"But we could use a visual aid if we simply thought it might supplement our own learning and the learning of the class?" Niles says this to his teacher to - a) learn how to get the best grade OR b) Live up to his "nerdy/dork" persona
live up to the persona he's created in school
Josh frequently refers to Miles as "nimbus." All of these could be synonyms for "nimbus" except ___. (loser, *****, genius, stupid, dork-wad)
genius
Think of how Josh treats everyone in school. Why would Holly say "Welcome to the resistance" when she's talking to Miles about Josh?
Resistance means to stand up for your rights. They must constantly resist Josh's bullying.
What are "wingtips"? Why did Miles ask his mom to buy them?
They are fancy dress shoes. He wanted to have the shoebox from them for a prank, to make it look like Niles did it.
Why do you think Niles chose crickets to be the insect of choice for his prank on Miles?
answers vary (ex: they move fast, creepy looking, freak people out, cheap to buy)
Miles does some quick thinking on p. 130-131 to try to get out of punishment with Principal Barkin. Would quick thinking be a good character trait for a prankster or not? Explain your thinking.
Most likely yes - you need to be able to think on your feet if your prank doesn't go as planned or you will get in trouble.
How does holding a tumbler / glass up to a door help you to hear the conversation on the other side of the wall?
The sound is absorbed by the wood door. The glass touching the door will allow some of the sound to tunnel through into the glass so you can hear it.
Miles calls Niles out on something. He says, "Seems to me this prank war's been pretty one-sided. I keep coming up with pranks and you keep foiling them." Do you agree with Miles?
answers vary
Josh & Holly hang signs encouraging kids to vote for them as class president. Holly says, "And he gets good real estate, next to the drinking fountain." What type of figurative language? (idiom, metaphor, simile, hyperbole)
idiom - "good real estate" means a good location
In the locker prank scene, both Miles & Niles tried to think ahead of the other person to avoid getting pranked. How did Miles try to avoid getting pranked?
He talked Stuart into switching lockers with him. He had a feeling Niles would rig his locker somehow.
While suggesting a truce, Niles said to Miles, "Pranksters like us shouldn't be stepping on each other's wingtips." This is an example of which literary device? (hyperbole, flashback, idiom, play on words)
Play on words - the saying is "without stepping on someone else's toes" and it means not interfering with another person's action
Niles convinced Miles to join forces with him to be the ultimate pranking TEAM. His persuasion skills make him a ___. (leader, manipulator, cheater, genius)
answers vary but manipulator most fits
Niles shared a fact, "Cows can walk upstairs but they can't walk down them." Why do you think the author included that?
answers vary
