Battle of the Books
Questions and Answers for Eleven by Patricia Reilly Giff
1. When was Sam’s birthday? April 11.
2. How did he feel about the number 11? He was scared of it, but he didn’t know why.
3. What day was it? The day before Sam’s birthday.
4. What was he doing? Looking for his presents.
5. Why did he decide to look in the attic? He had looked everywhere else and hadn’t found them.
6. Why did he have to climb up the pipe outside his house to get to his attic? Because the pull down door
from inside the house was in his grandfather’s room right above his bed.
7. Who was his grandfather? Mack.
8. What was his grandfather doing right now? Sleeping in his bed. That’s why Sam couldn’t get to the
regular attic door.
9. What could Sam see from outside while he climbed the pipe? The river that ran right near the back of
his house.
10. What river was it? The Mohawk River.
11. What stores were in Sam’s building? Mack’s Woodworking Shop, Onji’s Deli, and Kerala House.
12. What was Kerala House? It was his friend Anima’s Indian restaurant.
13. Where did Sam, Mack, Onji and Anima live? In apartments above the stores.
14. Why did Sam decide to keep climbing the pipe, even though he was scared? He was tough.
15. Who was up? Night Cat. He wanted to be let inside.
16. Why was Sam lucky when he got up to the outside of the attic window? Because it slid open; it wasn’t
locked.
17. What was Night Cat doing below? Meowing.
18. Did Sam find any presents? No.
19. What did he see that looked interesting? A metal box.
20. Whose presents were the best? Mack’s.
21. Why did Sam keep looking at the metal box even though he could tell that it wasn’t a present? There
was a newspaper clipping sticking out of it.
22. What was interesting about the clipping? The picture in the article was of him, Sam, when he was
much younger.
23. What was he wearing in the picture? A nubby sweater with a zipper.
24. Why was Sam unsure of what it said in the article? Because he could barely read.
25. What was one word he recognized? Missing.
26. What did Sam think? Was he, Sam, missing?
27. What did the article say his name was? Sam Bell, not Sam Mackenzie, which he thought was his last
name.
28. Why did Sam feel scared? He felt Mack had a secret he wasn’t telling Sam.
29. What memories did Sam have? A boy flapping his hands and trying to take something from Sam, the
wet cat on the edge of a boat, hearing foghorns.
30. What happened when Sam went back down the pipe? He slid down too fast and went past his
bedroom window, landing on the ground. Also, the pipe broke away where it had been fastened to the
side of the building.
31. What was in the parking lot? Mack’s pickup truck, Anima’s blue Toyota and Onji’s delivery van.
32. What was on the side of the van? A picture of a guy taking a bite out of a sandwich.
33. How did Sam get back into his building? He had the key to the woodworking shop in his jacket
pocket.
34. How did Sam feel about Mack? He loved him and loved when he taught him how to work with wood.
35. Why did Sam feel weird about Mack now? He couldn’t understand this secret. Had Mack kidnapped
him? Was his name really Sam Bell? Was Mack really Sam’s grandfather?
36. What were Sam’s shortcomings? He was “klutzy” and he couldn’t read.
37. Why didn’t Sam just ask Mack? He was afraid he’d be sent away. He wanted to stay there because he
loved living with Mack, near Onji and Anima.
38. What did he decide to do? Find out more about his past, in secret.
39. What happened in Sam’s next dream? He dreamt he was caught in eleven and he heard doors banging
open and closed. A voice called out for him.
40. Who was Sam’s teacher? Mrs. Stanek.
41. What were they studying in Social Studies? The middle Ages.
42. What nursery rhyme were they learning about? “Pease porridge, hot, Pease porridge cold.”
43. How did they eat their peas in the middle Ages? On bread shaped like plates.
44. What was the bread called? Trenchers.
45. What was Sam thinking about that day? Who could go with him up into the attic to help him read the
article.
46. Why couldn’t he ask one of the boys or Marcy Albert? The boys would think he was weird, and
Marcy was too much of a know-it-all. She would tell everyone.
47. Who was the only one he could ask? Caroline.
48. What was she like? She was new; she only came to the school a month ago. She had red hair and
freckles, and usually had a Kleenex sticking out of her sleeve. She loved to read, and she wore glasses.
49. What was Caroline’s personality like? She was unfriendly. She never smiled. She wore braces.
50. What did Mrs. Stanek tell Sam to do for the middle Ages project? Make a castle out of cardboard and
glue.
51. Why did she assign him that? Because he would not have to read to do it.
52. What were they going to do at the end of the unit? Have a medieval feast with peas on bread.
53. What did Eric think about that? Gross.
54. Who was Eric? Sam’s friend.
55. Why did Mrs. Stanek say, “We’re all friends in fifth grade?” Because she didn’t want certain people
sitting together and excluding others at lunchtime. They had to line up any which way and sit how they
lined up.
56. How did kids get around that? They switched places in line on the stairs, elbowing people out of the
way.
57. Why did Sam care who he sat next to that day? He wanted to sit next to Caroline so he could get to
know her and eventually ask her to help him read the article he’d found in Mack’s attic.
58. What did Sam have for lunch every day? Sam always had the best lunches because Onji made him
one of his great sandwiches from his deli to take to school.
