adeline’s dream - coteau...

MANYPEOPLES

LINDA AKSOMITIS

Adeline’sDREAM

FROM

Study Guide

A Novel Study Guide

by Dave Glaze

LINDA AKSOMITIS

Adeline’sDream

© Coteau Books, 2005.

Teachers have permission from the author and publisher to make copies of thisguide for personal classroom use, personal reference, and student use.

ISBN: 978-1-55050-330-2

Cover images: “Vintage Steam Locomotive,” by Blasius Erlinger/Gerry Images and,“The Keary Girls” (detail), London Stereoscopic Company/Getty Images.Cover montage and design by Duncan Campbell.Study Guide design by Karen Steadman.Printed and bound in Canada.

2517Victoria Ave.Regina, Saskatchewan Canada S4P 0T2

The publisher gratefully acknowledges the financial support of its publishing programby: the Saskatchewan Arts Board, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Governmentof Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (bpidp), theCity of Regina Arts Commission, the Saskatchewan Cultural Industries DevelopmentFund, Saskatchewan Culture Youth and Recreation, SaskCulture Inc., SaskatchewanCentennial 2005, Saskatchewan Lotteries, and the Lavonne Black memorial Fund.

Table of Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Before You Read the Novel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Chapter One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Chapter Two . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Chapter Three . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Chapter Four . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Chapter Five . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Chapter Six . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Chapter Seven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Chapter Eight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Chapter Nine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Chapter Ten . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Chapter Eleven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Chapter Twelve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Chapter Thirteen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Epilogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Concluding Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

About the Author

Linda Aksomitis is the author of Snowmobile Adventures, part of the Amazing Stories series fromAltitude Publishing, and a young adult novel, Snowmobile Challenge, which was a finalist for a2003 Saskatchewan Book Award. A professional writer, she has published over 500 articles intravel magazines, outdoor sports publications and others, as well as doing technical writing, text-books, courses, and material for radio. She also worked for ten years as a children’s librarian.

Born in Regina, Linda Aksomitis has lived in Qu’Appelle for most of her life. She is com-pleting a Master of Vocational/Technical Education degree, and is an avid snowmobiler andoutdoor sportsman. You can visit Linda online at www.aksomitis.com or email her [email protected].

Introduction

Plot Summary

Twelve-year-old Adeline Mueller has to fight to make a place for herself when her family comesto Canada from Germany in 1910 to join her father in their new land. Adeline hasn’t seen herfather for four years, but his letters promised a splendid new life and a house of their own.Whenthey step off the train in Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan, the reality is very different. Home is a sodhouse in a squatter settlement on cpr land. Even her name changes. People in Canada call herLinna, her father’s nickname for her when she was much younger. For a long time Adeline can’tforgive her father for bringing her here. She despairs that her dream of becoming an opera singerwill never come true.

Life in her new home is definitely dramatic. Linna experiences a tornado, a devastating fire,and relentless prejudice from Sarah, a girl in her class. But, she also makes friends. Minna, a girlin the squatter settlement, shows her how to pick wild berries, and Henry, a boy with a physicaldisability, helps her get library books to practice her new language.

By Christmas, Linna has begun to like Canada, forgiven her father, won respect from Sarah,and reclaimed her name.Adeline’s dream may yet be fulfilled!

A Message From the Author

Linda Aksomitis

I’ve lived near or in the town of Qu’Appelle for all but the very first year of my life. WhenQu’Appelle Footprints to Progress, our history book, was published I was intrigued by many ofthe events that had happened here—particularly by the description of the German community.Like Adeline in this story, I spent my childhood on the “edge” of the community. I started “townschool” in grade six after our one-room country school closed, and found it very tough, asAdeline did, to fit into the close-knit community.

Although Adeline’s story happens in 1910, I experienced many other things that Adeline doesin this story. My first farm home had no power, no running water, no modern conveniences atall—these first hand experiences made me realize that I should write historical fiction to lettoday’s readers know a little more about what life was like without them.While I never lived ina soddie, I do remember the root cellar or earthen hole beneath the kitchen floor, so could read-ily imagine Adeline’s responses.

Finally, it was wonderful to explore Adeline’s ancestry. I visited Germany in 1989 with mymother-in-law, setting Adeline’s home just a few miles from my favourite place there, the histor-ical village of Rothenburg. Exploring the history behind our family’s German traditions wasimportant to me.

