Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes – Vocabulary
Teacher Key
1. Expose - a public exposure or revelation
2. Stench - an offensive smell or odor
3. Svelte – slim
4. Consummated - to complete
5. Tenacity – strength
6. Illusory - deceptive; misleading
7. Nary - not any
8. Sanctuary - a sacred or holy place
9. Ominous - Menacing; threatening
10. Sentry - a member of a guard or watch
11. Edict - A formal pronouncement or command
12. Imperceptibly - very slight, gradual, or subtle
13. Corridor – hallway
14. Extortion – act of illegally using or taking money
15. Eclipses – reducing the importance of
16. Appendages – attached body part
17. Incriminate – involve in a crime
18. Enigma – mysterious person
19. Carcass – something dead
20. Cadence – rhythmic flow or sound
21. Congruous – being in agreement, harmony
22. Cretin – a person with a mental deficiency
23. Abyss – a deep immeasurable space
24. Euphoria – a feeling of happiness
25. Mercenary – person motivated by the desire for money or material gain
26. Terminal – related to an end
27. Grimaces – facial expression of disgust
28. Sordid – mean and selfish
29. Arboretum – a plot of land on which many different trees or shrubs are grown
30. Combust – to explode
31. Anonymous – of unknown name
32. Humanity – the human race
33. Clandestine – kept or done in secret
34. Foray – a quick, sudden attack
35. Blasphemy – irreverent behavior toward anything held sacred
36. Olfactory – of or pertaining to the sense of smell
37. Ornery – mean-spirited, disagreeable
38. Heretic – a person who holds controversial opinions
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
Chapter 1
Define:
1. Enigma –
2. Congruous –
3. Appendage –
4. Rote –
5. Cadence –
6. Corridors –
7. Eclipses –
8. Carcass –
9. Mercenary –
10. Incriminate –
11. Terminal –
Questions/ Comments - Take notes!!
1. “In the dark room” ?
2. Describe mom
3. “If you dressed me up in an orange-and-red sweater you could ride me
around the world in 80 days” - (What does he mean by this? What is he
comparing himself too??)
4. Eric Calhoune – nicknames
5. Who is Ms. Lemry?
6. What sport does he play?
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
Chapter 1 - Continued
7. Find the simile on page 7
8. Where is Sarah Byrnes?
9. What happened to her when she was 3?
10. Who is Laurel?
11. Is Mr. Mautz like any principal you ever had before? How?
12. Who is Ms. Barker?
13. What was Crispy Pork Rinds?
14. What is the 5th amendment?
15. Some readers find it confusing that the book skips back and forth between
the narrator's middle school memories (such as publishing CRISPY PORK
RINDS) and what's happening in the present time. Why do you think the author
tells the story in this way-what does he gain?
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
Chapter 2
Define
1. Extortion - _____________________________________________________
2. Cretin - _______________________________________________________
3. Grimaces - ____________________________________________________
Answer the following questions.
4. What time of year is it? How do you know?
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5. In Contemporary American Thought they ask the question Is the world a good
or bad place?? What do you think? Back up your answer with reasons. (at least
1 paragraph)
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6. Who is Ellerby?
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7. Who is Kathy Gould?
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8. Who is Dale Thornton? What makes him stand out in middle school?
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9. Identify a similie on each page- write it down.
Page 23 _________________________________________________________
Page 25 _________________________________________________________
Page 26 _________________________________________________________
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
Chapter 3
Define
1. Desanctifying – _________________________________________________
2. Abyss – _______________________________________________________
3. Euphoria – ____________________________________________________
Answer the following questions.
1. Who came over? ______________________________________________
2. Describe his car. _______________________________________________
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3. Why does Eric like Lemry? _______________________________________
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4. Where is Spokane?______________________________________________
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5. Describe Mark Brittain. ___________________________________________
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6. Who is Mr. Patterson? ___________________________________________
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7. Where did Eric go after practice? ___________________________________
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8. Who is Norm Nickerson? _________________________________________
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9. Why did Dale want to beat up Eric? _________________________________
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Name ____________________
Date ___________________
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
Quiz Chapters 1-3
Match the definition with the word on the right. 2 points each
_____ 1. the act of illegally using/taking money
a. corridor
_____ 2. involve in a crime
b. extortion
_____ 3. reducing the importance
c. eclipses
_____ 4. attached body part
d. appendage
_____ 5. hallways
e. incriminate
_____ 6. being in agreement, harmony
a. enigma
_____ 7. mysterious person
b. carcass
_____ 8. a person with mental deficiency
c. cadence
_____ 9. rhythmic flow or sound
d. congruous
_____ 10. something dead
e. cretin
_____ 11. person motivated by the desire for
money or material gain
a. abyss
_____ 12. a deep, immeasurable space
b. euphoria
_____ 13. facial expression of disgust
c. mercenary
_____ 14. a feeling of happiness
d. terminal
_____ 15. related to an end
e. grimaces
Short answer. 3 points each
16. Describe Eric’s mom.
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17. Name 2 of Eric’s nicknames.