59. What was funny about his sandwich today? Onji had stuck a gummy bear in Sam’s sandwich
(pastrami with sauerkraut on rye bread) because today was Sam’s birthday. He’d also put some in the
baggie with the pickles.
60. Why had he done that? Because it was Sam’s birthday.
61. Why didn’t he want Mrs. Stanek to know? Because she’d make Sam wear a crown.
62. Why did Sam want to be compared to Samson? Because he was tough.
63. What did Caroline say about herself? She was a sphinx.
64. What did Caroline say to Sam after he shared some gummy bears with her? “One thing. Don’t think
we’re going to be friends. I won’t be here long enough.”
65. What did the students do after lunch? Worked more on the medieval project.
66. What was Eric doing for it? He was planning a play with some other kids.
67. Where did Sam have to go in a half an hour? To Mrs. Waring’s room, the Resource Room.
68. Who did Mrs. Stanek assign to work on the castle with Sam? Caroline.
69. What did Sam say about that? He didn’t want to work with a girl.
70. What was Mrs. Stanek’s response? “We’re all friends in fifth grade.”
71. What was Caroline supposed to do? Keep a diary of the steps they took in making the castle.
72. What did Caroline put on her lips? Lipstick.
73. Was Caroline eleven yet? No.
74. What did Mrs. Stanek give the kids to help with the castle? Pictures of castles.
75. What was Sam’s idea? To make the castle out of wood, at Mack’s shop.
76. What did Caroline say about this plan? “One thing. Where do you live?”
77. How would she get there and back? She could take the school bus home with Sam, and take the city
bus back when it was time to go home.
78. Why was Sam so excited about this idea? Because he hoped Caroline would help him in the attic
when she came over on Wednesday or Friday.
79. Who was Lydia? Sam’s grandmother, Mack’s wife, who had died before Sam was born.
80. Why did Mack take out the crocheted tablecloth? Because they used it for special occasions (Lydia
had made it), and it was Sam’s birthday.
81. What were some signs that Mack was getting older? He’d rub his leg, saying it hurt, and he had some
gray in his dark hair and beard.
82. What did Mack say when Sam made a shelf? “I couldn’t have done it better.”
83. What did people say about Sam and Mack? That they looked alike, although Sam was very thin.
84. Who were Sam’s parents? Julia and Luke.
85. What happened to them? According to Mack, Luke had died in the army, and Julia had died of a heart
condition.
86. Why did Anima come into Mack and Sam’s apartment that night? She brought the food from her
restaurant for the birthday dinner.
87. What was Sam’s favorite dish? Beef curry, very spicy. Mack liked chicken korma.
88. What was Mack building for Anima? A cabinet for the restaurant.
89. What did Onji bring? A big chocolate birthday cake.
90. How did Sam usually feel in his kitchen? Cozy.
91. How did he feel tonight? Strange. He kept wondering about the secret and who his real family was.
92. What had Sam dreamed of the night before? A different kitchen, all white, where he almost got hit for
taking an apple off the counter.
93. What did the adults talk about? Why the pipe was banging against the side of the building.
94. Who did they think had something to do with it? Sam.
95. Why did Sam feel bad? Because he lied and said he hadn’t touched the pipe.
96. Where were Sam’s presents hidden? In the oven.
97. Why did Sam wish he’d looked there? Because then he wouldn’t have looked in the oven, and he
wouldn’t know about the secret, and he wouldn’t feel bad.
98. What did Sam get from Anima? A book, but he wouldn’t have to read much. It was a book of wood
projects.
99. What would they have later in Anima’s apartment? Banana crepes, her favorite.
100. Where was Anima from? Kerala (in India).
101. What had she brought with her when she came here? Her mother’s recipe book.
102. What did Sam get from Onji? A bright yellow t-shirt that was too big, that said “Onji’s Deli – Meat
and More” on it.
103. What had Mack given Sam? A plane, a tool that was used to smooth wood.
104. Whose had it been? Mack’s father’s.
105. How many candles were on the cake? Way more than eleven, closer to thirty-three.
106. Who would Night Cat sound like if he could sing? Mack and Onji.
107. Why did they go to Anima’s every night after dinner? Anima read out loud to Sam, since he had a
hard time reading. Mack and Onji listened.
108. Why did they do that? They still wanted Sam to know all that could be found in books, even if he
couldn’t read on his own yet.
109. What did she read? All different things, nonfiction and fiction, poetry and fairy tales.
110. What did Anima read that night? An Iroquois legend about how the many islands landed in the river.
111. Why was it interesting to Sam? Because he felt like he’d heard it before.
112. What was in Sam’s dream that night? It was cold and he was in a boat, going fast. The water had
chunks of ice in it. Night Cat was there.
113. What season was it? Spring. The weather was finally getting warmer.
114. What did Sam decide to do that Saturday? Take his rowboat out of its shed and go out on the river.
115. What did Onji joke with Sam about? That he was clumsy and accident-prone.
116. What had happened last week when Sam went out in his boat? He had gone too far, to where the
river was wider and swifter, and he had lost an oar. He had to wait for someone to help him get his boat
back to shore.