© Coteau Books, 2005. Teachers have permission from the author and publisher to make

copies of this guide for personal classroom use, personal reference, and student use.

1Adeline’sDREAM

OrganizationWithin this guide you will find a variety of activities intended to help readers appreciate andunderstand the novel,Adeline’s Dream. Literary qualities are considered, comprehension is exam-ined, and connections to the curricula and to readers’ real lives are pursued. Each teacher usingthis guide will be able to choose those exercises that best suit the needs of her or his students.Weencourage you to add other activities as well.

Three categories of responses are offered for each chapter, Preparing to Read, After theReading, and Extending the Reading.

Preparing to ReadThis section in the study of each chapter has activities that require class discussion and personalreflection. It is intended to help the students anticipate the coming chapter.

After the ReadingThis section provides discussion questions that target important events and themes in the book.Add other questions of your own. Encourage your students to develop questions about the read-ing that their classmates could answer.

Extending the ReadingThese activities are intended to involve the students in what they’ve read and to help them relatethe story to their own world. Oral, written, and illustrated responses are suggested.

Connections to the Saskatchewan Curriculum GuidesThe Language Arts curriculum (Language Arts: A Curriculum Guide for the Elementary Level,2002) skills of Listening, Speaking, Reading,Writing,Viewing, and Representing are developedin this study.The approach fits a Social, Cultural, and Historical Context with topics such as rela-tionships with others, interactions with others, community and cultural customs, events andissues, and our place in history.

This novel study could be integrated into the teaching of Social Studies (Social Studies: ACurriculum Guide for the Elementary Level, 1995) in the Grade Four Heritage Unit (Immigrantsand Settlers) or the Grade Five Heritage Unit (Building a Nation: Immigration, Confederation,the Canadian Pacific Railway, the Treaties, and the Wars).

From Many PeoplesAdeline’s Dream is part of the From Many Peoples series published by Coteau Books. Originallydeveloped as a celebration of Saskatchewan’s Centennial in 2005, the stories in this series illumi-nate life in the province from the viewpoints of young people from different cultural groups.Study guides for the From Many Peoples novels can be downloaded free of charge from the CoteauBooks web site: www.coteaubooks.com. For more information about this book, and the otherbooks in the From Many Peoples series, please check out our dedicated web site atwww.coteaubooks.com/frommanypeoples.html.



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Before You Read the Novel

The following activities will help the students anticipate the novel’s themes and prepare them forthe initial scenes.

Emigration

The story begins as Adeline (Linna), her younger brother Konrad, and their mother arrive on thetrain at their new home, Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan. It is the year 1910.They have travelled fromGermany to join the children’s father who came to Canada four years earlier.They have broughttheir belongings in a trunk.

Tell your students to imagine that their family is going to move to another country.Anything they take with them must fit into a trunk, a wooden and steel box that measures aboutone metre long, 50 cm wide, and 55 cm high. It weighs about 25 kilograms empty.They are tocreate a list of everything they think their family will take. Help them to brainstorm as a classwhat categories of things they will consider including (for example, electronics, books, clothes,family photographs, etc.) After discussing the assignment at home, each student completes his orher list.As a class they can discuss their choices.What did you take? What did you leave behind?How did you make your choices? Did everyone in your family agree on the choices? What wouldyou do with everything that had to be left behind? How did you feel about your choices?

Language

Tell your students to imagine that the people in the country they are going to do not speakEnglish or any other language that they know. How will you learn the new language? Have youever been in a situation where you did not understand the language being spoken around you?Describe how you felt.

What other ways of communicating do we have besides speaking? Would it be possible foryou to carry on a conversation without speaking out loud?

Dreams

Ask your students about the different meanings of the word dream.Tell your students that in thestory they are about to read, Adeline’s dream is not an experience she has while sleeping. It is ahope or ambition she has for the future. Discuss this type of dream with your students. Do youhave a strong dream for your future? Is there something that you really want to do or accom-plish? Is it something that you want to happen soon, or when you are an adult? Is the dreamsomething you want to do yourself or with others? What will you have to do to help your dreamcome true? Are you doing anything now to help your dream come true?



