Franklin School Friends books by Claudia Mills is page may be photocopied for free distribution.
Kelsey Green, Reading Queen
Annika Riz, Math Whiz
by Claudia Mills
Pictures by Rob Shepperson
Common Core State Standards addressed by the discussion questions and activities in
this guide are noted throughout. For more information on the Common Core, visit statestandards.org.
Curriculum Guide
Meet the Franklin School Friends!
Kelsey Green, Annika Riz, and Izzy Barr are best friends in Mrs. Molina’s third grade class at
Franklin School. Kelsey is the best reader in her grade—well, maybe tied for best with know-it-all
Simon Ellis. Annika loves math. She eats, sleeps, and dreams equations and is excited to enter a
sudoku contest at the public library. Izzy is a track and eld star and is training to run a 10k race.
e three friends may like dierent things, but they are always ready to help and support each
other—because that’s what best friends do!
ISBN 978-0-374-37485-3 • FSG • hardcover
ISBN 978-1-250-03405-2 • Square Fish • paperback
ISBN 978-0-374-30335-8 • FSG • hardcover
Franklin School Friends Books
claudiamillsauthor.com
“Sure to be enjoyed by fans of Clementine, Ivy and Bean, and Judy Moody.”
—School Library Journal
Coming soon!
BOOK 3:
Izzy Barr,
Running
Star
Franklin School Friends books by Claudia Mills
Illustrations © 2013 by Rob Shepperson from Kelsey Green, Reading Queen. is page may be photocopied for free distribution.
Kelsey Green, Reading Queen
Discussion Questions
e story opens with Kelsey hiding a book to read under her desk
during a math lesson on fractions. She is so interested in reading her
book that she has no idea what the answer is to a math question when her
teacher calls on her. Have you ever found yourself “lost in a book?” What was
the title? Why did you nd it so interesting?
Mrs. Molina is Kelsey’s third-grade teacher. e author uses the following words to describe
Mrs. Molina and her actions toward her students in the rst chapter: “glaring,” “cross,”
“suspicious,” and “stern.” What is your opinion of Mrs. Molina? (CCSS.ELA.RL.4.3)
Mr. Boone, the Franklin School principal, announces that there will be a school-wide contest to
see if the students can reach the goal of reading 2,000 books. Kelsey is thrilled at the prospect
of the contest because she sees herself as an excellent reader—“the reading queen.” What do
you think it takes to be an excellent reader?
An incentive is something that motivates some one to accomplish a goal. What is Kelsey’s
incentive to help her class and herself to read the most books in the school?
(CCSS.ELA.RL.2.1 and 3.1)
How does Kelsey react when she discovers that Simon has read the rst book in the school for
the reading contest? (CCSS.ELA.RL.4.3)
What is the “top-secret-cheater-catcher plan?” (CCSS.ELA.RL.2.1 and 3.1)
Kelsey’s classmate, Cody Harmon, has not read even one book for the contest. How does Kelsey
use Aesop’s fable, e Wind and the Sun, to get Cody involved in the contest?
(CCSS.ELA.RL.4.9)
When Kelsey is caught reading during math time again, Mrs. Molina decides to keep Kelsey’s
book until school is dismissed and tells Kelsey that she may not count the book for the reading
contest. Do you think Mrs. Molina was being fair, or not? Give reasons for your opinion.
Kelsey becomes so obsessed with the reading contest that it becomes hard for her to think of
anything else. How does Kelsey’s focus on reading aect her family? (CCSS.ELA.RL.2.3)
Mr. Boone, who promised to shave his bushy beard if the students read 2,000 books, has started
to have second thoughts about losing his beard. What is his new idea for a celebration if the
students read all of the books? How does Cody gure into this new scenario?
(CCSS.ELA.RL.2.1 and 3.1)
How did Kelsey’s relationship with Simon change over the course of the reading competition?
(CCSS.ELA.RL.3.3)
Kelsey started the book as a “reading queen” who loved to read. How did the experience of the
reading competition aect Kelsey’s ideas about what makes someone an excellent reader?
(CCSS.ELA.RL.2.3)
Annika Riz, Math Whiz
Discussion Questions
What is your favorite time of the school day? Annika and her friends
each have dierent opinions about what is the best subject in school.
What is Annika’s favorite time of the school day? (CCSS.ELA.RL.2.1 and 3.1)
Annika’s teacher, Mrs. Molina, has a habit of calling on her students to answer math questions
from the textbook to make sure that the students are paying attention. What does Annika do to
help out her friends who are less knowledgeable about math? What is your opinion of Annika’s
behavior? (CCSS.ELA.RL.2.3 and 3.3)
Most of the students in Mrs. Molina’s class are enthusiastic and distracted before the lesson
on decimals begins. Annika is excited, too, but for a dierent reason. Why are her classmates
excited? Why is Annika excited? (CCSS.ELA.RL.2.1 and 3.1)
Annika lives in a unique household. Re-read the beginning of chapter 2 and site examples from
the text that describe the unusual aspects of Annika’s home and family.
