Firegirl
Tony Abbott
Tony Abbott
• Biography
Chapter 1
pages 1-6
• Character Development:
Keep a chart of the major
characters in the story. Be
sure to include character
traits, supported with
evidence from the text.
• Figurative Language
• Character Development
Chapter 2
pages 7-11
• Do you think that Jeff ’s
uncle really has a Cobra?
On what evidence do you
base your opinion?
• Character Development
Chapter 3
pages 12-17
• Figurative Language
• How does Tom feel about
Courtney? Use evidence to
support your thinking.
• Why do you think the
author mentions a new
student, Jessica Feeney, in
the first few chapters but
hasn’t brought her
character into the story
yet? Explain your thinking.
• Character Development
Chapter 4
pages 18-23
Vocabulary
• marauders
• plummeting
• infested
• Figurative Language
• Character Development
Chapter 5
pages 24-28
Vocabulary
• primary
• Figurative Language
• What do you think Mrs.
Tracy is going to tell the
class about Jessica?
Explain your thinking.
• Character Development
Chapter 6
pages 29-34
• Figurative Language
• Imagine how Jessica must
be feeling, walking into a
new class being as badly
burned as she is. What
thoughts are going through
her mind? Write a
paragraph from her
perspective about being
introduced to the class.
• Character Development
Chapter 7
pages 35-41
Vocabulary
• singeing
• acrid
• Figurative Language
• Why did the author
choose to include this
scene in the story? What
impact does it have on
you? Explain in context of
the story.
• Character Development
Chapter 8
pages 42-47
Vocabulary
• undergoing
• graft
• Figurative Language
• Do you think Tom’s
feelings about Jessica are
realistic? Would other kids,
like you, feel and react the
same way? Explain.
• How do you think Jessica
came to be burned?
• Character Development
Chapter 9
pages 48-55
Vocabulary
• wince
• prosperous
• stern
• Why does Tom not want
to talk about how Jessica
got burned?
• Tom holds Jessica’s hand
in the prayer circle, but
Jeff does not. Is one boy
right and the other wrong?
Explain how both of the
boys might be feeling. Do
you have any evidence to
support your thinking?
• Character Development
Chapter 10
pages 56-66
Vocabulary
• harsh
• slogan
• Jeff says that he won’t touch
Jessica because you can pick up
diseases from touching sick
people. Is Jessica sick? What
would you tell Jeff ? Explain.
• How is Jeff feeling about his
parent’s divorce? Use evidence
to support your thinking.
• Explain the campaign slogan,
“A vote for Tom is a vote for
TOMorrow!”
• At the end of the chapter Tom
says something else happened?
What do you think happened
Explain.
• Character Development
Chapter 11
pages 67-72
Vocabulary
• inaudible
• What is the regular thing
that the class discovered
about Jessica?
• How do you think Jessica’s
sister, Anne, died?
• Character Development
Chapter 12
pages 73-80
• How and why do rumors
get started? What rumor
was started about Jessica?
How would you feel if you
were Jessica and you heard
the rumor that people were
spreading about you?
• Character Development
Chapter 13
pages 81-93
Vocabulary
• salve
• glint
• indestructible
• Why did the author spend
so much time describing
Jessica’s room?
• What super power would
you want and why? How
would you use it to help
people?
• Why do you think Jessica
asked Tom if he wanted to
touch her face, but then
she closed her bedroom
door without letting him?
• Character Development
Chapter 14
pages 94-101
Vocabulary
• garbled
• Why would Jessica lie
about having a sister who
died?
• Explain how Jessica was
burned.
• Character Development
Chapter 15
pages 102-110
• Why do you think Jessica
hates her mother?
• Do you think Tom should
have agreed to go with
Jessica, or should he count
on Jeff and riding in the
Cobra on Saturday?
Explain your position.
• Character Development
Chapter 16
pages 111-118
Vocabulary
• marauders
• How would you
characterize Jeff ? List
some attributes and
provide evidence from the
text to support your
thinking.
• Do you think Tom’s dream
is important? Explain
• Character Development
Chapter 17
pages 119-127
• Why do you think Jessica
nominated Tom for class
president?
• Why did Tom feel like he
should nominate Jessica
for class president?
• Why do you think Tom
wouldn’t talk on the phone
to Jeff, but he did talk to
Jessica?
• Character Development
Chapter 18
pages 128-131
• Why did Tom not go with
Jeff in the Cobra? Isn’t that
what he has been waiting
for forever? Do you think
he made the right
decision? Explain.
• Character Development
Chapter 19
pages 132-138
• What did Tom learn from
his time with Jessica?
What do you think she
learned from him?
• Character Development
Chapter 20
pages 139-145
• Why do you think that
Tom and Jeff couldn’t go
back to having the same
kind of friendship they
had had before Jessica
arrived?
• Explain the impact Jessica
had on Tom. What did he
learn as a result of
knowing her? How did his
life change?
Novel Projects
• Persuasion: Write a letter to the class persuading them
to vote for Jessica for class president.
• Narrative: Write another chapter to the story from
Jessica’s point of view. Explain what she does and
where she goes after leaving St. Catherine’s.
• Research:
• Contact your local fire department and request
information on fire safety. Create a poster for the class
based on what you learn.
• Research the recovery process for burn victims.