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Saskatchewan in 1910

This story takes place in a small Saskatchewan town in the year 1910.Ask your students what theythink life was like in western Canada at that time.You could use categories to aid your discus-sion, for example, new technology, clothing, sports and recreation, food, farms, school, weather,etc. Be sure to correct any misconceptions the students may have.

You could continue this activity while you are reading the novel. Ask the students to verifytheir predictions with evidence they find in the story.

An alternate approach is to read a selection of picture books that are set on the Canadianprairies in this time period. Some possibilities are:

Belle’s Journey by Marilynn Reynolds. Illustrated by Stephen McCallum. Orca BookPublishers, 1993.

Josepha, a prairie boy’s story by Jim McGugan. Illustrated by Murray Kimber. Red DeerCollege Press, 1994.

The Prairie Fire by Marilynn Reynolds. Illustrated by Don Kilby. Orca Book Publishers,1999.

Prairie Willow by Maxine Trottier. Illustrated by Laura Fernandez and Rick Jacobson.Stoddart Kids, 1998.



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Chapter One (Pages 1–19)

Summary

On a hot, dry day in June,Adeline Mueller, her brother Konrad, and their mother arrive by trainin Qu’Appelle, a small Saskatchewan town.Adeline is twelve and Konrad five years old.The chil-dren are anxious to see their father who had left their home in Germany to come to Canada fouryears earlier.Although he worked in a bank in Germany now their father is employed at a flourmill.When they first see each other,Adeline’s father calls her Linna, his nickname for her whenshe was younger. Soon, Konrad and their mother use that name, too. Mr. Mueller takes them tothe edge of town to a soddie, a small house made from the prairie sod. When she goes insideLinna thinks the single room is better suited for animals. Before they left Germany her father hadwritten and described a nice house that they would live in when they arrived.

Preparing to Read

l Remind the students to keep in mind their discussions about the themes. As weread this chapter, we learn how Adeline feels about leaving Germany and comingto western Canada.

l Read this first chapter out loud, either entirely by the teacher or by the teacher andstudents. Stop for clarification as needed.

After Reading

l Discuss• Linna says that her father has changed since he came to Canada.

How does she remember him? How is he now? What do youthink has caused the change?

• What are Linna’s first impressions of western Canada?• When she left Germany, Linna couldn’t speak English. How has she

started to learn some words? On the station platform Linna hears agirl say something toward her. She doesn’t understand all the wordsbut she guesses they aren’t friendly. How would she be able to fig-ure that out?

• Adeline seems surprised when her father and then the rest of herfamily call her Linna.Which name do you think she prefers? Why?

• What is Linna’s dream for her future? Do you think she’ll be able toachieve her dream in western Canada?

• Describe Linna’s new house, inside and out. How do we know howLinna feels about it?



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Extending the Reading

The following activities can be started after reading Chapter One and continued through thestudy.

l Begin to develop Character Charts• A Character Chart helps students visualize the characters in a story.

Possible formats for these charts can be found on the followingpages. Have the students work alone or in pairs to insert the namesof characters introduced in the first chapter: Linna, Konrad, Mama,Papa,Anke. For each character, jot down an important characteristicand the evidence to suggest it.

• As new characters enter the story, add their names, characteristics,and evidence. If further reading suggests someone in the story isdifferent than originally thought, add the new characteristic andevidence. Draw a line through anything you no longer agree with,but do not erase anything you have written. In this way you can seehow your opinions of characters change as you read the novel.

l Start a journal• Have the students begin a journal in which they will write their

responses to the events in the story. Encourage the students to thinkabout how the story is changing as events occur. Discourage themfrom merely describing the action.

• For each journal entry, the students should be thinking about ques-tions like:

• How would I be feeling if I was one of the characters? How wouldI have done things differently? What would I say to the other char-acters?

• Did the events in this chapter seem realistic? What do I thinkwould have happened differently?

• What is the author trying to accomplish in this chapter?

l The opera• Linna’s dream is to sing in the opera. She uses her native language,

German, when she thinks about the opera. Start a list of all theGerman language opera terms you see in the story.As you addwords, try to find the meaning in English of each one.



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Character DevelopmentFill in the chart with information the author has given you about Nettie. Choose six more char-acters from the story.



