
Humphrey and Og for the holidays?
Humphrey: _____________________________________
_________________________________________________
Og: _____________________________________________
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32
Analyze: What did Humphrey mean when he said
about Ms. Lark, "I have won her over"?
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Mood: What is the mood at the conclusion of the
story?
a) cheerless
b) miserable
c) joyful
After Finishing the Story:
Connect: If you were able to take Humphrey home
for a weekend, what would you do with Humphrey?
Do you think Humphrey would enjoy his weekend
with you? Explain your reasoning.
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33
Character Traits: Identify and describe one
character trait of Humphrey.


Use two pieces of evidence from the text to
support your answer.
Circle your character trait and underline your
evidence from the story.
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34
Sequence of Events: Put the following events in
chronological order using the numbers 1 through 11.
_____ The class has a dress rehearsal. The class
performs the program with a few problems.
_____ Humphrey and Og spend the holidays at Mrs.
Brisbane's house.
_____ Aldo tells Humphrey and Og he is going to be
a father.
_____ Humphrey goes to Daniel's house. Ultimately,
Humphrey helps Daniel believe he can play
the piano.
_____ Holly brings the gingerbread house in. It
falls and breaks. The class repairs the
gingerbread house. Holly is thrilled.
_____ Humphrey makes a gift for Og. Aldo feeds Og
the gift.
_____ Ms. Lark came to Room 26 to announce the
Winter Wonderland program. The students
are excited.
_____ Paul says Ms. Lark's song is not correct. Ms.
Lark tells Joey to not sing so loud.
_____ Humphrey creates a stir during the Winter
Wonderland program. The crowd loved the
program.
_____ Holly decides to make a gingerbread house
for the entire class.
_____ Holly tells Mrs. Brisbane she is going to make
a gift for everyone in the class. The class
signs some of the songs.
35
Author’s Purpose: What was the author’s purpose
for writing Winter According to Humphrey?
a. To persuade
b. To inform
c. To entertain
Betty G. Birney
Rating: How many stars would you rate this book?


1 being terrible and 5 being awesome.
Be sure to color or shade your rating!
Theme: What is the theme of Winter According to
Humphrey? Cite evidence from the story to support
your answer.
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36
Winter According to Humphrey
Word Jumble
Hidden Message:
37
Winter According to Humphrey
Word Search
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MRS. BRISBANE
MS. LARK
PAGEANT
PRACTICE
PRESENTS
REHEARSAL
ROOM
SNOWFLAKES
WINTER
WONDERLAND
38