117. What rule did Mack put in place after that? He wasn’t to go past the bridge.
118. How did Mack feel about the river and water in general? He was afraid of it.
119. How did the water feel to Sam when he put his feet in? It was very cold.
120. Who went with him in the boat? Night Cat.
121. What did that make him remember? That night when Night Cat was wet, in a boat, in a storm.
122. What was Sam worried about when he heard the pipe clank against the wall of the building? He felt
bad that he broke it and didn’t admit it, and he wondered how he could get Caroline up to the attic so she
could help him with the mystery.
123. Why else did Sam feel guilty? It was Saturday, Mack and Onji were both busy, but Sam wasn’t
helping them.
124. Why did Sam like to go out in the boat? It was a good place for him to think.
125. What did Mack and Mrs. Waring both recommend to Sam to do when he faced a problem? Tackle it
in steps.
126. What was the key to the first step? Getting Caroline to help him.
127. What did words look like to Sam? Like black spiders, moving around on the pages.
128. What did Mack say to help him feel better about reading? He had a gift with wood. It talked to him,
just like it did to Mack. It was like he could read wood. And he would learn to read words, too,
eventually. And he had people who loved him.
129. What did Caroline always say? “One thing.”
130. What did Sam sometimes do on the way to Mrs. Waring’s room? He would take a detour by going
outside for a few minutes, or play at the water fountain with another boy who went to the Resource
Room, Robert.
131. Who did he have to watch out for? Mr. Ramon, the assistant principal. Sam would be in trouble if he
got caught.
132. Why was Sam nervous when Caroline asked him if he was going to the Media Center when he was
really going to Resource? Because Caroline didn’t know that Sam couldn’t read. He was embarrassed.
133. What was going to happen that afternoon? Caroline was coming to Sam’s house to work on the
castle, but Sam was also going to ask her about helping him with his mystery.
134. Where did Sam and Caroline go? They went out to sit in the sun.
135. What did Caroline say when Sam asked for help? She said she’d never taught someone to read, but
she could try.
136. What did Sam think about reading? He’d already given up, even though so many other people were
still trying to help him.
137. What color were Caroline’s nails? Purple.
138. Why didn’t Caroline have much time? She was moving soon.
139. Why was she going to move? Her dad was a painter and he liked to move around to find new things
to paint.
140. Who caught them outside? Mr. Ramon.
141. Why did Sam feel good when he got to Mrs. Waring’s room? Mr. Ramon hadn’t given them a
detention, and Caroline didn’t care that Sam couldn’t read. And although she was going to move away,
they still had some time.
142. Why didn’t Sam sit with Caroline on the bus after school? Because he’d be embarrassed. He sat with
Eric so he didn’t get teased.
143. Why didn’t Caroline get off the bus when Sam did? She was reading her book and didn’t notice that
Sam had gotten off. She got off at the next stop and walked down to where Sam was.
144. Why was Sam disappointed when he got home? Because Mack’s truck was there. He thought Mack
was going to be out, delivering furniture, so they could sneak into the attic.
145. What did they have to eat? Fruit and nuts from Anima, cupcakes from Ellie, and water.
146. Who was Ellie? Onji’s daughter.
147. What hung over the table in the workroom where Sam worked? A sign that said “Sam’s Place.”
148. What compliment did Caroline give Sam? “This is the best place I’ve ever been.”
149. What did they decide to do, since they couldn’t get into the attic? Work on the castle.
150. What did Caroline say about the fact that Sam was missing? She pointed at his head and said,
“Everything that happens to you is up there. You just have to pull it out.”
151. Who else said that? Anima.
152. What was Caroline’s sister’s name? Denise Emma.
153. How did Caroline feel about moving all the time? She didn’t like it. She felt bad always being the
new kid in class.
154. Where were they going to move next? To Turnerville.
155. What state did they live in? New York.
156. What was one thing Sam thought he remembered? The sweater from the picture. He had seen it in
Anima’s drawer.
157. Why did they stop their conversation? Because Mack came in.
158. Why couldn’t Sam just ask Mack about the article and the picture? Because he had lied about going
up into the attic, and he was afraid that he’d find out that he really was supposed to live somewhere else.
159. What did Sam want the castle to look like? Like it was far away and shrouded in mist.
160. What did Caroline want it to look like? Like it was a place you’d want to live in forever, never
moving away.
161. What happened on Friday? Caroline was over and Mack had to deliver a dresser. So they could
investigate the attic.
162. Why did Sam have to go through Mack’s keys that were in the junk drawer? Because he needed the
key to the little box in the attic.
163. What sort of key did he think it would be? Small.
164. Why did Mack have so many keys? Because he often bought old dressers at auctions and then he had
to be able to open them.
165. What picture was in Mack’s room? A black and white photo of Lydia, Sam’s grandmother
166. What did Sam have to stand on to open the door to the attic? Mack’s bed.
167. Why did Sam have to go back down for a screwdriver? Because none of the keys fit. He was going
to break the lock on the box.
168. Who did he see when he was downstairs? Onji.
169. What did Onji offer? That they could come over for cocoa or soda later.
170. Why was Sam reluctant to use the screwdriver? Because he couldn’t fix the lock after he broke it.
Mack would know he’d been into the box.
