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Study Guide for Shoestrings—No Time For Dinosaurs

Introduction

Shoestrings is filled with symbolism and is quick paced to keep the attention of even the most attention challenged elementary and middle school age child. Shoestrings is designed to teach children to think creatively—outside the box—and to deal with life’s challenges by using their minds. Shoestrings is about time, family relations, string theory, the universe, dinosaurs and other unusual animals. Shoestrings is a wonder filled adventure that the children will live through the written word and use their gift of imagination.

Part I: The Time Capsule

Discussion Questions for Chapters 1 & 2

Who are the main characters? What are their ages? Do you think the children should have gone into their fathers’ lab? Why do you think Kyle disliked school?
Would you have been curious enough to find out what mysteries were in the lab?
What is your impression of Kyle? Teresa? Sonja?
Would you have gone into the time capsule?
Why do you think the time capsule sounded like music? How was it described?
What are the names of the children’s fathers? Are they scientists? What kind of scientists?
What did the scientists discover? Were the fathers aware their children had just disappeared in the capsule? If you were their father, how do you think you would have felt?
What is your impression of the first 2 chapters?

Discussion Questions for Chapters 3 & 4

The children are now in the capsule heading for some unknown destination. Kyle seems to know what is going on, but the girls don’t.

How would you have felt if you were in a strange device like the time capsule and didn’t know where you were going?
How is it that Kyle knew what the device was? How could he know and still do so poorly in school?
How did Kyle know what string theory was? Could you explain it? Do you think it is a real theory? How can you find out?
What does Teresa think about the whole idea? Sonja?
What does Dr. Donavan really think about Kyle? Do you think he should have been more open with him? Encouraged him more? Praised him? Why do you think he didn’t?
The scientists mention harmonics. How does that relate to string theory? Do you like the sound of violins? Have you ever listened to an orchestra carefully? How did it make you feel?
How would you explain time? Did the scientists understand it?
What do you think the doctors saw in the film?
Would you have been frightened if it were your children?

Discussion Questions for Chapters 5 & 6

Describe Kyle. Teresa. Sonja. Do you know children like them?
Do you think Kyle likes his sister since he likes to tease her so much? Do you think he’s mean? Do the girls in your discussion group feel differently about these questions than the boys? Why?
Describe the scene the children discovered. How would you feel if you saw real, live dinosaurs?
How did it smell in the past? Why would that be important to the story?
How would you have felt if the capsule suddenly left you stranded 65 million years in the past with dinosaurs all around?
What were the dinosaurs attracted to? Remember this point since it will come up again.
How do you think Kyle knew how to approach the strange visitor? What do you think the creature is?
Did you notice how the scene mentions the senses of smell and touch? Sight and sound? Even taste? Do you think these things help you to use your imagination even more?

Discussion Questions for Chapters 7 & 8

What limitations do the fathers realize?
How did Kyle begin to explore the world of the dinosaurs? How do you think he knew the names of some of them? Did you know that the names are taken from the Latin language? They are the scientific names. I’ll bet you know how to pronounce them!
What did Kyle’s keen sense of observation cause him to discover near where the time capsule had been?
What did they name the small dinosaur? Who named it? What did Kyle think about that? Do you know people with unusual names in your school? Why do you think their names are so unusual?
What did Kyle remember reading about the dinosaurs? Where do you think he got that information? Could you find information about the dinosaurs? Where will you look and what did you learn that you didn’t know before?
What did the doctors do? Do you think they were worried?
What were some things Kyle saw and heard that night? How did he use his power of reason?
Why did Priti run out of the lean to?
What went on back in the future? Did it shock you? Why? How did the shoestring affect Dr. Donovan? Do you think the parents loved their children? Do you think that is important?

Discussion Questions for Chapters 9 & 10

What new problem now faced the children? How did Kyle respond? Do you think he acted calmly in that situation? How did that make the girls feel?
How does Kyle bring up the subject of the shoestring?
Where do the children head next? What did you notice this time about the description of the area?
What did Kyle figure out about Priti? Was he right? Did Priti’s aggressive behavior mean she didn’t like Kyle? Do you see aggressive behavior in other animals like dogs and cats? Do you think it means they don’t like you?
What do the children realize they haven’t done? How do they intend to solve the problem? Is there a cooperative effort between the children? How does careful observation help them to learn about this new environment?
What do they experience and is this frightening? Would you have been scared?

