WorstofFriends
AUTHOR:SuzanneTrippJurmain
ILLUSTRATOR:LarryDay
PUBLISHER:DuttonChildren’sBooks
COPYRIGHTDATE:2011
GENRE:InformationalNonfiction
SUMMARY:
Thisisthetruestoryoftheon‐off‐onfriendshipbetweentwoofAmerica’sfounding
fathers.WhilerebellingagainstEngland,ThomasJeffersonandJohnAdamswere
unitedagainstthecommonenemy,butoncetheyhadtosharetheirthoughtsabout
howtosetupourcountry,theirdifferencesbecamequiteclear.Laterinlife,after
retiringfrompolitics,theybecamegoodfriendsagain.
BOOKTALK:
WeallknowthenamesJohnAdamsandThomasJefferson,andwhenwethinkof
them,wethinkofgreatness.Infact,thesetwowerethebestoffriendsastheUnited
Stateswasbeingcreated,butsoontheybegandisagreeingabouthowtorunthe
country.Theyevenstartedcallingeachothernameslike,“vain,”“stubborn,”
“uninformed,”and“weak.”Howdidtherefriendshipdeteriorateintoname‐calling?
Andhowdidtheymakeupandbecomegoodfriendsagain?ReadWorstofFriendsto
findout.
AUTHOR’SBIOGRAPHICALSKETCH:
SuzanneJurmainhasbeenwritingsinceshewasfouryearsold.Shehas
alwaysbeeninterestedinhistory.ShelivesinLosAngeleswithherhusbandand
dog.
Otherbookswrittenbytheauthor:
TheForbiddenSchoolhouse
Freedom’sSons
GeorgeDidIt
OnceUponaHorse
TheSecretoftheYellowDeath
CHALLENGINGWORDS
éclair
wilted
corsets
harsh
vain
irritable
YHBA Intermediate Book Committee Final Activity Sheet, Last Revised 2012
ignorant
repulsive
inauguration
margins
feud
fricasseed
DISCUSSIONQUESTIONS:(Pleaseinclude4‐6questions:ifquestionisrelatedto
aspecificchapterincludethechapternumberinparenthesisfollowingthequestion)
1
Haveyoueverhadatimewhenyouhadanargumentwithyour
friend?Howdidyougetthroughit?Howdoesthathelpyouunderstandthe
storybetter?
2
WhywasiteasyforJohnandThomastoworktogetheragainstthe
British?
3
Whydoyouthinkittooksolongforthemtomakeup
4
Whenyoudisagreewithafriend,howdoyouhandleit?Doyouthink
JohnandTomhandleditwell?
5
JohnandTomcalleachothersomeprettynastynames.Wouldyoube
abletoforgiveandforgetliketheyeventuallydid?
6
Whatwerethedifferencesinthetwopoliticalparties?(Republican
andFederalist)
ACTIVITIESwithCOMMONCORESTANDARDS:
LanguageArts:ListactivitiesandCommonCoreStandardsforGrades4‐6here
1.Createaworkofdrama(play,skit,puppetshow,etc.)whereyouexplainthe
changingrelationshipofJohnandThomasthroughouttheirlives.Usethetextto
supportyourshow.
5.RI.3Explaintherelationshipsorinteractionsbetweentwoormoreindividuals,
events,ideas,orconceptsinahistorical,scientific,ortechnicaltextbasedonspecific
informationinthetext.
3.CreateaVenndiagramcomparingandcontrastingThomasJeffersonandJohn
Adams.
CommonCoreStandard:5.RI.3–Explaintherelationshipsorinteractionsbetween
twoormoreindividuals,events,ideas,orconceptsinahistorical,scientific,or
technicaltextbasedonspecificinformationinthetext.
YHBA Intermediate Book Committee Final Activity Sheet, Last Revised 2012
SocialStudies:ListactivitiesandCommonCoreStandardsforGrades4‐6here
3.Createaweborothergraphicorganizerportrayingthemajorfiguresofthe
AmericanRevolution.Usethisbookandothersourcestoputthistogether.
IndianaStateStandard:
5.1.10IdentifymajorBritishandAmericanleadersanddescribetheirrolesinkey
eventsofthewarforindependence.
4.Chooseapresidenttoresearch.Createaflipchartaboutthepresident.Include
physicalcharacteristics,personalitytraits,andpoliticalcontributions.
CommonCoreStandard:4.W.7–Conductshortresearchprojectsthatbuild
knowledgethroughinvestigationofdifferentaspectsofatopic.5.RI.9Integrate
informationfromseveraltextsonthesametopicinordertowriteorspeakabout
thesubjectknowledgeably.
LIFESKILLS:
Cooperation,Friendship,Integrity
RELATEDINTERNETSITES:
ThomasJeffersonBio:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/thomasjefferson
JohnAdamsBio:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/johnadams
AmericanPresident:AnOnlineReferenceResource
AmericanPresidents:LifePortraits
Mr.President:ProfilesofourNation'sLeaders:
YHBA Intermediate Book Committee Final Activity Sheet, Last Revised 2012