Bankruptcy in the United States and Tin Man

CHAPTER 1 – Do You Know About Storks?

1. How many children go to the school in Shora?

2. Who is the biggest of the schoolchildren?

3. The author says ‘we really should have started with Lina’. Why does he say that is?

4. What lesson does Lina interrupt to tell the teacher and the class about her story?

5. Why is Lina interested in storks?

6. What do the boys know about storks?

7. What task does the teacher set for the children to do?

8. Why do you think the teacher gives the children time out of school to think about storks?

9. Which of the children do you think will have the most interesting thoughts about storks?

10. What is different about the school in Shora, compared to your school?

Suggested supplementary activity: research into dikes and Friesland

CHAPTER 2 – To Wonder Why

1. Why is Jella not happy with Lina being in charge?

2. Why does Jella suggest the boys go ditch jumping?

3. Why does Lina think it is ‘hard being the only girl in Shora’?

4. As she walks back to the village, what does Lina notice about the roofs of the houses?

5. Who comes out to talk to Lina as she is standing in the street?

6. How does Grandmother Sibble suggest to Lina that they should think, in order to know what a stork would want?

7. What task does the teacher set for the children to do?

8. In what ways was Grandmother Sibble I’s house different from the school?

9. What does Lina realise she has found out about Grandmother Sibble III, after she has been talking to her?

10. What do you think the teacher and the boys will say when Lina tells them about her conversation with Grandmother Sibble III?

CHAPTER 3 – Wagon Wheel

1. Why is Lina surprised when all the boys put their hands up?

2. Why does Jella’s mother think that storks don’t come to Shora?

3. How does Eelka come to think of there being no trees in Shora?

4. Do they all agree that the ‘number one reason’ for there being no storks in Shora is the fact that there are no trees?

5. Why does Lina tell the others about Grandmother Sibble’s candy tin?

6. How many roofs in Shora have wagon wheels on them?

7. What do you think the teacher means by his proverb ‘First to dream and then to do – isn’t that the way to make a dream come true?’?

8. Why is Dirk not enthusiastic about the plan to raise trees in Shora?

9. Why does the teacher ask the children to imagine African animals in Shora?

10. The teacher tells the children to look for a wagon wheel ‘where one could be and where one couldn’t possibly be.’ Where do you think they will find a wheel?