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Character Character Trait Clues that Prove this Trait Page

Character Development

Choose a character from the story and write his/her name in the centre oval.Write four charac-ter traits in the joining smaller ovals, and then following the arrows, write evidence for each traitin the large ovals. Remember to use page numbers for reference.



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Chapter Two (Pages 20–40)

Summary

Linna wakes up feeling miserable after her first night in the soddie. She is homesick and sad andshe misses her cousin back in Germany. Soon she meets Kat, a girl her age who has been inQu’Appelle for three years, who lives in another soddie, and whose father also works at the mill.

Linna and Kat go to the horse races that are a part of the July 1 celebrations to mark Canada’sbirthday. They meet Sarah Booker, a snobbish girl from a wealthy family, and Henry Spencer.Linna thinks she would be braver if she wasn’t a squatter, if she had some money, or if she couldspeak better English.

Preparing to Read

l In Chapter One a girl calls Linna’s family “squatters.”What do you think that termmeans? The date is July 1, 1910.What event will the townspeople celebrate? Whatactivities do you think they will hold to mark this day?

After Reading

l Discuss• Linna meets Kat.What description do we have of Kat? As well as

her appearance, what else do we find out about her? How do welearn this? What do you think Kat and Linna have in common?

• The horse races are the big event at the celebration of Canada’sbirthday. Describe what is going on at the races and around them.What does Linna find exciting?

• In the first chapter we read about a girl at the station calling Linna’sfamily squatters.What more do we learn about this girl in ChapterTwo?

• Kat tells Linna to not let Sarah boss her around.Why does Linnathink she can’t follow that advice?

• We meet Henry.What is your first impression of this boy? Whatevidence do you have to form that impression?



9Adeline’sDREAM


l Student Questions• Have the students think about what might happen next in the story.

Direct them to create questions about the story that their classmatescan answer.

l Character Charts• Add to your charts and make revisions if needed.

l Journal • Complete a journal entry.



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Chapter Three (Pages 41–59)

Summary

Linna’s mother has covered the inside dirt walls of the soddie with newspapers.The family hasdisplayed the precious things they brought with them from Germany. Kat takes Linna out on theprairie to pick wild strawberries, saskatoons, and other fruit. Linna confides that she loves singingmost of all. Kat also shows Linna some wild plants that people use for food: pigweed, dandelions,and mint. Kat says that later they will be able to pick wild berries and sell them.The weather sud-denly worsens and a cyclone touches down nearby.

Preparing to Read

l Reading for detail• Direct the students to remember the activity they did prior to read-

ing the novel when they predicted what they and their familywould pack in their trunk.Tell them to watch for details while theyare reading about what Linna and her family have unpacked fromtheir trunk.The students can also watch for things that people didfor recreation and sports in 1910.And, they can look for the namesof wild plants people used for food. In the Extending the Readingsection of this chapter it is suggested that students begin to makelists for the latter two of these topics.

After Reading

l Discuss• Besides working in the mill, what else does Linna’s father do to

earn money? What is Linna’s reaction to his other job?• Linna would like to tell Kat that she really wants to sing in the

opera.Why doesn’t she tell her new friend?• Linna experiences a number of different feelings when she and Kat

are on the prairie.What were some of these emotions and whatcaused them?



11Adeline’sDREAM


l Lists of Details• Direct students to start lists of all the recreation and sports events

and all the wild plants that are mentioned in the story. If youchoose, tell the students that when the book is finished they will beable to do some research to find out more about one of theseactivities.

l Illustrations• Have the students create an illustration for one of the scenes in this

chapter.Tell them to compose the illustration so that it helps to tellthe story.




l Journal• Complete a journal entry.



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Chapter Four (Pages 60–73)

Summary

When the family goes to church on Sunday, Linna enjoys singing. After mass the family visit alantern slide show in the Parish Hall. Linna sees Henry briefly.Although Linna’s father speaks toMrs. Booker, the woman rudely ignores Linna’s mother. Linna is angry and frustrated at howbadly things are going in her new community and between herself and her father.When the fam-ily receives a letter from Linna’s aunt Karoline and cousin Elli, Linna feels very homesick.

