Stone Fox
by John Reynolds Gardiner
A Novel Study by:
© The Book Umbrella
Name:____________________________________________
Date:_______________________________________________
Dictionary Detective!
Chapters 1 - 2
Using a dictionary, find the definitions for the words below.
irrigation
Definition:
proceeded
Definition:
determined
Definition:
concerned
Definition:
inspected
Definition:
mended
Definition:
Stone Fox
4
© The Book Umbrella
Name:____________________________________________
Date:____________________________________________
Vocabulary Study
Chapters 1 - 2
Match Up
Match the words in the left column to their definitions in the right column.
irrigation •
• moved forward
proceeded •
• repaired
determined •
• a system to bring in water
concerned •
• carefully examined
inspected •
• decided, resolved
mended •
• worried about something or someone
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence by filling in the blanks with the provided vocabulary.
irrigation
proceeded
determined
concerned
mended
inspected
1. Mom ______________________________ my room to make sure I had cleaned it thoroughly.
2. They ______________________________ with the fireworks show even though rain was forecasted.
3. He was _____________________________ to get an A+ so that he could go to a good college.
4. Annie was so _____________________________ about her sick kitten that she couldn’t concentrate
at school.
5. Without ___________________________, the crops wouldn’t have been so plentiful this year.
6. She ______________________________ the old shirt with a needle and spool of brown thread.
A Little
Extra!
Stone Fox
Why do you think Willy’s dog is named ‘Searchlight’?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
5
© The Book Umbrella
Name:____________________________________________
Date:____________________________________________
Understanding the Story
Chapters 1 - 2
Multiple Choice
1. Who does Willy run and get
when he finds his grandfather sick?
2. How does Willy’s grandfather
communicate with Willy while he is sick?
(a) Mayor Smiley.
(a) By using hand signals.
(b) Mr. Foster.
(b) By blinking.
(c) Doc Smith.
(c) By writing on a notepad.
(d) Lester.
(d) By whispering.
Short Answer
3. Describe Willy’s grandfather.
Long Answer
4. What problem does Willy face in Chapter 2? How does he solve this problem?
A Little
Extra!
Stone Fox
At the end of Chapter 2, Willy discovers that it isn’t the crop that
his grandfather is worried about. What do you think is worrying
Willy’s grandfather?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
6
© The Book Umbrella
Name:____________________________________________
Date:__________________________________________
Chapter Summary
Chapters 1 - 2
1. If you could give a title to this section of the book, what would it be?
2. What happens in these chapters?
3. What is your favorite part of this section of the book?
4. What new words did you learn
in Chapters 1 to 2?
Stone Fox
5. Draw a picture of something you think
represents the first two chapters.
7
© The Book Umbrella
Name:____________________________________________
Date:_______________________________________________
Dictionary Detective!
Chapters 3 - 4
Using a dictionary, find the definitions for the words below.
sturdy
Definition:
patiently
Definition:
outskirts
Definition:
exhausted
Definition:
authority
Definition:
tremendous
Definition:
Stone Fox
8
© The Book Umbrella
Name:____________________________________________
Date:___________________________________________
Vocabulary Study
Chapters 3 - 4
Which Word?
On the provided lines, write the matching vocabulary word for each definition.
sturdy
patiently
outskirts
exhausted
authority
tremendous
1. The area along the outside of a city or town.
_____________________________
2. Great, extraordinary.
_____________________________
3. Strong, unlikely to break.
_____________________________
4. The person or people in charge.
_____________________________
5. Very tired.
_____________________________
6. Waiting calmly.
_____________________________
Making Sentences
Make a sentence for each word below.
1. Sturdy: _______________________________________________________________________________________
2. Outskirts: ____________________________________________________________________________________
3. Patiently: _____________________________________________________________________________________
4. Tremendous: _________________________________________________________________________________
5. Exhausted: ___________________________________________________________________________________
6. Authority: ____________________________________________________________________________________
Describe the “city slickers” that Willy likes to watch on Main Street.