CHAPTER 4 – Jella and the Farmer

1. Why do the children need to make plans and find a wheel quickly?

2. What does the teacher ask the children to do in the hour before noon?

3. What items do the children find when they search in the village?

4. Why are the children disappointed? Why does the teacher tell them that they shouldn’t be?

5. What does the teacher say that gives the children hope when they continue their search for a wheel?

6. Where did Jella find a wheel?

7. Why does the teacher say to the farmer that Jella is not a ‘downright thief’?

8. Why does the teacher suggest that Jella should help the farmer with his wagon work?

9. How does Jella decide to try to get storks to stay in Shora?

10. How do you think the other children will react if Jella’s plans for getting a stork are successful?

CHAPTER 5 – Pier and Dirk and the Cherry Tree

1. What does Pier think about as he sits waiting for Dirk? What makes him think about that?

2. Why do Pier and Dirk decide not to walk the length of the Ternaad road?

3. What happened to Jella when he climbed into Janus’s yard?

4. What is Pier’s plan for getting into Janus’ yard unseen?

5. Why does Dirk go into Janus’ yard?

6. Why are Pier and Dirk surprised when Janus laughs at their plans to take some of his cherries?

7. How did Janus lose his legs?

8. Why does Pier think it would be better if Janus’ legs had been bitten off by a shark?

9. What do Pier and Dirk learn about Janus, from their meeting with him?

10. How do you think it would feel to have no legs?

CHAPTER 6 – Eelka and the Ancient Wheel

1. How does the farmer come to find the old wagon wheel in his hayloft?

2. Why does Eelka think the other children will be surprised if he brings a wheel to the school?

3. What happens when Eelka pushes the wheel out of the hayloft?

4. How does the wheel come to get broken?

5. Why does Eelka collect all the parts of the broken wheel?

6. How does the wheel rim come to fall apart?

7. What is Jella’s plan for getting the iron rim out of the canal?

8. Why does Eelka decide to leave Jella in the canal?

9. How does Eelka rescue Jella from the canal?

10. Why do the boys leave one spoke in the bank of the canal?

CHAPTER 7 – Auka and the Tin Man

1. Why does Lina think it is better to be on the dike than on the road?

2. Why does the tin man say that it will be difficult for him to replace his broken wheel?

3. How does Auka help the tin man get to Nes?

4. Why is Auka glad to get away from the tin man and his family?

5. How does Auka end up in Lina’s aunt’s yard?

6. What does Evert do to his wheel that makes it different from everyone else’s?

7. Why does Auka tell Evert that all their efforts are ‘for nothing’?

8. How does Auka plan to help Evert and the tin man?

9. What does the tin man throw up to Auka on the wagon?

10. Why does the tin man drive his wagon away from Evert’s house as fast as he can?

CHAPTER 8 – Lina and the Upturned Boat

1. What does Lina decide to do, when she sees the dog in the wagon?

2. How does Lina first notice the upturned boat?

3. Why does Lina dance on the upturned boat?

4. Why does Douwa say that there is no time to waste before they get the wheel?

5. How did the wheel save Douwa’s father’s life?

6. Why does Douwa suggest that Lina digs while he saws?

7. Why are the women worried about Douwa?

8. How does Douwa say they will get the wheel up out of the boat?

9. Why does Douwa send the women for a horse and wagon?

10. Why does Lina say “Isn’t this exciting?” at the end of the chapter?

CHAPTER 9 – The Wheel Rim

1. Why is Jella surprised when he sees Pier and Dirk talking to Janus?

2. Why is Jella scared to go into Janus’ yard?

3. Why does Janus choose Jella to push his wheelchair?

4. Why does Janus pull on the school bell rope?

5. Why does the teacher tie Janus to his wheelchair?

6. Why does the teacher tell Janus they need time to ‘do a little breathing’ before they pull up the wheel rim?

7. Why does Janus suggest sending a telegram to China?

8. What happens when they finally reach the rim with the rake?

9. Why does Janus say that ‘something is wrong’?

10. Why does Auka make the tin man drive his wagon to the canal?

CHAPTER 10 – Wagon in the Sea

1. Why is Jana surprised when she realises Janus is with the group in the wagon?

2. Why does Janus tell them to take everything out of the wagon?

3. Why must the wheels be removed from the wagon?

4. Why does Janus say there is no time to waste?

5. What is Jana about to say, when she stops herself after “Janus, do you think –”?

6. Why does Jana drop the stones she has picked up for Janus to throw at birds and boys?

7. What does the horse do when the tide sweeps it off its feet?

8. How has Douwa marked the position of the hole in the boat?

9. Why does the tin man say that they need to be quick?

10. What do they do when the wheel starts to go under the wagon?

CHAPTER 11 – The Storm and the Storks

1. What does Lina think she hears in the attic? What is it really? Why is she confused by the sound?

2. How does Lina know that the fishing fleet has come in?

3. What happens when Lina gets back into bed to get warm before meeting her father?

4. Why is Lina so particularly worried by the storm?

5. Why does Pier think the storm might help them?

6. Why must they not dry the wheel too quickly?

7. Why are the men determined to get to the church, in spite of the storm?

8. Why does Janus want to sit at the back of the church?

9. Why can Janus not name all the storks that fly over Shora?

10. Why do you think everyone is astonished to see Janus in church?

CHAPTER 12 – The Wheel on the School

1. Why do all the men say that they will not help put the wheel up that day?

2. Why had the children thought their scheme would succeed?

3. Why can the children not concentrate on their arithmetic?

4. What is it that drives the men to go to the school?

5. What happens when two men first raise the long ladder? Who starts calling instructions to them?

6. Why does Janus carve two Vs in the wagon wheel?

7. Why does Janus refuse to go inside?

8. Why do the men accuse Janus of being a slave-driver?

9. Why does Janus ask Lina to go up onto the roof?

10. Why is it a treat for the children to have their fathers at home?

CHAPTER 13 – Flotsam and Jetsam

1. Why do the fishermen ‘fret at their confinement’?

2. Why do the children think the reading of the newspaper is generally dull?

3. Why does Auka say he must go out to see Pier and Dirk?

4. Why do the children decide to go and see Janus?

5. What does Janus think about the man who wrote the article in the newspaper?

6. Why is Janus so sure that the newspaper article is wrong?

7. Why does Janus think the storm may improve their chances of getting storks in Shora?

8. How does Janus say they will get more wheels?

9. Why does Jana say they cannot have a wheel factory in her living room?

10. Why does Jana break up the meeting between Janus and the children?

CHAPTER 14 – The Tots in the Tower

1. How is it that Linda and Jan find the church bell tower door open?

2. Why does Linda suggest that they climb the tower?

3. What is different about the bell loft, compared to the other lofts Linda and Jan go through?

4. Why is Linda so pleased to see two storks flying over the sea?

5. What do Jella and Lina find when they are out looking for Linda and Jan? Why is it so disappointing for them?

6. Why is Linda so keen to attract Lina’s attention when she sees her running with Jella?

7. How do Linda and Jan attract everyone’s attention?

8. What do Linda and Jan think will happen to them when they see their mothers coming?

9. Why is Linda surprised when she comes down from the tower?

10. Why are the storks on the dike ‘the wrong storks’?

CHAPTER 15 – Storks in the Sea

1. Why does Auka decide to ask Linda about the storks?

2. Why does Auka think that Janus has ‘thought of everything’? What things has Janus thought of?

3. Why does Janus ask Jella to row as hard as he can?

4. Why does Pier only have three minutes to get the storks?

5. Why is Janus sure that the storks won’t fight when Pier grabs them by the neck? Was he proved right?

6. How are the storks brought back to the dike?

7. What is Douwa’s advice when the three boys meet him on the dike? Why does he give it?

8. Why does Douwa get the boys to bury the dead storks?

9. Why do they decide to hold the storks close to the stove in the school?

10. What is the significance of the long twig that the male stork collects and takes up to his mate on the wheel?