Preparing to Read

l Tell the students to watch for details to add to their lists of recreational activities.l Ask the students who they think is enjoying the family’s new home and who is

unhappy in Qu’Appelle. Direct them to watch for signs in this chapter to tell themhow each family member is feeling.

After Reading

l Discuss• Linna, her mother, and her father each have an encounter with

Mrs. Booker, Sarah’s mother.What happens in each case? What aresome words you would use to describe Mrs. Booker?

• Linna is still having trouble talking to her father. She thinks thatnothing seems to go right when she tries.Why is that? What couldshe do differently? If you could talk to her father, what would yousuggest that he do differently? What can Linna do that might makeher father happy?



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l Writing a letter• Linna is excited when her family receives a letter from her aunt and

cousin.When she reads the letter she feels sad.Tell the students topretend they are Linna and write a letter back to her cousin.Describe to Elli your life in Canada. Be honest with your cousinabout how you feel about your new home.Tell her how you feelabout your dream to sing in the opera.







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Chapter Five (Pages 74–87)

Summary

In August there is a two-day rainfall. Muddy water leaks through the roof of the soddie. Linnahas given up any idea of returning to Germany but she still really wants to be an opera singer.Henry invites Linna and Kat to an afternoon dress rehearsal of a concert performed in the townhall. Linna has to convince her mother to give her permission to go to the performance. She isexcited and happy listening to the concert. Sarah’s mother is one of the solo singers.

Preparing to Read

l This chapter begins with a two-day rainfall. If you were living in a sod hut on theedge of a town, what might be an unpleasant result of this much rain? What mightbe a good consequence?

After Reading

l Discuss• When Linna wants to go to the concert with Kat, she must ask per-

mission. Her mother first says that she can’t give the permission.Why is that? Why does her mother change her mind?

• How does Linna feel while she is listening to the dress rehearsal?What evidence did you read to make you think that?

• Did you learn anything new in this chapter about these characters?Linna, Kat, Linna’s mother, Henry, Sarah’s mother?


l Student Questions• Have the students think about what might happen next in the

story. Direct them to create questions about the story that theirclassmates can answer.





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Chapter Six (Pages 88–100)

Summary

Henry invites Linna to come to the town library with him one evening. She convinces her fatherto let her go by telling him she wants to learn more English before school starts. She asks Henryabout his badly formed foot which prevents him from participating in many sports. Henry invitesher to his place for lemonade and cookies. Linna has to hurry home before the town curfew.When her father gets upset with her for being later than she said she was going to be, Linnaangrily says she is trying to learn English so that other children won’t hate her for being a squat-ter.

Preparing to Read

l In this chapter Linna learns that there is a curfew in the town. Ask the students ifthey know the meaning of curfew.Who do curfews usually apply to? Does yourfamily have curfews? How would a curfew for a town be different than one for afamily?

l Linna knows that Henry has a disability with his foot. What do you think is thebest way to find out about someone’s disability? How do you think Linna will findout about Henry’s foot?

After Reading

l Discuss• Linna enjoys her visit to the library.What are some things about the

library that she likes?• Henry and his mother explain the curfew to Linna. How does the

curfew work in Qu’Appelle?• Linna’s father is angry when she arrives home. She doesn’t get

caught being out after the curfew, so what do you think makes himupset? Tell about a time when your parents were upset with you forbeing late.

• Read together the last paragraph in Chapter Six. Linna is veryangry.What are some things that are bothering her to cause heranger? Explain why you think she is taking out her anger on herfather?



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l Writing an advice column• Linna blames a lot of her problems in her new community on not

being able to speak English.Tell the students to pretend that Linnahas written the following letter to an advice column.

DearI have lived in Qu’Appelle for almost two months. I am beingteased and bullied because I cannot speak English very well.What can I do to learn my new language better and faster?And, what can I do to make more friends?

• Pretend that you are the person giving advice. Give yourself aname.Write a letter back to Linna telling her what she can do.







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Chapter Seven (Pages 101–113)

SummaryThe next day, the people in the soddies suddenly realize that the town’s mill is on fire. Linna’s firstthought is that her father may be in danger. She feels sorry that she was angry with him the nightbefore.Townspeople rush to the mill to throw pails of water on the walls.They use the town’snew fire engine to pump water from large tanks. No one is hurt in the fire but Linna worriesabout where her father and other men will work now.