A Little _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
!
a
r
t
x
E
_______________________________________________________________________________
Stone Fox
9
© The Book Umbrella
Name:____________________________________________
Date:____________________________________________
Understanding the Story
Chapters 3 - 4
Multiple Choice
1. What does Willy recognize Clifford
Snyder as after seeing his clothes?
2. How much tax money does
Willy’s grandfather owe?
(a) A fisherman.
(a) One thousand dollars.
(b) A priest.
(b) Five hundred dollars.
(c) A jailbird.
(c) One hundred dollars.
(d) A city slicker.
(d) Fifty dollars.
Short Answer
3. What do Willy and Searchlight do when the church bell rings at six o’clock?
Long Answer
4. Who is Clifford Snyder and why does he visit Willy’s farm?
A Little
Extra!
Stone Fox
Why do you think Willy’s grandfather did not pay his taxes?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
10
© The Book Umbrella
Name:____________________________________________
Date:__________________________________________
Chapter Summary
Chapters 3 - 4
1. If you could give a title to this section of the book, what would it be?
2. What happens in these chapters?
3. What is your favorite part of this section of the book?
4. What new words did you learn
in Chapters 3 to 4?
Stone Fox
5. Draw a picture of something you think
represents this section.
11
© The Book Umbrella
Name:____________________________________________
Date:___________________________________________
Dictionary Detective!
Chapters 5 - 6
Using a dictionary, find the definitions for the words below.
unison
Definition:
motionless
Definition:
strutted
Definition:
cunning
Definition:
amateurs
Definition:
constructed
Definition:
Stone Fox
12
© The Book Umbrella
Name:____________________________________________
Date:___________________________________________
Vocabulary Study
Chapters 5 - 6
Match Up
A synonym is a word that means the same as another word. For example, happy and joyful are synonyms.
Match the vocabulary words with their synonyms!
unison •
• beginners
motionless •
• clever
strutted •
• swaggered
cunning •
• still
amateurs •
• built
• harmony
constructed •
Best Word
Circle the word which works best in each sentence.
1. Although they were ( strutted / amateurs ), the tennis pair beat the state champions.
2. The horses galloped towards the open field in ( unison / constructed ).
3. The police were no match for the ( motionless / cunning ) thief.
4. The campers waited ( motionless / amateurs ) for a shooting star to cross the night sky.
5. The bridge was designed and ( constructed / cunning ) in the 1960s.
6. He ( strutted / unison ) down the street, feeling great in his new suit.
A Little
Extra!
Stone Fox
An adjective is a word that describes a person, place or thing. What
adjectives would you use to describe Willy’s actions in Chapter 6?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
13
© The Book Umbrella
Name:____________________________________________
Date:____________________________________________
Understanding the Story
Chapters 5 - 6
Multiple Choice
1. What does Mr. Foster think Willy should
do to find the money to pay the tax debt?
2. Who has never lost
a dogsled race?
(a) Sell Searchlight.
(b) Get a part-time job.
(c) Sell the farm.
(d) Ask Willy’s rich great-uncle for the money.
(a) Stone Fox.
(b) Searchlight.
(c) Willy’s grandfather.
(d) Willy.
Short Answer
3. Describe the National Dogsled Race in Jackson, Wyoming.
Long Answer
4. What do we learn about Stone Fox in Chapter 6?
A Little
Extra!
Stone Fox
If you were to win five hundred dollars in a contest, what would you do
with the money?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
14
© The Book Umbrella
Name:____________________________________________
Date:__________________________________________
Chapter Summary
Chapters 5 - 6
1. If you could give a title to this section of the book, what would it be?
2. What happens in these chapters?
3. What is your favorite part of this section of the book?
4. What new words did you learn
in Chapters 5 to 6?
Stone Fox
5. Draw a picture of something you think
represents this section.