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18. What is a simile?
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19. Where is Sarah Byrnes?
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20. Retell the story about Dale, Eric, and Crispy Pork Rinds. (10 points)
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Name _________________________
Date ____________________
Quiz Chapters 1-5
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
47 points
Describe the following characters. Give at least 3 traits, characteristics, or qualities
of each character. (3 points each)
1. Eric ________________________________________________________________________
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2. Sarah ________________________________________________________________________
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3. Mom ________________________________________________________________________
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4. Dale ________________________________________________________________________
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5. Ellerby ________________________________________________________________________
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6. Ms. Lemry ________________________________________________________________________
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7. Mr. Mautz ________________________________________________________________________
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8. What is the setting of our story? 3 points (It is in chapter 3) _____________________
9. What is a simile? (you can give me a definition or an example) 3 points
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10. What do you predict will happen next? (Must be written in complete sentences – No
less than 1 paragraph!!) 10 points
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11. Who is your favorite character and why? (Must be written in complete sentences 0
No less than 1 paragraph!!) 10 points
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Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
Chapter 6
Define.
1. Expose – _____________________________________________________________
2. Stench – ______________________________________________________________
3. Svelte – ______________________________________________________________
Answer the following questions.
4. Who was visiting Sarah when Eric got to the hospital?_________________________
5. What was wrong with Elgin Greene?_______________________________________
6. What did Dale say to get Sarah excited? ____________________________________
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7. How did Dale think that he and Sarah were similar?___________________________
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8. How did Eric and Sarah get back at people after they stopped writing Crispy Pork
Rinds?
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9. When did Eric and Sarah begin to drift away from each other? __________________
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10. Why was Eric afraid that Sarah would stop being his friend? ___________________
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11. Who did Sarah start hanging out with?_____________________________________
12. What did Eric mean when he said “That’s how I stay fat for her now? (page 95)
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13. Where did Eric and Ellerby go before the dance? ____________________________
14. How would you feel walking up to Dale’s house and knocking on the door?
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15. Describe Dale’s workshop.______________________________________________
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16. What did Dale and Ellerby have in common? _______________________________
17. Find a simile on page 88. _______________________________________________
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Chapter 7
18. Illusory – ____________________________________________________________
19. Why did Mark Brittain want to drop CAT class?_____________________________
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20. What did Eric find on his desk? __________________________________________
21. What made Sarah’s head jerk? ___________________________________________
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22. What did Ellerby’s dad do? _____________________________________________
23. Who was at Eric’s when they got home? ___________________________________
24. What did he tell Eric about Sarah? Why do you think he did that?
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Chapter 8
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
Define.
1. Consummated - ________________________________________________________
2. Tenacity - ____________________________________________________________
3. What was a popular topic for their project? __________________________________
4. What is distracting Eric during swimming? __________________________________
5. Do you think that it is true that we tell ourselves we don’t want what we think we
can’t have just to make life bearable? Explain.
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6. How are our points of view linked to our beliefs?______________________________
7. Where is Eric going at 5:30? with who? ____________________________________
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
Chapter 9-10
1. Nary –________________________________________________________________
2. Sanctuary – ___________________________________________________________
3. Where does Sarah always sit? _____________________________________________
4. Why does Eric say, “On my way out I’m going to ask for a white coat, or at least a
stethoscope.” ____________________________________________________________
5. What surprised Eric? ____________________________________________________
6. Retell Sarah’s story. Include why she stopped talking and wanted to be put in the
hospital.
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7. Where did Eric go after the hospital? ______________________________________
8. What did Jody and Eric talk about at dinner?
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9. Who did Eric confide in about Jody? _______________________________________
10. What happened in the hallway with Mark?
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11. How did Carver trick Eric’s mom? ________________________________________
12. What was going on when Eric went to the hospital? __________________________
13. What would you do if you were Eric?
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Chapter 11
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
1. Who was always at Sacred Heart when Eric went?
2. What was Sarah and Eric’s code?
3. Why did Eric leave his notebook?
4. What month was it?
5. Who did Eric go to talk to?
6. Do you think telling Lemry worth the risk of losing Sarah as a friend?
7. Who are they going to find?
Chapter 18
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
Who came to visit Eric?
What did they talk about?
Why was Mark nervous?
What advice did Eric give Mark? Do you think it was good advice? Why?
Who did Mark say visited him? What did he offer to do for Mark?
Who came to visit Eric later that night?
What did Sarah say she is going to do?
How did Eric react to Sarah's plan?
Find a simile on page 277. Write it out.
Where did Eric go? How did he get there?
Where did they find Sarah?
How did Lemry get Sarah to stay?
Chapter 19
Leniency What was it like when Eric returned to school?
What did Mark do in study hall?
Where was Lemry? Why?
What do you think it means when Eric said, "Ain't it a trip where heroes come from."
What ended up happening to Carver?
Write your own news article recounting the events of the last few chapters of the book.