171. What did he see in the box? A picture of a sailboat, the article, and other papers. Also a fragment of a
cloth.
172. Why didn’t Sam have time to see what else was there? Because he heard the truck.
173. What did the article say? That Sam Bell had gone over the side of the boat in bad weather conditions,
and hadn’t been seen again.
174. How did Sam feel? He could remember snippets of that night: the storm, being on the boat with the
cat, and then when he was in the water.
175. What did they do? They ran back downstairs, leaving everything a mess, and closed up the attic door
and got their shoes. Then they arrived in the workroom just in time.
176. What did Sam forget? He was still holding the boat picture. He hid it from Mack.
177. What did Sam do that night? Once Mack was asleep he used a ladder to get back into the attic.
178. What time was it? Close to midnight.
179. Why was it dangerous? He’d have to stand on the very top of the ladder to be able to reach the
window sill and get into the attic.
180. Why did he want to go back into the attic? Because he wanted to get all the stuff out of the box and
bring it back down so he could study it.
181. What did the cat do? He meowed, wondering what Sam was doing.
182. What happened next? Onji and Anima both heard him and were going to come out and get him.
183., What did Sam do? He made them think he could hear the cat too, from his bedroom. He said he’d
get him.
184. What did Onji and Anima say? “That cat.”
185. What memory did that spark in Sam? A voice saying, “If I get my hands on that cat!”
186. What did Sam do with Night Cat? He put him inside the workroom. But the cat kept meowing from
inside.
187. Why did Sam need the pipe that was broken? He had to hold onto it for balance when he was at the
very top of the ladder.
188. What did Sam do once he was in the attic? He put the contents of the box into a plastic bag to take
back down with him.
189. Why didn’t he take the clipping? Because he figured he didn’t need it. He knew what it said.
190. What was he dreading? Going back down the ladder.
191. What was Sam most curious about from the box? The piece of cloth that seemed to be wrapping for
something.
192. What was inside the bundle of cloth? A sailboat.
193. Why did Sam go down to the workroom for glue? The boat was broken. Sam glued it back together.
194. What did the mast look like, once it was put together? The number 11. It was a double mast.
195. What did Sam know about the boat? It had been his long ago.
196. What did Sam think would have helped him read? If he’d been able to feel the letters, put his hands
around the words.
197. What else did Sam remember about the boat? He had sailed it with string in green water. Also, the
boat was a tiny replica of the one in the picture that he’d brought down from the attic with him the other
day.
198. What did Sam promise himself? He’d build another sailboat like the one in the picture.
199. What did Sam remember as he fell asleep? The woman made him give his boat to the boy with the
flapping hands. Night Cat hissed at the woman. The woman said, “If I get my hands on that cat!” The
woman grabbed the boat from Sam’s hands though he didn’t want to give it to her, and one of the masts
snapped.
200. Why was Sam scared? He wondered if he belonged with that woman, rather than with Mack.
201. What did Sam do with the papers? He put some in one jacket pocket and some in the other. He
wanted to look at them at school and show them to Caroline.
202. What was the Resource Room like? It was miserable. Spiders were there, papers all over the table.
There were some plants and pictures on the walls, because Mrs. Waring tried dot make it nicer.
203. What was on Mrs. Waring’s desk? A glass bowl filled with sand and shells, and a fake fish.
204. Who was Joseph? The boy who sat near Sam at lunch and ate all Sam’s leftovers. The fake fish
reminded Sam of Joseph. Joseph also was in the Resource Room.
205. What was Sam doing in Mrs. Waring’s room? He was supposed to be filling in the blanks on the
sentences, but instead he was secretly looking at the contents from the box.
206. What did he see first? A ferry schedule.
207. What happened in second grade? Sam was mad because kids were making fun of him for having to
leave the room and for not being able to spell. So when Mrs. Waring left the room, he scratched a big C in
the top of her bookshelf.
208. What word did Sam want to know how to spell? Cat.
209. What did he use to scratch the C? Scissors.
210. What happened? Another teacher found him doing it and he got in trouble.
211. Who was Mrs. Akins? The principal.
212. Why did Sam do it? Because he was left alone.
213. What did Mack say? He would show Sam what to do when he was angry, how to get rid of the bad
feeling in his chest.
214. What did he do? He pounded nails into a block of wood.
215. What made Sam most angry? Not being able to read.
216. What did Sam think about Mack and anger? Mack never got angry.
217. What did Mrs. Waring do about the C? She covered it up with a geranium pot. She wasn’t angry.
218. What did Sam wonder about the ferry schedule? Where it was coming from and where it went.
219. Who was trying to get Sam’s attention through the window while he was in Mrs. Waring’s room?
Caroline.
220. What did Sam do? He took the bathroom pass and left the room.
221. What did Caroline want to talk about? If they had the newspaper clipping, they could see what the
date was and where the event occurred.
