1. The Stranger Text and Art Text and Art by Chris Van Allsburg by Chris Van Allsburg Compiled by: Terry Sams PESTerry Sams

2. Summary In late summer, a farmer hits a man in the road with his truck. The speechless stranger then spends several weeks on the farm. The weather stays warm into autumn and the leaves around the farm remain green. The stranger realizes something is wrong. He leaves the farm and the weather returns to normal.

3. GenreGenre: Fantasy Genre   A fantasy is a story that could never really happen. As you read, decide which events in this story could never happen in real life.

4. Question #1 What changes in nature take place in the fall?

5. Question #2 What is mysterious about the man Mr. Bailey strikes with his truck?

6. Since the stranger’s visit, how is fall on the Bailey farm different from nearby farms? Question #3

7. Question #4 How would you describe the fall season to someone who lives in a climate that is always warm?

8. Review Questions 1.Name at least one event that could not really happen? 2.How is the stranger different from most people? 3.Give a clue that the weather should have started to change? 4.How can you tell the stranger was not a hermit?

9. Review Questions 5. What are some effects the stranger’s visit had on the Bailey farm? What is the most important? 6. Why did the pumpkins grow larger than ever? 7. How can you tell the stranger continued to care about the Baileys? 8. What might have happened if he had stayed with the Baileys?

10. Vocabulary - Say It  draft  etched  frost  parlor  fascinated  terror  timid

11. More Words to Know drabhermithypnotizedbarrencropssproutwilt

12. barren  not able to produce

13. crops   plants grown or gathered by people for their use

14. sprout  to produce new leaves, shoots, or buds

15. wilt  to become limp and bend down; to wither

16. draft  current of air

17. timid  easily frightened; shy

18. terror  great fear

19. fascinated  interested greatly; attracted very strongly; charmed

20. etched  engraved; a design or drawing on a metal plate or glass

21. frost  moisture frozen on or in a surface

22. parlor  formerly, a room for receiving or entertaining guests; sitting room

23. drab  not attractive; dull; monotonous

24. hypnotized  put into a condition resembling deep sleep

25. hermit  person who goes away from others and lives alone

26. It was so hot that the crops began to wilt and die.

28. When Persephone returns to her mother, the barren fields will sprout with new flowers.

30. The steam that rose from the hot food fascinated him.

32. He looked up with terror and jumped to his feet.

34. Mrs. Bailey sat the stranger on the parlor sofa.

36. Mrs. Bailey shivered and said, “There’s a draft in here tonight.

38. He became one of the family as he became less timid each day.

40. The stranger had etched a message in the frost of the windows.

42. Mr. Bailey thought the stranger might be a hermit because he was alone.

44. The stranger stared at the birds like he had been hypnotized.

46. The trees around the Baileys’ seemed so drab and ugly to the stranger.

48. Spelling Words adding -ed and -ing  hurrying  hurried  slipped  slipping  robbed  robbing  noticed  noticing  happening  happened

49. Spelling Words Adding -ed and -ing  drying  dried  stopping  stopped  studying  studied  dancing  danced  watched  watching

50. CHALLENGE  answered  answering  magnified  magnifying  interfered  interfering

51. watched watching

52. danced dancing

53. studied studying

54. stopped stopping

55. dried drying

56. happened happening

57. noticed noticing

58. robbed robbing

59. hurried hurrying

60. slipped slipping