Name: _____________________________________________ Block: ____ Date: ____________________
“The Smallest Dragonboy”
Reading Guide
I.
Vocabulary
Word
goaded
(v.)
page 121
imminent
(adj.)
page 122
perturbed
(v.)
page 123
confrontation
(n.)
page 126
alleviate
(v.)
page 128
II.
Sentence from story
“’Maybe if you run fast enough,’ Beterli had jeered
on the occasion when Keevan had been goaded to
boast of his swiftness, ‘you could catch a dragon.
That’s the only way you’ll make dragonrider!’”
Definition
Pushed or driven
“’Impression time is imminent, candidates,’ the
wingsecond was saying as everyone crowded
respectfully close to him.”
About to happen
“He was somewhat perturbed, then, to see Betterli
wandering over to him.”
Disturbed, troubled
“From somewhere, other boys appeared, some with
barrows, some mysteriously alerted to the prospect of
a confrontation among their numbers.”
Face-to-face meeting between two opposing sides
“Even the small voice telling him that he’d have
other opportunities failed to alleviate his crushing
depression.”
Relieve, reduce
Comprehension
Pages 120-121
1. Re-read the first two
paragraphs on page 120.
What does this
information suggest
about Keevan?
He is observant and perceptive. He understands other people’s words, actions,
and motives.
2. Keevan infers that Beterli
walks quickly in order to
embarrass him, the
smallest dragon boy.
Assuming this inference is
correct, what does this
tell us about Beterli?
Beterli is cruel and unkind.
3. Why do you think Keevan
work so hard to prove
himself?
He is self-conscious about his size and wants to prove that it doesn’t matter.
He wants to earn people’s respect.
4. Make an inference as to
what major conflicts of
the story will be.
There will be a conflict between Keevan and Beterli. Keevan will have to prove
himself to everyone.
5. Mende is Keevan’s foster
mother. What does this
imply about her reasons
for mentioning F’lar’s
height to Keevan?
She understands Keevan’s fears about his size, and she wants to reassure
him.
Pages 122-123
6. Re-read the first column
on page 122. What can
we infer about Beterli’s
character?
He is violent. He doesn’t want anyone getting in his way. He doesn’t play
fair.
7. What can you infer about
Beterli from his being
present at eight
impressions?
Beterli has not Impressed a dragon in eight tries. While Keevan is worried
about Impressing a dragon right away, Beterli is probable more worries
because he may fail a ninth time.
8. Find and write the
sentence with the word
“consensus” in it. Then,
define the Latin prefix
“con,” and the root
“sensus.” Then, write a
definition for “consensus.”
Sentence: “The
9. Review Beterli’s
treatment of Keevan in
the story so far. Why does
he taunt Keevan now?
He may be trying to make himself feel better about his own chances at the
Hatching by putting Keevan down. He may have a grudge against Keevan.
consensus was that this egg contained a mere green, so
Keevan was rarely bothered by rivals.”
Prefix “con:” with,
together
Root “sensus:” to
feel
Definition: an agreement
Pages 124-126
10. Describe the internal
conflict Keevan is going
through.
He wants to ask questions, but he doesn’t want to appear foolish. He wants to
be a dragonrider but worries about his fitness for the role.
11. What do you think is
L’vel’s motivation for
suggesting that the
babes should wait?
He has friends among the older candidates. He is worried about the future of
the dragon army. He does not want to have to treat very young boys as
colleagues.
12. Why do you think the
boys’ tempers are
uncertain, or ruffled?
They are all nervous about the Hatching. The younger ones are afraid that
they will not be allowed to participate.
13. At the bottom of page
126, the author abruptly
shifts both the time and
location of the scene
from one paragraph to
the next. What causes
Keevan’s feeling of
painful nothingness?
Where is Keevan when
he awakens?
Beterli has knocked Keevan unconscious. When he awakens, he is at home in
his bed with Mende at his side.
14. Why do you think Lessa
wants to hear Keevan’s
side of the story?
She wants to be sure she has all the facts. She wants to make sure that no
one is punished unfairly.
Pages 128-131
15. What “old gag” is Lessa
referring to?
She is referring to the way in which Beterli provokes a fight by dropping
hints so Keevan will assume the worst and lose control.
16. What do you think
Mende means by “you
are and you aren’t”?
Keevan can’t go to this Hatching, but can go to the next. Keevan is a
candidate, but is too hurt to attend the Hatching.
17. Why do you think Lessa
and Mende don’t tell
Keevan that the
Impression is about to
begin?
They don’t want to upset him. They know he can’t go because he is too badly
injured. They think he can bear the disappointment better once he is feeling
stronger.
18. Why does Keevan deny
the pain in his leg?
He doesn’t want his injury to prevent him from attending the Impression.
19. What does Keevan’s
journey to the cavern
suggest about his
character?
He is determined to get what he wants. He is brave enough to overcome the
pain of his injuries. He doesn’t give up easily.
20. At the bottom of page
130, a voice is speaking
to Keevan. Who do you
think it is? What clues
help you figure it out?
The speaker might be the dragon. The words are in italics, not quotation
marks, which suggest that they aren’t actually spoken. Earlier in the story,
we were told that the dragons can communicate with their riders through
telepathy.
21. Why does the bronze
baby dragon choose
Keevan?
III.
The dragon senses Keevan’s determination to be a dragonrider. The dragon is
unique among the hatched dragons, just as Keevan is unique among the
boys.
End of story comprehension check
22. Who is the smallest dragonboy? Keevan
23. What event is Keevan waiting for? The Hatching, where dragons select their riders
24. What is an Impression? The ceremony in which dragons choose their riders
25. What happens to Beterli after the fight with Keevan? He is disqualified from the Impression
26. Whom does the bronze dragon choose? Keevan
IV.
Interpretations
27. Make a chart showing all of the conflicts Keevan faced. Which conflict do you think was the hardest for
him?
Internal Conflicts

Self-doubt: Keevan constantly
struggles with whether he is big
enough to be a dragonrider
External Conflicts

Keevan vs. Betterli: Keevan deals with
Betterli’s bullying and the trwo get
into a physical fight

Keevan must deal with his injury in
order to get to the Hatching
28. What inferences can you draw from the fact that Beterli never Impressed a dragon? Beterli is not worthy to be
a dragonrider because he is untrustworthy and mean.
29. Why does K’van reject the help Lessa offers him at the end of the story? What inferences can you make
about K’van based on this action? He is too proud to accept help. Heth’s choice of him makes him so happy that he feels
strong and confident.