Preparing to Readl In this chapter, an important building in town catches on fire.What do you think

the townspeople will use to put out the fire? What sort of fire truck do you thinka small town would have?

After Readingl Discuss

• When Linna hears that there is a fire in town her first reaction is tofeel bad about arguing with her father the night before.Why doyou think she responded this way?

• In what ways did the townspeople fight the fire? What made it dif-ficult for them to be effective?

• When she learns that the mill has been wrecked by the fire, what isLinna’s reaction? Why did she think that “a new wooden housedidn’t seem nearly as important as other things?”

Extending the Readingl Write a news report

• Assign the students the task of writing a news report about the millfire.Tell them to pretend that they are a reporter who works for anewspaper.Write a report in a news story format. Include quota-tions from interviews that were conducted with the owner of themill, someone who worked in the mill, and one of the firefighters.







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Chapter Eight(Pages 114–126)

Summary

The mill is not going to be rebuilt, so many men will lose their jobs. Kat’s family decides to travel toanother part of Saskatchewan to start a homestead. Kat cries when she tells Linna the news andLinna sings for her.The girls meet Henry at the annual fair.Kat and Linna each enter races.Henrywins a contest to see who can throw a cricket ball the furthest. Sarah is criticized by her moth-er for placing second in a race instead of first.

Preparing to Readl Now that the mill is destroyed, the men who worked there will need to find new

jobs. Some of them decide to leave Qu’Appelle to find work some other place.Which of the families in the story do you think will move away?

l It is time for the annual Fair in Qu’Appelle.What events do you think will be heldat the Fair?


• Kat tells Linna that she and her family are moving away.What kindsof feelings do you think Linna experienced after she heard thenews? What feelings might she have had about her own future?

• How does Linna comfort her friend?• How is the annual Qu’Appelle Fair different from the fair held in

your community each year? What things are the same? Your stu-dents could use a Venn diagram for this comparison.A template foraVenn diagram is included on the next page.

• In their race, Sarah placed second and Linna was one of the lastgirls to finish.What were the different reactions to their results?What more have you learned about these two girls?



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Extending the Readingl Lists

• Add to the recreation and sports list from what you have learned inthe last few chapters.







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Venn Diagram



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Chapter Nine(Pages 127–137)

SummaryThe girls are very sad the day that Kat and her family leave. Linna goes to the store to buy somethings for her mother who doesn’t know enough English yet to talk to shopkeepers. Linna meetsHenry who invites her to attend a meeting of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. Henryexplains that many people do not want liquor sold in the town. Linna knows that her father andother men from the soddies like to have a drink of lager after work.There is going to be a voteand if the men from the soddies don’t support the ban on alcohol they may be forced to leavetheir sod huts.

Preparing to Readl This is the day that Kat and her family leave Qu’Appelle.What do you think the

scene will look like as the family prepares to leave?


• Linna, Konrad, and their mother arrived in Qu’Appelle not know-ing many words in English.Who is having the most difficultylearning the English language? Why do you suppose that is? What isLinna doing to learn English faster than her mother?

• Prohibition.After reading this chapter, what do you know aboutProhibition? Why would some people want alcohol to be prohibit-ed? Why are others against it?

• Some people at the meeting think that the squatters living on rail-way land will not support the vote on Prohibition.What do thesepeople threaten to do if the squatters don’t vote with them?

• Linna, Henry, and Sarah were at the meeting. From what is said, andfrom what you know about these characters, how does each reactto the talk at the meeting?

Extending the Readingl Student Questions

• Have the students think about what might happen next in the story.Direct them to create questions about the story that their classmatescan answer.





22 Adeline’sDREAM

Chapter Ten (Pages 138–151)

SummaryLinna uses some of the money she has earned selling berries to pay for material that her moth-er makes into a dress for school. She wonders if her father could ask Mrs. Booker about singinglessons when he goes to do Mr. Booker’s accounts on Monday night. On the first day of school,Henry shows Linna around. One of the other girls compliments Linna on her new dress butSarah continues to ridicule her. Linna’s father has a job but it will last only a few days. He does-n’t know what he will do after that.

Preparing to ReadIn this chapter Linna goes to her new school for the first time.What do you think her

welcome will be from Henry? From Sarah and other girls? From her new teacher?


