All the Answers
By: Kate Messner
Grades 3-5
What if your pencil had all the answers? Would you ace every test? Would you know what your teachers were thinking? When Ava Anderson finds a scratched up pencil she doodles like she would with any other pencil. But when she writes a question in the margin of her math quiz, she hears a clear answer in a voice no one else seems to hear.
With the help of her friend Sophie, Ava figures out that the pencil will answer factual questions only – those with definite right or wrong answers – but won’t predict the future. Ava and Sophie discover all kinds of uses for the pencil, and Ava’s confidence grows with each answer. But it’s getting shorter with every sharpening, and when the pencil reveals a scary truth about Ava’s family, she realizes that sometimes the bravest people are the ones who live without all the answers…
“Although Ava is constantly worried, the novel’s tone remains bright and cheerful. Yes, there’s a magical pencil, but this remains an emotionally resonant portrait of a sweet girl whose struggles are firmly rooted in reality.”
~Booklist
Activity One
Kate loves hearing from readers, so if you'd like to send a note, send a letter by snail mail:
Kate Messner
PO Box 1857
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
She reads all of her mail, and if you enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope, she'd be happy to send a reply.
Please do NOT send me anything you need back, though! I can't return original stories, art, or anything like that and would feel terrible if something got lost. -Kate Messner
Make sure you send a copy of the letter to Mrs. Jack so she can see what you've written. If you get a response, make sure you bring it to Battle Day to share with everyone else!!
Kate loves hearing from readers, so if you'd like to send a note, send a letter by snail mail:
Kate Messner
PO Box 1857
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
She reads all of her mail, and if you enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope, she'd be happy to send a reply.
Please do NOT send me anything you need back, though! I can't return original stories, art, or anything like that and would feel terrible if something got lost. -Kate Messner
Make sure you send a copy of the letter to Mrs. Jack so she can see what you've written. If you get a response, make sure you bring it to Battle Day to share with everyone else!!
Activity Two
Have you ever met someone who "had all the answers?" You may know someone who talks all of the time, says things like, "I know exactly what you mean!" or even tells you you're wrong all of the time. What do you do with people like that? You have a choice, either write out a story, or act out a short recreation of what these type of people make you feel like. Do you like to spend time with them, or would you rather stay away from them? Your writing needs to be at least half of a page, but a film can be whatever length you'd prefer.
Have you ever met someone who "had all the answers?" You may know someone who talks all of the time, says things like, "I know exactly what you mean!" or even tells you you're wrong all of the time. What do you do with people like that? You have a choice, either write out a story, or act out a short recreation of what these type of people make you feel like. Do you like to spend time with them, or would you rather stay away from them? Your writing needs to be at least half of a page, but a film can be whatever length you'd prefer.
Activity Three
Ava finds an old blue pencil that tells her the answers when she writes down a question. What kind of contraption would you like to have to help you out in your life? Would it be something similar to this, or would you rather have something that would do your chores, print money, or make someone you know not be sick anymore? Either physically create or draw out what this contraption would look like. Would it be some every day object like the pencil, or would it be something that everyone else knew what it was? Make sure you are creative and tell me exactly what the contraption does as well as be specific on the design.
Ava finds an old blue pencil that tells her the answers when she writes down a question. What kind of contraption would you like to have to help you out in your life? Would it be something similar to this, or would you rather have something that would do your chores, print money, or make someone you know not be sick anymore? Either physically create or draw out what this contraption would look like. Would it be some every day object like the pencil, or would it be something that everyone else knew what it was? Make sure you are creative and tell me exactly what the contraption does as well as be specific on the design.
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