15
© The Book Umbrella
Name:____________________________________________
Date:_______________________________________________
Dictionary Detective!
Chapters 7 - 8
Using a dictionary, find the definitions for the words below.
jagged
Definition:
treacherous
Definition:
abrupt
Definition:
clenched
Definition:
investigate
Definition:
halt
Definition:
Stone Fox
16
© The Book Umbrella
Name:____________________________________________
Date:____________________________________________
Vocabulary Study
Chapters 7 - 8
Match Up
Match the words in the left column to their definitions in the right column.
jagged •
• very dangerous
treacherous •
• come to a stop
abrupt •
• all of a sudden without warning
clenched •
• with a lot of sharp points
investigate •
• pressed or squeezed tightly
halt •
• to search to find the truth
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence by filling in the blanks with the provided vocabulary.
treacherous
halt
investigate
clenched
jagged
abrupt
1. Sarah gasped when she saw a ___________________________ piece of glass near her foot.
2. The bus screeched to a ______________________________ when a deer ran across the road.
3. The voyage across the Atlantic was long and ___________________________ for the explorers.
4. The detectives stayed up all night to ___________________________ a robbery which had taken
place the day before.
5. The angry man ___________________________ his teeth and shook his head.
6. “The ending of the book seems ___________________________ because the reader does not find
out what happens to the main character,” Molly said to her book club group.
A Little
Extra!
Stone Fox
Right before the race begins, the narrator says, “Tension filled the air”.
What do you think this means?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
17
© The Book Umbrella
Name:____________________________________________
Date:____________________________________________
Understanding the Story
Chapters 7 - 8
Multiple Choice
1. Which of the following
does Willy NOT like?
2. Who does not come
to see the race?
(a) Camping.
(a) Mayor Smiley.
(b) Fishing.
(b) Willy’s grandfather.
(c) Hunting.
(c) Clifford Snyder.
(d) Hiking.
(d) Miss Williams.
Short Answer
3. What information does Willy share with Stone Fox in the barn in Chapter 7?
Long Answer
4. At the end of Chapter 8, the starting pistol is fired and the race begins. What do you think will
happen next?
A Little
Extra!
Stone Fox
Why do you think Stone Fox hits Willy when Willy walks towards the
Samoyeds in the dark barn?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
18
© The Book Umbrella
Name:____________________________________________
Date:__________________________________________
Chapter Summary
Chapters 7 - 8
1. If you could give a title to this section of the book, what would it be?
2. What happens in these chapters?
3. What is your favorite part of this section of the book?
4. What new words did you learn
in Chapters 7 to 8?
Stone Fox
5. Draw a picture of something you think
represents this section.
19
© The Book Umbrella
Name:____________________________________________
Date:_______________________________________________
Dictionary Detective!
Chapters 9 - 10
Using a dictionary, find the definitions for the words below.
shrieked
Definition:
deserted
Definition:
effortlessly
Definition:
permitted
Definition:
magnificent
Definition:
glimpse
Definition:
Stone Fox
20
© The Book Umbrella
Name:____________________________________________
Date:___________________________________________
Vocabulary Study
Chapters 9 - 10
Which Word?
On the provided lines, write the matching vocabulary word for each definition.
shrieked
deserted
effortlessly
permitted
magnificent
glimpse
1. A quick look, a glance.
_____________________________
2. Without people, empty.
_____________________________
3. Allowed something to happen.
_____________________________
4. Amazing.
_____________________________
5. Screamed in a high-pitched tone.
_____________________________
6. Done or doing easily.
_____________________________
Making Sentences
Make a sentence for each word below.
1. Deserted: ____________________________________________________________________________________
2. Permitted: ___________________________________________________________________________________
3. Shrieked: ____________________________________________________________________________________
4. Glimpse: _____________________________________________________________________________________
5. Magnificent: _________________________________________________________________________________
6. Effortlessly: __________________________________________________________________________________
What words do you think best describe the ending of this story?
