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George’s Marvelous Medicine by Road Dahl

Grandma (pp. 1-9)

Who are the three characters we’ve met so far?

On page 2, Roald Dahl writes that Grandma was always, “…grousing, grouching, grumbling, griping about something or other.” What form of figurative language is this: onomatopoeia, alliteration, metaphor, or simile?

Okay…I think Grandma is really funny to read about, but she’d be a nightmare to have for a REAL grandmother.

The Marvelous Plan (pp. 10-13)

Here’s a little grammar lesson. On page 12 George thinks, “So-ho! Ah-ha! Ho-hum!” when he discovers what he’s going to do. What are these parts of speech called: adverbs, interjections, adjectives, or prepositions.

I think the poem on pages 12 and 13 is interesting for a couple of reasons. If you’ve read any of Roald Dahl’s other books (James and the Giant Peach or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, for example), you may have noticed that he tends to write poems for his characters (especially when they get excited about something). This particular poem is made up of couplets. A couplet is two lines of poetry that usually rhyme.

George Begins to Make Medicine (pp.14-21)

Wow! Even though George didn’t put any medicine in from the medicine cabinet, he sure put a lot of poisonous stuff in there. Is he really going to give it to Grandma?

Animal Pills (pp. 22-26)

What does the word wheeze mean in the first paragraph of this chapter (page 22)?

What does the word concoction mean in the second to last paragraph on page 25?

The Cook-up (pp. 27-28)

In the poem at the end of the chapter, Dahl uses, “hissing, squishing, spissing” to describe how the mixture sounds as it’s being cooked. What form of figurative language is this: onomatopoeia, alliteration, personification, or metaphor?

Brown Paint (pp. 29-30)

What does the word dashed mean in the following sentence? “George ran outside and dashed into his father’s toolshed where all the paints were kept.”

Grandma Gets the Medicine (pp. 31-40)

You HAVE to look at the pictures before you read this chapter!

Name three effects the medicine had on Grandma.

The Brown Hen (pp. 41-47)

What did George do to prove to Grandma that he made the medicine?

The Pig, the Bullocks, the Sheep, the Pony and the Nanny Goat (pp. 48-57)

At the bottom of page 48, it says that George’s mother “goggled and gaped.” What does it mean to gape?

George’s father wasn’t angry with him. Why?

A Crane for Grandma (pp. 58-62)

What was the one good thing that the medicine did for Grandma?

Mr. Kranky’s Great Idea (pp. 63-67)

What is Mr. Kranky’s great idea?

Marvelous Medicine Number Two (pp. 68-72)

What did George forget to put in medicine number two?

What effect did the medicine have on the chicken?

Marvelous Medicine Number Three (pp. 73-75)

Now what did George forget?

I’m wondering where Grandma is. Do you think she’s still sleeping in the barn? Do you think the medicine has a lasting effect? Will she be super tall for the rest of her life?

Marvelous Medicine Number Four (pp. 76-77)

What effect did medicine number four have on the chicken?

Goodbye, Grandma (pp. 78-89)

This book reminds me of a fable. A fable is a story that has a moral or a lesson at the end of it. What do you think is the lesson at the end of George’s Marvelous Medicine?

What genre would you say this book is: mystery, fantasy, realistic fiction, or myth?

Rate this book on a scale of 1-5 (1 is lowest.)

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George’s Marvelous Medicine