222. What did Sam know? He’d have to go back into the attic. He’d have to go through the door, though.
223. What else was in Sam’s pockets from the box? Mack’s driver’s license.
224. What state was it from? Florida.
225. What else? A piece of paper that said “Children’s Home, 11th Street.”
226. What did Sam know now? His memories of the boy and the woman were from the Children’s Home.
227. Where were Sam and Caroline? They went up to the top of the stairs on the third floor.
228. Who caught them up there? Mr. Ramon.
229. How did Caroline react to getting in trouble from Mr. Ramon? Her face got red.
230. Why didn’t Caroline care about getting caught? Because she’d be gone in a few weeks or, at most, a
month.
231. What did Sam wish? That Night Cat could talk and tell him where they’d been.
232. What was in Sam’s dream that night? He was on a sailboat sailing through water that had chunks of
ice in it. They were sailing past an island shaped like a heart. There was a castle, a bold castle, and men
were working on it.
233. What did Sam do when he woke up from that dream? He went down to the workroom, even though
it was the middle of the night, and he began to sketch the castle from his dream.
234. What did Sam want to do? He wanted to build the castle from his dream before Caroline left.
235. Who was Mrs. Mallett? Sam’s art teacher.
236. What did he do that she would have told him to do? Sketched in the castle from his dream, before he
forgot it.
237. Why didn’t Sam go back to bed? Because he was wide awake.
238. What did he use to help him build the castle? The book Anima had given him.
239. What did Sam do when he was ready to take a break from working on the castle? He covered it up
with a drop cloth. He didn’t want anyone to look at it except Caroline until it was done.
240. Who did Sam think had made the broken toy sailboat? Mack.
241. What did Mack think of the water? He was afraid of it.
242. What did Sam do then? He fell back to sleep, holding the boat.
243. What did Sam know about the boat? It had taken a long time to make. Just how he would make the
castle, with time and care.
244. Where did Mack go that afternoon? To an auction to get a table to refinish.
245. Why did he say Sam should stay and have dinner with Onji? Because it was late and the weather was
bad. It was raining.
246. What was Sam supposed to do until five? Watch out for customers.
247. Why did Sam wait awhile before he went to the attic? Because sometimes Mack forgot something
and came back.
248. What had Sam helped Mack build? The armoire in Mack’s bedroom.
249. What had Mack said when Sam finished the shelf? “I couldn’t have done better.”
250. Why did Sam want to look in the armoire? Because he wanted to find more clues about the mystery.
251. Why didn’t he? Because he felt guilty snooping in Mack’s things.
252. What mistake did Sam make when he went into the attic? He forgot to take his shoes off, and he left
a muddy footprint on Mack’s bedspread.
253. What did Sam get in the attic? The newspaper clipping.
254. Who came in downstairs just as Sam was coming down from the attic? Onji.
255. What did Sam do? He had to leave the attic door open and the bedspread messy.
256. Why couldn’t Sam go back up and fix the mess? Because Onji was waiting for Sam to come over to
his place to eat. He would hear him closing the attic door.
257. What was on top of Onji’s computer? A picture of Ellie, pointing at something outside picture.
258. What was outside the picture? Sam. He’d fallen in the water.
259. Why wasn’t Sam paying attention to Onji? Because he was trying to figure out when Mack would be
back.
260. What was Onji talking about? When he caught the trout they were eating for dinner.
260. Where did he catch the trout? Right under the bridge, near their building.
261. What did Sam and Onji tease each other about? Sam teased Onji about being bald, Onji teased Sam
about being skinny and accident-prone, clumsy.
262. What did Mack think about fish? He didn’t like to eat it.
263. What did Onji and Mack do when they were kids? They fished.
264. What did Mack do with the fish he caught? He gave it to Onji.
265. What sort of contest did they have when Mack and Onji were little? Who could catch the biggest
Muskie (muskellunge).
266. How did Mack react when the big Muskie got away? He was furious. He had a big temper.
267. What did Onji say when Sam asked if they had grow up here, where they lived now? He pretended
not to hear him.
268. What did Onji say about Mack and the water? He loved to swim and sail. But Sam had always
thought that Mack hated the water.
269. What did they have for dessert? Rocky Road ice cream.
270. What did Sam do when he heard Mack’s truck? He ran back to his place so he could fix the mess he
had left in Mack’s bedroom.
271. Why was Sam disappointed with the clipping? It had no date or place that was written at the top.
272. What did Sam write down? What he could remember about his conversation with Onji.
273. Where did he go then? To Anima’s to read.
274. What did she read that night? Another Iroquois legend.
275. What did Sam dream about? A man with a black and red scarf carried Sam out of his old house,
taking his cat, and took him to the Children’s Home with the eleven on it.
276. What did Caroline have on her braces? Lipstick.
277. What did she say to Sam? He should come to her house after school.
278. Why did they walk separately to the corner? So Sam wouldn’t get made fun of by Eric for hanging
out with girls.
279. Why did Caroline need Sam to translate his notes about his conversation with Onji? Because Sam
was a bad speller.
280. What did Sam think about these places from his dreams? It was all near where Mack and Onji had
grown up: the house where he’d lived with his mother, the children’s home, and the river.
281. What did Caroline’s mother have under her fingernails? Clay. She was a sculptor.
282. What was Caroline’s house like? A little chaotic and messy.
283. What did they have for snack? Chocolate covered strawberries and cookies.
284. What did Caroline’s mother do? She made knights for the castle, and they all had Sam’s face.
285. What else did she make? One lady and some squires.
286. What did Caroline say that made him think of one of his dreams? She said the word “bold” which
had been in his dream, the bold castle.
