A-Z Mysteries
The Ninth Nugget
Chapter 1
1.What was ‘Western Wheat’? (p1)
- a dude ranch
- a circus
- a sheep farm
2.Who picked the children up from the airport? (p2)
- a taxi driver
- Josh’s parents
- Jud Wheat
3. Why did the children go to ‘Western Wheat’? (p6)
- Because they loved horses.
- Because it was a gift from their friend.
- Because they saw it on TV.
4. Who was the cook at ‘Western Wheat’? (p8)
- Jud
- Lulu
- Ma Wheat
5. Who was Thumbs? (p10)
- the dog
- the man with only one thumb
- Jud’s father
Chapter 2
1. Where did the children stay on the ranch? (p11)
- in the main house
- in a cabin
- in a tent
2. What was Ed Getz’s job? (p14)
- a magician
- a scientist
- an actor
3. How many people were eating at the table? (p15)
- eight
- ten
- twelve
4. Why did everyone go outside after dinner? (p18)
- Because the house was on fire.
- Because there was a bonfire.
- Because it was raining.
5. What did Thumbs tell the group? (p20)
- a story about bears
- a story about his thumb
- a story about fire
Chapter 3
1. Why did Dink think a grizzly bear wouldn’t want Josh? (p23)
- Because he was too brave.
- Because he was too skinny.
- Because he was too scary.
2. What woke Dink in the night? (p25)
- a thump outside the cabin
- a thunder storm
- the telephone
3. What did Dink see in front of the window? (p26)
- a dog
- a light
- a dark shape
4. Where did the children go for breakfast? (p27)
- to the forest
- to the main house
- to Ellie’s Diner
5. Who heard noises in the night? (p28)
- Jud
- Thumbs
- Dink
Chapter 4
1. After breakfast, where did the guests go? (p30)
- cycling in the road
- running in the forest
- panning for gold
2. Who showed the guests how to find gold? (p30)
- Ed Getz
- Thumbs
- Lulu
3. Why did Josh move upstream? (p34)
- Because he wanted to find real gold.
- Because he wanted to look for bears.
- Because he didn’t like Dink.
4. Why did Josh yell? (p35)
- Because a bear was chasing him.
- Because he hurt his leg.
- Because he found a chunk of gold.
5. How many nuggets did the group find? (p34-35)
a. eight
b. nine
c. ten
Chapter 5
1. What could the expert do the next day? (p37)
- examine the gold
- steal the gold
- break the gold
2. Where did Josh put his gold nugget? (p38)
- in his bag
- in the safe
- under his bed
3. What did the group do after lunch? (p39)
- gardening
- swimming
- horse riding
4. Why didn’t Ed Getz go riding? (p41)
- Because he sprained his ankle.
- Because he was scared of horses.
- Because he had to work.
5. Who took Ed to the cabins? (p42)
- Lulu
- Josh
- Fiona
Chapter 6
1. Where did the horses stop to eat? (p44)
- by a river
- in a meadow
- along the road
2. Who would teach Josh to throw a lasso? (p46)
- Jud
- Thumbs
- Ed Getz
3. Where did Jud, Seth, and Bonnie go? (p47)
- back to the cabin
- to the supermarket
- on a nature hike
4. Why did the group go back to the ranch? (p50)
- Because a storm came.
- Because Ruth Rose hurt herself.
- Because they were hungry.
5. Why did Jud run towards the barn door? (p51)
- Because a horse ran away.
- Because the dinner bell didn’t stop ringing.
- Because he saw a bear.
Chapter 7
1. Where did the people find Lulu? (p53)
- in Fiona’s cabin
- in the bathroom
- in the office
2. What was missing from the safe in the office? (p54)
- papers
- Josh’s gold nugget
- green account books
3. Where was Fiona? (p56)
- fishing
- tied up in her cabin
- shopping at the store
4. Why were Ed’s hands behind his back? (p56)
- Because they were handcuffed.
- Because it was a magic trick.
- Because it was a game.
5. How did Ed get to the main house? (p58)
- on in-line skates
- in a wheelchair
- on crutches
Chapter 8
1. Who did Lulu, Fiona, and Ed tell their story to? (p59)
- the newspaper
- the dog
- the sheriff
2. What color were the clothes the robber wore? (p59)
- grey
- black
- brown
3. Why were there no fingerprints on the safe? (p61)
- Because the robber cleaned the safe.
- Because the robber wore gloves.
- Because the robber had no fingers.
4. Who knew the combination of the lock on the safe? (p61)
- Ma, Pa, and Jud
- Thumbs and Lulu
- Josh, Dink, and Ruth Rose
5. Who wasn’t at the beginning of the horse ride? (p63)
- Thumbs
- Bonnie
- Jud
Chapter 9
1. What did the robber use to tie up Fiona and Lulu? (p65)
- sweaters
- strings
- ropes
2. Why did Ruth Rose want to look in the cabins? (p67)
- Because she wanted to steal money.
- Because she wanted to look for clues.
- Because they could hide.
3. Whose chair was empty at the dinner table? (p69)
- Pa Wheat’s
- Josh’s
- Thumbs’s
4. What did everyone do after dinner? (p70)
- sing songs
- play cards
- tell stories
5. What project did Josh tell Ma Wheat they had to do? (p71)
- study constellations
- catch butterflies
- plant a tree
Chapter 10
1. What did Dink see in Ed’s bathroom? (p73)
- a stethoscope
- a rubber duck
- a soccer ball
2. Why would Josh’s mother love Thumbs? (p76)
- Because he was smelly.
- Because he was so neat.
- Because he was so messy.
3. Did the children find the gold in the cabins? (p77)
- Yes.
- No.
- We don’t know.
4. Who did the children see go into the cabin? (p77)
- Ed Getz
- Fiona
- Thumbs
5. What was Ed doing in his cabin? (p79)
- dancing
- shouting
- packing
Chapter 11
1. What tumbled out of Ed’s sock? (p81)
- a rope
- a spider
- Josh’s gold nugget
2. Who caught Ed with a rope? (p82)
- Thumbs
- Josh
- Lulu
3. Where was Ed taken? (p83)
- to bed
- to the Bozeman jailhouse
- to the river
4. What would Josh do with his gold nugget? (p86)
- buy a car
- go on vacation
- give it to save the ranch
5. Why did Josh run out of the room screaming? (p87)
- Because Ma and Lulu tried to kiss him.
- Because he saw a snake.
- Because he lost the gold.
Dictation
- As he reached for the kids’ backpacks, Dink saw that one of the man’s thumbs was missing.
- He wiggled his fingers at the kids. “I’m amagician. I’m trying to be an actor, but there’s not much work.”
- The next morning, the breakfast bell woke the kids.
- “I don’t see any gold,” Josh observed, peering into the water.
- The nugget was as large as Josh’s hand and almost as flat.
- “Will you teach me to throw a lasso?” Josh asked Jud.
- Josh found the key. When Ed sat up, Dink and Josh saw that his hands had been cuffed to the iron bed board.
- “Lulu,” Ma said, “did you happen to notice how this character got the safe open?”
- “Josh, never mind how neat he is. Did you find any clues?” Ruth Rose asked.
- The rope tightened. Ed stumbled, then fell to the ground with a thud.