Discussion Questions for Chapters 11 & 12

How do the children use things they learned to understand what was happening? What sudden danger did they now face? How would you have felt and what would you have done in their situation?
What far dangerous observation did they discover? What was the subject of their conversation?
What did Sonja think of Kyle? But how did Kyle feel?
What did the children find to eat? How did they know it was safe? Would you know what to eat if you became lost in the woods?
What were the Northern Lights? Have you ever seen them? Where would you go to see them? Do you know what causes them? How would you find out?
What was about to occur? Do you think being in that situation would be frightening?
What course of action did Kyle propose? Why?

Discussion Questions for Chapters 13 & 14

Where did the comet hit and what was the result? Did that really happen? How could you find out?
What obstacles did the children have to overcome? How did they manage to do that? What do you think Kyle felt about his sister and Sonja? Do you thank that was a brave thing to do?
What very unusual thing was happening in the future? Why do you think time moved forward so quickly in the future while only a couple of days went by in the past?
What do you think went through Dr Donavan’s mind when he heard the violins?
What happened in the time capsule? What did Teresa discover?
What did Kyle think he saw through the gel? Who do you think it was? Did Kyle know?
Whoa! What just happened with the fathers? Did that surprise you?
What did the children discover when they came out of the capsule? What do you suppose caused that? Are there answers to everything in life? Are there mysteries that mankind has yet to discover? Could you be the next Einstein? Did you know that he did poorly in math in school?

Discussion Questions for Chapters 15

Where do the children end up? Do you know what irony is? Look it up and discuss why this scene is ironic.
How does the museum’s caretaker respond to Kyle’s questions? How does that make Kyle feel? Have you ever been ignored or looked down on because of something you said by an adult? What was Kyle determined to do about it?
What do you think they are going to do next?

Part II: The Raptors

Discussion Questions for Chapters 16 & 17

What was Kyle pondering and how? What did Teresa think of this? Was this unusual for Kyle to act this way, or do you think he was maturing?
What were the doctors up to? Did you learn a little bit more about string theory? Is there violin music playing in your head yet?
What is the space-time continuum? Where might you go for the answer? What didn’t the doctors realize, even with all their knowledge? Does science have all the answers to everything? Do you think scientists still have much to learn? Could you be a scientist? What would you like to discover?
What is a sari? Why was Sonja wearing one? Do you know people who dress differently than you? What do you think about that? Does it matter what we look like or how we dress?
What are the girls discussing? How does Sonja feel about Kyle now?
Sometimes parents get too busy for their children. Describe the scene where Kyle tries to ask his father a question. What do you think about that discussion? Have you had a similar experience? How did you handle it?
What do we learn about the connection between music and harmonics? How about how the music affected the dog? Why did Toby hear things Kyle could not?
Now what does Kyle do? Why?
What was Dr. Donovan thinking about that night? Is this a good sign? Do you think that sometimes your parents might make the same mistake?

Discussion Questions for Chapters 18 & 19

What obstacles did Kyle face when he entered the computer control center? How did he know what to do? What especially surprised him?
What do you make of the encounter in the middle of the night with Teresa and her father? How did Teresa show she cared about her brother?
Meanwhile, back at the lab, Kyle manages to launch the capsule. What discovery does he make this time while in the capsule? Why do you think that is?
Describe the discussion between Kyle’s father and mother. What does his father realize? What does he suspect and how does he handle it? Is Kyle in trouble with his parents?

Discussion Questions for Chapters 20 & 21

What does Kyle find waiting for him when he steps out of the capsule? How do you think you would feel? What would you do? What does Kyle do? Why? Do you think that was quick thinking on Kyle’s part?
Was Kyle in exactly the same time period he was in the last time they traveled to the past? Why do you so answer?
What do the girls realize and how do they feel about it? What do the doctors realize? What do they discover in the capsule? Who takes the blame? What do you think about that?
How does Kyle get out of his predicament? Does this turn out to be a good thing? What does he decide to do next? What is still on his mind?
What do you think is in the water? Is it dangerous? Pay attention to the animal in the water, because Shoestrings Book Three is called The Monster in the Lake.
What confession takes place back in the lab? Why does the discussion center around the shoestring? Does the shoestring represent something else? What do we call it when something represents another thing?
How does Teresa feel at this point? Sonja? Their parents? Do you think Kyle should have taken such a risk by himself?