287. What was the final list of what had been in the box? A picture of Sam’s mother, Julia, a picture of
Mack and Lydia in front of a hardware store called Clayton’s, the ferry schedule, the driver’s license, and
the scrap of paper that said, “Children’s Home, 11th St.”
288. What did Sam work on early Tuesday morning? The glass for the windows of the castle.
289. Was it hard? It was hard to put the glass in. It took a long time.
290. What did Mack finish that day? The cabinet for Anima’s restaurant.
291. What would they do the next day? Have a celebration dinner with chicken curry.
292. Who was invited? Caroline.
293. What did Caroline bring with her? The clay figures her mom had made.
294. Who did the lady look like? Caroline.
295. What did Sam say the castle should be called? Bold Castle.
296. Why did Caroline have a mirror? To use as a moat.
297. What did Caroline wear on her arms? Bangle bracelets.
298. What was Caroline’s father doing? Meeting with someone about teaching art at a college. They’d be
moving there soon.
299. Why was it different? Because it would be permanent. They would stay there. Only one more move,
then no more.
300. What did Caroline wish? That she could live inside Sam’s perfect castle forever, hidden away with
her family.
301. What was Sam going to do? Make a room and close it off with the lady who looked like Caroline
inside. That way she’d be there forever and no one would know she was there but the two of them.
302. What did Caroline want to use gravel from the parking lot for? To make a path to the castle.
303. What sign was on the door to Anima’s restaurant? “Closed Tonight for a Private Party.”
304. What wishes did Sam have? He was glad he was good with wood, but he also wished Caroline could
stay, that he knew more about the past, and that he could read.
305. What else would Caroline stay for that night? Anima’s reading.
306. What did Ellie mention? The Iroquois legend about the thousands of islands, from where Onji, Mack
and Ellie and Sam had been born.
307. What was the weather like the next day? Pouring rain.
308. Why did Sam and Caroline go to the Media Center? Because they had a sub and she’d not know they
were gone. They wanted to research something.
309. What did they want to research? The ten thousand islands, from the legend that Ellie had mentioned.
310. Who was Mrs. Hurd? The librarian.
311. Why was she mad? Because Sam and Caroline were so wet.
312. What did they find out? The ten thousand islands were in Florida, like Mack’s driver’s license.
313. What excuse did they give Mrs. Hurd for why they were there? Their middle ages project.
314. What did Mrs. Hurd say? The middle Ages were not related to Florida. Go back to your classrooms
and dry off.
315. What was Caroline’s nickname for Sam? Sam-I-am.
316. What did Sam think about Florida? It didn’t seem right. His dreams were of cold weather, cold
water.
317. Where was their class going? Art.
318. What did Sam do in art? Free draw; he drew the sailboat from his dream, from his toy, from the
picture.
319. What season was it? Spring.
320. What was Caroline saying in Sam’s head? Hurry, hurry.
321. What was Ellie making? Onion soup.
322. Why did Sam go into the deli? To use Onji’s computer. He wanted to look up “Muskie.”
323. What did Mrs. Stanek like to say? “Listen and learn.”
324. What did Sam find out about Muskie? “Game fish, cold water.”
325. What did Ellie say when she saw what Sam was looking at? She said it was the Thousand Islands,
along the St. Lawrence River, where the Iroquois lived. That was where Onji, Mack and Ellie had lived.
326. What were the two legends they had learned about? The masks that honored the giant who had
chased away the Spirit of Sickness, and the creation of the Thousand Islands.
327. Where geographically had they lived? On the border of New York state and Canada. Not far from
where they lived now.
328. What did Sam do next? He went back to the workroom and wrote down what he had learned in
Caroline’s green notebook.
329. What did Sam dream? He heard a man and a woman yelling at each other, slamming doors. They
were getting closer to his door.
330. Why did they get extra recess? Because it was so hot.
331. What was Sam going to do? Tell Caroline all he’d learned the day before.
332. What did Eric call Sam? Mackenzie.
333. What was wrong with Caroline? She had been crying.
334. What did she say to Sam? She wanted him to go away, she shouldn’t have become friends with him
because she didn’t have time.
335. When were they leaving? Sunday.
336. What was today? Friday.
337. How many schools had Caroline been in that year? Three.
338. Why couldn’t Caroline come over after school? She had to help her mom pack.
339. How did Sam feel? He didn’t know what to say to help Caroline. He wanted her to be there so they
could bring the castle to school together and have everyone admire it.
340. What happened when Sam got back from Mrs. Waring’s room that afternoon? Caroline was gone,
and she had left a package on his desk. She was leaving in two days.
341. What was in the package? A horse Caroline had made out of clay.
342. Why did Sam have to put it on the castle grounds in a certain way to make it stand? Because one leg
was shorter than the other.
343. Where was Mack while Sam painted Caroline’s room? He was upstairs having tea. His feet were
tired.
344. Why did a woman come into the shop? Because she had a small oval table that had a cut in it. She
wanted Mack to fix it.
