1a. What does Shadow do with the medicine Eve gives him?
2a. On the night Eve is sent home from the hospital, she once again awakens in the middle of the night. When she looks out the window into the yard, what do her eyes focus on, and what does she ask herself?
3a. When Eve sees Chase, what does he look like?
4a. Identify the possible causes of Eve's illness, including what Eve's parents and doctors might believe.
5a. Evaluate the conversations Eve has with her family. How much exchange is there between people? Who does most of the talking? How do Eve's mother, her father, and her brother each respond to the comments she makes about her cats and ghosts? What effect do you think the reactions of her family have on Eve?
1b. Why do you think Shadow does that? Explain your answer.
2b. Why do you think Chase and all the other pets buried in the backyard haven't come back to haunt Eve? Why do you think it's different with the cats? Why are they haunting her?
3b. Why would Eve see Chase differently from when he was alive? Explain the significance of the change.
4b. Based on evidence from the story, create your own explanation for the cause of Eve's illness.
5b. What are some situations you've experienced in which you felt like a block of communication occurred? How did this affect you? What did you do, or how did you respond?
Mood. Examine the elements of mood (the setting, the behavior of the characters, and the events that take place in the story) in "Pets" and explain how each contributes to the atmosphere of the story. How would you describe the mood of the story?
Protagonist and Antagonist. What is the struggle Eve confronts with the cats? How does she resolve this struggle? Who is the protagonist(s)? Who is the antagonist(s)? Label each circle in the Graphic Organizer either protagonist or antagonist.
Complete a graphic organizer like the one started below to describe these three characters. Note their individual characteristics in the areas that do not overlap. In the area where the two circles representing the cats overlap, note the traits or concerns that those two characters share.
1. Write epitaphs for Eve to add to the gravestones of Angel, Shadow, and Chase.
2. Imagine that you are Eve and that you have just discovered Shadow for the first time out in the backyard at night looking up in the tree. Write a diary entry describing what happened.
3. Write a short essay responding to the following question: Do you find Eve's backyard an inviting place? Citing evidence from the story, explain why or why not.
Using a Thesaurus. Think about some of the words that describe the mood of "Pets." Make a list of these words. Using a thesaurus, look each word up and write down a few of its synonyms—pick those that most appeal to you.
Example scary: frightening, fearsome, chilling, creepy, spooky, eerie
Once you have a short list of scary words, use them along with at least four Words for Everyday Use, to write a spooky paragraph, poem, or letter. For more information, see the Language Arts Survey 5.21, "Using a Thesaurus."
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Internet Research. Using the library and/or the Internet, research the topic of ghosts to look for answers to the questions below. Use this log to keep track of the information you find, the sources you used, and any other questions you might come up with.
What are ghosts?
Why do ghosts appear?
What evidence suggests ghosts are real?
What evidence suggests ghosts are imagined?
What other questions do you have about ghosts?
Write your own theories to answer the questions about ghosts based on your research.
Adverbs. An adverb modifies, or changes the meaning of, a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.
Rewrite the sentences below. Put a star (*) after the adverb and a plus sign (+) next to the verb, adjective, or adverb it is modifying.
Examples If Eve was tardy, Angel scolded+ her loudly*. When Chase died, Eve was very+ sad*. The lightning flashed* uncommonly+ brightly+.
1. The cats waited impatiently for Eve to feed them.
2. Angel hissed angrily when Eve took the catnip away.
3. Shadow became edgy and acted very strangely.
4. Angel died quickly and painlessly in Eve's arms.
5. She was quite certain that her parents were asleep.
6. Usually, the cats lay at the foot of her bed.
7. Cats, she knew perfectly well, did not talk.
8. The next day, Shadow grew increasingly sluggish.
9. The librarian looked a little queerly at Eve.
10. "I'm not your pet!" she said vehemently.
