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Maine Samplers Part II

Mariposa Blues by Ron Koertge

Little Brown & Co., 1991

Summary: Thirteen year old Graham and his best friend Leslie, help Graham's father train racehorses. Graham decides that his favorite horse, Pepperoni, is ready to race, an opinion that his father does not share. Leslie has discovered boys and her many questions for Graham shake up their friendship.

Level: RL: 6-8

Themes:

independence
growing up
letting go
boy-girl relationship
Activities:

1. Where does the story take place and how did you find out? Where is back home for the main character?[Thinking Skill: knowledge]

2. The author uses many brand names. Nike, Magic Markers, Side-Out, Twinkie, Lionel, Chevy, and Fels Naptha are found in the first forty pages. Why do you think the author chose to use current brand names? How will this affect the story in 50 years? How could people in the future find out what these brand names mean?

3. In your own words, tell what Graham meant by corrective humor surgery? p. 31. [Thinking Skill: knowledge, comprehension]

4. The word cojones is used on page 126. Look this word up in the library. From what language did the word originate? What does it mean? Why do you think the author did not explain the word? [Thinking Skills: knowledge, comprehension]

5. Graham comments that surfing seems to give him Balance I seemed to never have on dry land. What did Graham mean by this? Describe something that gives you balance. p. 12. [Thinking Skills: application]

6. Graham states, "grown-ups almost never listen to kids. We're just the sound of surf in the background. White noise." Explain "white noise." Describe a time when you felt like "white noise."

7. Graham feels that Pepperoni likes and trusts him, unconditionally. "And for her to keep liking and trusting me I only had to show up at the barn and not be mean to her. That's all/ There was nothing else I had to do, nobody else I had to be." Do you think animals unconditionally like and trust some humans? Why or why not?

8. The following terms are found on a racing program. Match each to the correct item on this racing program.

  • morning line
  • horse's number
  • horse's name
  • driver
  • driver's colors
  • owner
  • horse's pedigree
  • trainer
  • temperature
  • date
  • timing
  • position
  • distance covered
  • order of finish
  • closing odds
  • identification of track

9. Leslie asks, "I need to know what boys think about." Graham answers, "Cars, girls, and french fries." Is this true or a stereotype answer? Why do you think so? p. 61. Interview several boys using the same question. Discuss the differences and similarities between their answers and Graham's. [Thinking Skills: application, analysis]

10. Graham bets on a losing horse, Turtle Bridge, against his father's advice. Is Graham trying to become more independent? What is his father's reaction to this? Design an interview between Graham's father and a school guidance counselor which brings out the father's feelings about Graham's move toward independence. [Thinking Skills: application]

11. What happens to a horse that is not physically ready to race? How would the story have changed if Pepperoni had proved not ready? [Thinking Skills: knowledge]

Resources:

Corbeil, Jean-Claude, The Facts on File Visual Dictionary, Facts on File, 1986.
Sample program.

Garber, Richard, A Little Breathing Room, Harper & Row, 1978.
Thirteen-year-old boy verbally confronts a father who is impossible to please.

Greene, Constance, Getting Nowhere, Viking, 1977.
Mark hunts for positive ways to deal with the anger he feels for his family.

Henry, Marguerite, One Man's Horse, Rand McNally, 1988.
History of Hambletonian a famous race horse.

Kerr, M. E., The Son of Someone Famous, Harper & Row, 1974.
Adam feels he is of little value due to a famous father.

Kingman, Lee, The Year of the Raccoon, Houghton Mifflin, 1966.
Joel's father tries to run his family with the efficiency of a factory.

Peck, Robert, A Day No Pigs Would Die, Knopf, 1972.
Rob accepts the responsibilities of growing up with the help of his father.

Savitt, Sam, One horse, One Hundred Miles, One Day: The Story of the Tevis Cup. Endurance Ride, Rand McNally, 1977

Thiele, Colin, Blue Fin, Harper & Row, 1974.
Sam discards his negative self-image and wins the respect of his father.

Prepared by Nancy Grant, SAD 4 (Guilford)
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