345. What sort of wood was the table? Pine
346. What happened to the table? The dog chased the cat and a lamp fell on the table.
347. Who called while Sam was waiting on the woman? Caroline.
348. How did the woman act while Sam was on the phone? Impatient.
349. What did the woman do that made Sam remember that he couldn’t read? She wanted him to write
down her name and phone number on the slip, instead of her doing it herself.
350. How did Sam fill out slips? He asked people to spell their names. And if there were special
instructions, then Sam had to remember them.
351. What was the woman’s name? Marie Judson.
352. What did she say about the castle? She’d seen it before, on Heart Island.
353. What did Caroline want? To tell Sam she had the whole next day to spend with him.
354. What was her plan? She’d tell her mom she was going to Sam’s, but they’d really meet at the bus
station. She knew where the Children’s Home was.
355. How would they buy tickets? With her babysitting money.
356. What did Sam tell Mack? He was going to see Caroline because it was her last day.
357. What did Onji give Sam? A picnic lunch with an extra sandwich for Caroline.
358. What was Caroline wearing? A purple hat and a wooden necklace.
359. Where did they go to catch the bus? The Circle Diner.
360. Which direction were they going? West. The other bus went to New York City.
361. Why did they have to wait a half hour? Because the westward bus had just left.
362. What did they do while they waited? They had hot chocolate at the diner.
363. What clues did Caroline use to find the location of the Children’s Home? The picture of Mack and
Lydia in front of Clayton’s, and then she tried to find out where there was a children’s home.
364. What town were they going to? There was a town called Clayton, but that wasn’t where they were
going to go. They were going to a town called Waterway, which had a hardware store called Clayton’s
and an Eleventh Street. She hadn’t found out whether there was a Children’s Home.
365. Why did Sam feel better? Maybe this would just be a wild goose chase. Maybe he did belong with
Mack, Onji and Anima, and they’d just have a fun day out in nice weather on a picnic.
366. What did Caroline want to do for Sam before she left? Write out all that they knew, in case they
weren’t able to solve the mystery that day.
367. What did Sam remember about the woman at the Children’s Home? She was mean, slapped the kids.
368. What did they eat on the bus? Caroline had brought a cheese sandwich. Sam had a meatball hero, but
he didn’t want it yet. So they shared some saltines.
369. How did Sam feel when they got off the bus? He didn’t recognize anything. But he was afraid to ask
about the Children’s Home, because he was afraid someone in the town might recognize him.
370. What did Caroline say? It was so long ago. No one would remember him.
371. Where did Caroline go to ask? The bakery.
372. What did she find out? There had been a Children’s Home, but it had closed. The building was still
there. The baker gave Caroline directions.
373. What did Caroline do to show Sam she cared about him? She held his hand while they walked to the
house, and she said she was sorry for what he had gone through.
374. What did Sam remember? Someone had brought him there, someone with a dark scarf with flecks of
red. The person who brought him there was not Mack.
375. What had Sam carried while his neighbor carried him to the Children’s Home? The sailboat.
376. What did Sam see at the house? Big doors with the number eleven painted over them.
377. What else reminded him of eleven? The two chimneys on top of ht house.
378. Why did eleven stick in his mind? His mother had been teaching him his numbers.
379. Did they go in the house? No.
380. What did Caroline want from Sam as they said goodbye? For Sam to write to her.
381. What did Sam think? He couldn’t do it. He’d given up on learning to read and write.
382. How did Anima react when Sam told her he’d gone to Waterway? She didn’t seem alarmed. So Sam
knew she didn’t know anything about Sam’s past.
383. What did Sam ask? If he could see the little blue sweater that she had.
384. What was Sam eating? Banana crepes.
385. What did Anima know about Sam’s early years? She didn’t know anything about the secret. Sam
could tell because she wasn’t acting weird. But she had owned the building and had it divided into three
stores. She was lonely. Onji moved in with Ellie. Onji’s wife had left. Then Ellie moved out because she
got married. Onji told Anima that his friend Mack was moving there from Florida and needed a place to
live and work. Mack was bringing a child with him. On the night Mack was supposed to come, they had
made lots of food for dinner. But he didn’t come. They were worried about him. Mack didn’t get there
until it was almost morning. And Sam and the cat were wet and dirty. Mack was hurt. He was crying and
sad.
386. How did Anima feel about Sam? She loved him like he was her family.
387. How were Sam’s hands? Blistered and cut, tough from working with the wood, paint and glass.
388. What color had Sam painted Caroline’s room in the castle? Tangerine, like Caroline’s hair.
389. How did Sam feel as he painted the castle? Happy and content, although he missed Caroline.
390. How long had she been gone? A week.
391. What did Mack say when he saw the castle? It was the work of a craftsman. It was Boldt Castle.
392. What did Sam realize? The castle he had made was from his memory. There was a real castle that
looked like that; he had been there.
393. Why did Onji leave? So Mack could tell Sam what he needed to know.
394. Why had things gone badly at first, according to Mack? Because he had been so angry.
395. What did Mack decide they would do that day? They would go back to the Thousand Islands and to
Boldt Castle, that day.
396. Where had they lived, Mack, Onji and Lydia? On the American side of the Canadian border, right on
the St. Lawrence River.