_______________________________________________________________________________
e
l
t
t
i
L
A
_______________________________________________________________________________
!
a
r
t
x
E
_______________________________________________________________________________
Stone Fox
21
© The Book Umbrella
Name:____________________________________________
Date:____________________________________________
Understanding the Story
Chapters 9 - 10
Multiple Choice
1. Who does Willy see in his
farmhouse window in Chapter 9?
2. What question had Willy asked
Mayor Smiley before the race?
(a) Clifford Snyder.
(a) If he was allowed to go across the lake.
(b) Doc Smith.
(b) If he could race with only one dog.
(c) Mayor Smiley.
(c) If he could have a head start.
(d) His grandfather.
(d) If there was a second place prize.
Short Answer
3. What do Stone Fox’s actions at the end of the story tell us about his character?
Long Answer
4. What happens at the end of the story? How do you feel about this ending?
A Little
Extra!
Stone Fox
If a friend asked you if they should read this story, what would you
tell them?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
22
© The Book Umbrella
Name:____________________________________________
Date:__________________________________________
Chapter Summary
Chapters 9 - 10
1. If you could give a title to this section of the book, what would it be?
2. What happens in these chapters?
3. What is your favorite part of this section of the book?
4. What new words did you learn
in Chapters 9 to 10?
Stone Fox
5. Draw a picture of something you think
represents this section.
23
© The Book Umbrella
Name:____________________________________________
Date:___________________________________________
Time for a Test!
Stone Fox
Part A – Multiple Choice
1. Where does
Willy live?
2. What kind of farm
does Willy live on?
3. Why does Clifford
Snyder visit Willy’s farm?
(a) Kentucky.
(b) Utah.
(c) Virginia.
(a) A poultry farm.
(b) A dairy farm.
(c) A potato farm.
(a) To offer to buy the farm.
(b) To collect a tax debt.
(c) To learn how to be a farmer.
(d) Wyoming.
(d) A fruit farm.
(d) To tutor Willy.
4. What does Searchlight
do when Clifford Snyder
visits the farm?
5. How much is the
prize money for the
National Dogsled Races?
6. How does Willy get
the entrance fee for the
dogsled race?
(a) He barks and snarls at him.
(b) He licks Clifford’s face.
(c) He hides under a bed.
(d) He runs into the woods.
(a) One hundred dollars.
(b) One thousand dollars.
(c) Five hundred dollars.
(d) Five thousand dollars.
(a) He uses his allowance.
(b) He sells some farmland.
(c) He gets a part-time job.
(d) He uses his college savings.
7. Which of the following
best describes most of the
racing contestants?
8. What excuse does
Willy give to Lester about
his swollen and bruised eye?
9. Who carries
Searchlight across
the finish line?
(a) They’re children.
(b) They’re soldiers.
(c) They’re mountain men.
(d) They’re friends of Stone Fox.
(a) He bumped it
when he got up.
(b) He ran into a door.
(c) He fell down some stairs.
(d) His friend accidentally
hit him with a baseball.
(a) Stone Fox.
(b) Willy.
(c) Clifford Snyder.
(d) Mayor Smiley.
Stone Fox
24
© The Book Umbrella
Name:____________________________________________
Date:__________________________________________
Time for a Test!
Stone Fox
Part B – Short Answer
1. The setting is where and when a story takes place. Describe the setting of the story Stone Fox.
2. What is Willy’s main problem in the story and how does he go about solving it?
Part C – Long Answer
1. The main character of this story is Willy. In the space below, give examples from the story that
show how Willy is a) resourceful b) determined or c) brave.
2. Some might say that this story has a happy ending because Willy’s grandfather recovers and
Willy saves the farm by winning the race. Others might say that this story has a sad ending because
Searchlight dies. What do you think of the ending and why?
Stone Fox
25
© The Book Umbrella