Name: _________________________
English Reading Guide
1. Summarize what is known about The Deep Time Diaries.
2. What is a transcriber?
3. What are some things the author does in the first few pages to make the book seem realistic?
4. Does the author directly say, “Neesha talks too much”? No, he lets us know that by having Jon say,
“Neesha’s still finding enough oxygen somewhere to babble all the time.” And he doesn’t tell us
“Neesha annoys Jon.” Instead, he shows us examples of her annoying Jon and we can figure it out from
there. So with things like that in mind, explain how the author communicates to us what Jon and
Neesha are like.
5. Now that you have explained the author’s description techniques, list below your conclusions. What
do you know about Jon and Neesha’s personalities? Starting with the introduction section, but adding
details as you read all of The Deep Time Diaries, describe these two time travelers.
(words and phrases are okay)
Jon Olifee:
Neesha Olifee:
1. At the start of Jump 1, what simile is used to describe Earth?
2. Explain why the Florida peninsula would have “looked more like a fat thumb than a finger.”
3. List three examples of sensory details—other than sight. (Also, state which sense it appeals to)
1.
2.
3.
4. In the scene with “Old Gimp”, list the example of personification.
5. Find the great “opener” at the bottom of page 12. Write the sentence here. Which “opener” is used?
6. What simile is used to describe the big palm fronds on page 13?
7. Page 13, third paragraph (starts with “Then I forgot. . .”). List at least five strong action verbs found
in this paragraph.
8. Page 20, Day 2 entry by Jon. List 3 quality adjectives, 2 strong action verbs, 1 “ly” adverb, and 1
clause word.
Q.A.s (3):
clause word (1):
S.A.V.s (2):
“ly” (1):
1. Page 27, Day 1 entry by Neesha. List three strong action verbs and three quality adjectives.
S.A.V.s (3):
Q.A.s (3):
2. Page 28, Day 3 entry by Jon. List the simile in the first paragraph and circle the two things being
compared.
3. Page 35, Day 1 entry by Neesha. List the two “ly” adverbs in this entry and the words they describe.
Then star the one that is used as an opener.
4. How is personification used to describe the movement of the flood waters?
5. Page 42, Day 2 entry by Neesha. List the two prepositional openers she uses in this entry.
6. In Jon’s final entry of this section, find the sentence that gives us more insight into Neesha’s
character, specifically related to her being very talkative.
1. Page 49, Day 1 entry by Neesha. List 5 strong action verbs in this entry.
2. What is the simile that is used to describe how the oversized dragonflies flew around Jon.
3. Page 50, Day 2 entry by Jon. Write one adjective opener and one prepositional opener from this
entry.
4. Page 56, Day 1 entry by Jon. List 5 quality adjectives from this entry.
5. Find two similes on page 58.
6. Page 63, Day 1 entry by Neesha. Find three clausal openers in this entry.
7. Summarize who The Caretaker is and why the time machine was built.