Discussion Questions for Chapters 22 & 23

Describe the Pterosaur. What did it see? What did it want to do? Do you know the difference between a Pterosaur and pterodactyl? Maybe you can find a book in the library that will tell you.
Kyle was already frightened and running when something hit him. What was it? How did Kyle’s quick reaction save his life? Would you have reacted in the same way or would you have panicked. Panic would have cost Kyle his life. He remained cool headed and did what he had to do.
What do the doctors decide to do? Dr. Bashan brings up a theory that could explain the shoestring. What is it? Does it make any sense to known science? Do we sometimes have to stretch our imaginations to understand things we can’t understand? What does Dr. Donavan come to realize about Kyle? If he had known that sooner and expressed it, do you think they would be in the predicament they are in?
What unexpectedly saves Kyle from the pterosaur? What other shock does he get?
What happens in the future and what unusual occurrence happens to Kyle’s father?
Who does Kyle discover? Does she recognize him from before or does he have to win her over again? Kyle gets another visitor. It is a very dangerous place. What danger does Kyle now face?
What is a paradox? Can you look up the word in a dictionary? What does it say? How do you think Kyle might cause a paradox? Shoestrings Book Two is named Paradox! What difficult decision does Dr. Donovan make? Why? Does he love his son?

Discussion Questions for Chapters 24 & 25

Why does Kyle decide to run down the hill? Why was this a mistake? What action does he take to avoid being eaten by the raptors? Were there any other options?
Where does Kyle now find himself? Would you have been frightened? What had Kyle learned about animals that helped him to overcome this situation? Where might he have learned so much about animals?
How did Kyle use what he had learned about harmonics to understand the animals? Is this really something we could use? How do you feel about the creature in the water? What do you think it is? You’ll learn a great deal more in Book Three about this animal! What does Kyle decide to do? What obstacles does he have to overcome?
What does Dr. Donovan do? Why?
Why do the violins begin to sound like cellos? Why does everything begin to move in slow motion? What are your theories about this?
What is the shocking ending? Does it leave you wanting to read the next book to find out what will happen? What do we learn about writing a story from this approach?

Exercises for extra credit

Write a short story about a time capsule. Decide where you would like to go. What would your time machine look like? How would it operate? What will you learn?
Write a book report on “Shoestrings—No Time For Dinosaurs.” Describe the pace of the story. Did it go by quickly? How was that accomplished? Did you always know what was going to happen next? Did you guess sometimes? What lessons does the story teach? Is there a theme?
Write a short essay on how you might apply the things you learned from the story. Or write an essay on what the next book might be about. See if you’re right.
Write a review of the book. Why you liked it or why you didn’t like it. Would you recommend the book to your friends to read?
Write a short essay on all of your impressions about the story or the characters.
Perform a play about one of the scenes. For example: someone can play Priti, Kyle, Teresa and Sonja. Act out the scene where they first discover Priti.
Dinosaur research: Was there such a dinosaur known as a bambiraptor? Was it a meat eater (carnivore) or did it eat something else? Is there any way of knowing for sure? Did you notice anything else in the book about dinosaurs that were unusual? Have a discussion/debate to prove your point. What did you discover after the discussion? Why does keeping an open mind about science and discoveries help us to understand the world we live in?

Wild Animal Publishing Company

Announces:

Motivational Literary Program For Schools

For Children Ages 7-14 and up

(Excellent for remedial High School students!)

Winner of the Parent to Parent “Adding Wisdom Award” for 2005, “Shoestrings—No Time For Dinosaurs” and “Shoestrings Book Two—Paradox” are children’s/young adult chapter novels designed to stimulate and encourage learning. While books, such as the Harry Potter series, encourage reading, they are fantasy novels where magic and wizardry are used to solve problems. “Shoestrings” promotes the use of creativity, observational skills, and knowledge to solve problems. Harry Potter novels teach children new words to understand the story. “Shoestrings” introduces scientific words and cutting-edge theories—things that can be used in life in a way that is both fun and entertaining.

The Wild Animal Publishing Company and author, John Benjamin Sciarra announces the creation of a motivational series in support of the “No Child Left Behind” Law. Concurrent with the release of the second book in the “Shoestrings” children’s series, Sciarra, former Curator at the Mystic Aquarium, and paleontologist and scientific illustrator Keith M. Cowley, have created a program to encourage reading, learning, and writing.

Here's a sample of what is included in the program:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

This Program Contains the Following:

Forward
Introduction.
Study Guide for Book 1
Study Guide for Book 2
Glossary for all books combined.
Play written exclusively for this program by John Benjamin Sciarra
A Bambiraptor Named Priti
Aurora Borealis
Tips on Storytelling
Book Publishing
Time and Time Traveling—Separating Fact From Fiction
The Extinction of the Dinosaurs
Paleontology—Considering a Career in Dinosaurs
Discount Order Form Template for students
Discount Order Post Cards for schools and libraries
Price List for books, dinosaur prints and other products
DVD Motivational Program Presented by John Benjamin Sciarra and Keith M. Cowley (Under development. Will send when complete)
CD for play. (Under development. Will send when complete)

To Order or for more information:

sciarrajb@aol.com or call (860) 446-1156