397. How were they going to get to the castle? It was on the Canadian side. They were going take a ferry
out there.
398. Where had the sailboat from the picture come from? Mack had built the large sailboat himself and he
sailed it often.
399. What did Sam admit? That he had climbed up the pipe to get into the attic.
400. What sound did Sam hear that was familiar? The sound of the ferry sounding its horn.
401. What had Mack been like when he was younger? Always angry.
402. When had Mack’s anger left him? When he moved in with Sam, Onji and Anima.
403. What was the story of the Boldt Castle? A young man had been so in love with his new wife that he
had had an island changed into the shape of a heart. He had built a castle there, named after himself,
Boldt. But his wife died and the castle project was abandoned.
404. What was Mack’s connection to it? He had been a worker restoring the castle.
405. Why had Sam been there? He had come with his mother to see Mack when he was working on the
castle.
406. What did Mack and Sam do when they got off the ferry? They walked around the castle, which was a
sort of museum now.
407. What happened between Mack and his daughter? They had a fight because Mack had a bad temper.
Mack left and moved to Florida because he was so mad.
408. Who was Sam’s mother? It really was Julia, Mack’s daughter.
409. Whose voice was it that was at the Children’s Home, shouting and slamming doors? Mack’s voice
410. How had Sam gotten to the Children’s Home? Because Mack had moved to Florida, no one could
find him when Julia died. So Sam’s neighbor took him to the Children’s Home.
411. How did Mack find out what had happened? He got a letter in the mail, with legal papers and a nice
note Julia had written to Mack just before she died.
412. How long had Sam been at the home before Mack got there? One month.
413. How had Mack felt while he was in Florida and after he found out about Julia? He had missed his
daughter and grandson, and once he found out where Sam was, he left immediately and didn’t sleep or
think of anything else until he got to the Children’s Home.
414. What happened when he got there? It was late, and the woman who ran the home was too tired to get
Sam for Mack. Sam was in bed. Even though Mack had a right to take Sam, she told him to come back
tomorrow.
415. What did Mack do? He flew into a rage, and ran into the house, opening all the doors and looking for
him.
416. What did Sam bring with him? The sweater, Night Cat and the little boat.
417. What sound did Sam hear as they went out to Mack’s boat? Foghorns.
418. Why shouldn’t they have gone on the boat when they left the Children’s Home? Because there was
a bad storm.
419. Why did Mack take them anyway? Because he was so angry.
420. What happened? The boat hit some rocks and split in two. Mack, Sam and the cat fell in the water.
421. How did they get to Anima’s? They took the train.
422. What did Mack say when they got there safely? He would never have a boat again or go near the
water.
423. What was Mack’s explanation of the newspaper article? It was written before the situation was
resolved. Onji and Mack went back to the home the next day and told them that Sam was fine.
424. Why was Sam so happy? Because he knew now that he had been wrong. He did belong with Mack.
425. What did Sam want to do with Mack? Build a boat together.
426. Why was Sam used to getting up early? He’d been rising early to work on the castle, but it was done
now.
427. Why did he get up early today? He felt like there was one thing he needed to do for Caroline, even
though she was gone.
428. What was it that he needed to do? He cut a window in the room where he had put the medieval lady
who looked like Caroline.
429. Why did he do that? Because he thought she should make friends with the world rather than being
shut away.
430. What was going to happen that day? The medieval feast.
431. Why didn’t Sam want to bring the castle to school? Because he’d only made it for himself and for
Caroline.
432. Who convinced him to take it? Mack.
433. What else did he bring to school? The green notebook where they’d written down the instructions for
the castle. But first Sam ripped out what he’d written down in the back about his past.
434. What was over the castle? A drop cloth.
435. What were other kids doing? Practicing their skits and getting ready for the feast.
436. What had Mrs. Stanek made? Trenchers and mashed peas.
437. What else did they have? Apple juice with cloves and cinnamon cake.
438. How did the class and Mrs. Stanek react to the castle? They loved it and were impressed.
439. Why did Mrs. Stanek seem disappointed? Because Sam was the only one who tried the peas.
440. Who came to the feast? Caroline.
441. What was she wearing? Lots of bracelets and a purple hat.
442. How long had Caroline had to drive to get there? 2 hours.
443. Why had Sam’s name been changed? His last name was Bell because it was his parents’ name, but
Mack thought it would be easier if Sam had his last name, MacKenzie.
444. Who was taking the castle? Caroline.
445. What advice did Sam give Caroline? Pick out a kid and smile. She had a great smile. That way she
could make friends at her new school.
446. What did Caroline beg Sam to do? Email her or write her, even though it would be hard.
447. Why did Sam go right to Mrs. Waring? He told her he was really ready to learn to read.
448. What did she say? It might take his whole effort, every minute he had, to learn to read.
449. What schedule did they agree on? A few afternoons a week and a few mornings in the summer.
450. What did Sam say he’d do for her? Build her shelves for her classroom.
451. Why did Sam have to walk/jog home from school? Because he missed the bus.
452. What was Mack working on when he got home? The boat.
453. What did Sam do before he went into Onji’s for a snack? Sent Caroline an email: “Yes.”