• How is Linna able to have a new dress for the first day of school?In what ways does Linna help with the dress?

• Sarah continues to be unkind toward Linna.What does she do inthis chapter?

• How does Henry help Linna in her first day at that school? • Linna is worried about her father.What does she say or do so that

we know this? • Linna’s relationship with her father seems to be changing. How

have her feelings toward him changed since she first arrived inCanada? How has his attitude toward her changed? In what waysdo you think their relationship will change in the future?

Extending the Readingl Illustrations

• Have the students create an illustration for one of the scenes in thischapter.Tell them to compose the illustration so that it helps to tellthe story.







23Adeline’sDREAM

Chapter Eleven (Pages 152–166)

Summary

Linna’s father works for a threshing crew and one Saturday Linna joins the crew, too. She worksvery hard with a boy her age helping to set up stooks of grain. Linna knows how difficult it mustbe for her father to do this kind of work.The family receives a letter from Linna’s aunt Karoline.Linna thinks now that she has no more connections to her old home in Germany.The familylearns that the land where the soddies sit has been sold by the railway. Families will be asked tomove or pay rent to the new owner. If they have to leave their soddie, Linna doesn’t know wherethey will live.

Preparing to Read

l Linna is worried about her father and his lack of a job.What can she do to helpher father or at least help him feel better? She can’t bring herself to ask her fatherto speak to Mrs. Booker to see if Linna can sing for her.Why do you think she isn’table to do this? What would you suggest she do?

After Reading

l Discuss• Linna meets Paul, a boy who helps her stook sheaves for a threshing

crew.What would you say Linna learns from her time stooking?From what you’ve read in this chapter and what you already know,why do you think a boy like Paul would like to be a farmer?

• Linna’s family receives another letter from aunt Karoline. On page162,“Linna realized, sadly, that the home she remembered inGermany was entirely gone.” Explain what she means by that. Howdo you think this will affect how she feels about Canada?

• What is the news about the vote on Prohibition? What will thismean for the families living in the sod huts? What explanation canyou think of for the different reactions from Henry and Sarah?



24 Adeline’sDREAM


l Write a letter• Linna’s family receives a short letter from her aunt Karoline. Linna

has a number of reactions to the letter. Pretend that you are Linnaand write a letter back to your aunt Karoline and cousin Elli.Asyou did in your letter after Chapter Four, tell your relatives aboutsome of the things that have been happening to you. Be honestwith your cousin Elli about how you are feeling.What have beensome happy times? What has made you sad or worried?







25Adeline’sDREAM

Chapter Twelve(Pages 167–183)

Summary

Linna’s teacher announces they will begin preparations for the Christmas concert. The teacherlets Sarah choose and direct the choir. Linna is given a place.When she goes home her parentsprepare a special meal to celebrate.The next day Henry tells Linna that Sarah can be very nicebut that her mother expects her to be the best at everything.That night Linna’s father is very latecoming home.When he arrives he excitedly tells his family that he now has a job with a bankand that he will be able to borrow enough money to have a house built for them, a house likethe one he promised when Linna was still in Germany.

Preparing to Read

l In this chapter the teacher announces that there will be a choir for the ChristmasConcert.What will Linna’s response be? What will Sarah’s response be?

After Reading

l Discuss• Linna is determined to be a part of the Christmas Concert choir.

What does she do to make sure she reaches her goal? What doesSarah do to make Linna’s success more difficult?

• When Linna tells her family that she will sing in the choir, howdoes each family member respond? Mother? Father? Konrad? Whatdo you learn about each person’s attitude toward Linna by his orher response?

• Henry tells Linna something about Sarah and her family. How doesthis change your opinion of Sarah?

• Linna’s father finally brings home some good news. His new jobmeans that the family will have a house in the main part of town.How will this make things better for each member of the family?

• Linna imagines what it will be like to sing on a stage in theChristmas Concert. In this dream she calls herself Adeline, notLinna.What does this tell you about how she feels about her name?



26 Adeline’sDREAM








27Adeline’sDREAM

Chapter Thirteen (Pages 184–196)

SummaryAs the choir practices, some of the other girls become friendlier toward Linna and invite her intotheir games. Linna and her family think about which parts of their usual Christmas celebrationsthey will have in Canada and which ones they cannot manage.The family and Henry go to seethe new house under construction. Sarah shows up and asks Linna to sing a solo for the closingsong of the concert. She says that she thinks Linna has a stronger singing voice than hers.

Preparing to Readl Linna is in the class choir.What effect will this have on her relationship to Sarah

and the other girls?

After Readingl In what ways has Linna begun to make friends in the last few chapters? What sug-

gestions would you have for her to continue to develop friendships?l Linna’s opinion of Sarah changes more than once in this chapter. What changes

occurred and what caused them?l In this chapter Linna is asked to sing a solo at the concert and she is invited to meet

Mrs. Booker.Who is responsible for each of these happenings? Has your opinionchanged of any of the people involved?

l Henry tells Sarah that she was nice to choose Linna to sing a solo. Sarah says,“I’mnot doing it to be nice. I’m doing it because I think Linna has the strongest voiceand it will carry best in the Hall.” Do you think that there are other reasons whySarah made this decision?

Extending the Readingl A German Christmas

• Linna’s family is excited to be able to celebrate the Christmas sea-son like they had done in Germany. Create a glossary of Germanwords found in this chapter that have something to do with theChristmas celebration.







28 Adeline’sDREAM

Epilogue (Pages 197–200)

Summary

Linna and her family move into their new house on the day of the concert. Sarah brings hair rib-bons for each of the girls in the choir. When the time comes for Linna’s solo, she hears Sarahwhispering encouragement. Linna believes that she has reached for her dream just like her father.

Preparing to Read

l This is the day of the concert.What changes do you think might happen in thischapter in the relationship between Linna and Sarah? Linna and Henry? Linna andher parents?

After Reading

l Discuss• What has happened to bring Linna closer to her dream?• Linna refers to herself as Adeline when she is about to sing. Do you

think she will become Adeline to her friends and family, too? Why?

Extending the Story

l Dreams• What was Adeline’s dream when she arrived in Qu’Appelle? What

events made it seem like she would never see her dream? Is shecloser to her dream at the end of the story? Why?

l Predictions• What do think might happen to Linna and the other characters in

this story in the remainder of the school year? Write down yourpredictions and give reasons for them.

l Character Charts• Make any last changes to your character charts.




29Adeline’sDREAM

Concluding Activities

The following questions could be answered in oral or written format.You can have your studentsshare their opinions before they answer, or have them respond independently.

Thinking About the Characters

l Look back over the character charts and the changes you made for each character.Use these jot notes to create a profile of one of the characters. In your profiledescribe how your opinion of the character changed as your read more about himor her.

l Have you had experiences similar to a character in this story? Describe your expe-rience and tell how it compares to what happened to the character.

l Think about one of these characters: Linna, Kat, Henry, Sarah. How is your per-sonality similar to this character’s? How is it different? Use a Venn diagram to helpmake the comparison.

l Think about how one of the characters changed.What caused the change? l Think about the minor characters: Kat, the teacher Miss Jackson, Mrs. Booker.

Describe how each one affected and changed Linna.

Thinking About this Story

l What does this book teach you about the role of men and women in westernCanada in 1910?

l What does this book teach you about family life and relationships between familymembers at that time?

l Would you enjoy living during the time of this book? Explain why or why not.l What problems or conflicts did Linna face that you deal with in your life?l How do Linna’s problems differ from yours?l How did Linna’s family and other families living in the sod huts cope with prob-

lems such as the scarcity of food and money? How did that change after the fire?l Linna and her family came from Germany. How are German immigrant families

portrayed in this story? Do you think the descriptions are stereotyped? Realistic?



30 Adeline’sDREAM

Adeline’s Dream Study Guideisbn: 978-1-55050-330-2 $9.95cn/$8.95us

To accompany the Coteau Books juvenile fiction title:Adeline’s Dream

isbn: 1-55050-323-4 $8.95cn/$7.95us

Downloadable study guides in pdf format are available atwww.coteaubooks.com

CHECK OUT THE OTHER STUDY GUIDESIN THIS SERIES.

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isbn: 978-1-55050-331-9(Study Guide)

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isbn: 978-1-55050-329-6(Study Guide)


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isbn: 978-1-55050-328-9(Study Guide)


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