(CCSS.ELA.RL.3.5 and 4.1)
Why didn’t Annika tell her closest friends, Izzy and Kelsey, about the contest at the library?
What does Annika imagine will happen when she wins the contest? (CCSS.ELA.4.1)
Mrs. Molina’s class booth at the carnival will sell homemade cookies. Annika and her friends
work together to bake three batches of cookies. What happens each time the friends try to
bake chocolate chip cookies? What could the friends have done to make the baking process go
smoothly? (CCSS.EL A .2.1 and 3.1)
Annika notices a huge stued elephant when she enters school one day. A sign near the
elephant says, “Win Me at the Carnival this Saturday.” Annika’s friends are eager to purchase
rae tickets in the hope of winning the elephant. What is Annika’s reaction to the rae? How
does math aect her feelings about raes? (CCSS.ELA.RL.3.3)
Re-read the section of chapter 8 where Annika is in the library working on the sudoku puzzle
for the contest. How does the author help the reader feel the tension and focus that Annika is
feeling as she completes the puzzle? What words are used? How are the words and numbers
arranged on the page? (CCSS.ELA.2.4 and 3.5)
Due to the cookie baking asco, Annika and her friends need to think of a plan B in order to
have something to sell in Mrs. Molina’s booth at the carnival. What do the girls decide to sell?
What role does math play in pricing the item they wish to sell at the carnival?
(CCSS.ELA. 2.1 and 3.1)
Annika’s dad comes to the carnival to deliver news about the sudoku contest. What is Annika’s
reaction? How does her reaction change when she nds out more information about the
contest? (CCSS.ELA.RL.3.3)
Cite examples from the text that support the strong friendship that exists between Annika,
Izzy, and Kelsey. (CCSS. ELA. RL.4.1)
Franklin School Friends books by Claudia Mills
Illustrations © 2013 by Rob Shepperson from Kelsey Green, Reading Queen. is page may be photocopied for free distribution.
Kelsey loves all books—except for her math book! Annika prefers math to
reading. Combine Kelsey’s love for words with Annika’s love of numbers by
writing a fraction poem to describe each girl. ink of each girl’s personality,
family, friends, and interests. What fraction of Kelsey is a friend? What
fraction of Annika is a dog trainer? Combine these into a poem about each
character. Make sure at the end of the poem that your fractions add to one
whole! Can you write a fraction poem about your best friend?
(CCSS. ELA.W.4.9a)
Character Fraction Poem
EXAMPLE:
Simon Ellis
1/6 know-it-all
2/6 super reader
2/6 math wizard
1/6 maybe a friend
NAME
Franklin School Friends books by Claudia Mills
Illustrations © 2014 by Rob Shepperson from Annika Riz, Math Whiz. is page may be photocopied for free distribution.
Franklin School Friends books by Claudia Mills
Illustrations © 2013 by Rob Shepperson from Kelsey Green, Reading Queen. is page may be photocopied for free distribution.
Kelsey’s reactions to the reading contest, her family obligations, her
friendships, and even to math lessons cause other events to happen in
the story. ink about the following story events and describe what
eect each has in the story.
EFFECT
CAUSE
(CCSS. ELA.RL.3.3)
Cause and Effect
Kelsey becomes suspicious of
how many books her classmate,
Simon, is able to read at home
each evening.
Kelsey gets caught reading a
book during a math lesson by
her teacher Mrs. Molina.
Kelsey’s classmate, Cody, is not
participating in the school-wide
reading contest because
he struggles with reading.
Kelsey doesn’t want to go to
another of her brother Dylan’s
band concerts so that she can keep
reading for the school contest.
NAME
Annika loves numbers and puzzles and surrounds herself with math,
both in the classroom and at home. List the ways that math is a part
of Annika’s life on one side of the T-chart. On the other side of the
chart, list ways that math gures into your life each day, both in and
out of school.
(CCSS. ELA.RL.3.3)
Math Is Everywhere
MATH IN MY LIFEMATH IN ANNIKA
’
S LIFE
NAME
Franklin School Friends books by Claudia Mills
Illustrations © 2014 by Rob Shepperson from Annika Riz, Math Whiz. is page may be photocopied for free distribution.
Print this page on card stock using a color printer. Cut out your bookmarks and let the
Franklin School Friends keep your place whenever you read!
Bookmarks
Illustration © 2013 by Rob Shepperson
Illustration © 2014 by Rob Shepperson
Franklin School Friends
Franklin School Friends
Kelsey Green, Reading Queen
Annika Riz, Math Whiz
Claudia Mills
Pictures by Rob Shepperson
Published by FSG/Macmillan
Claudia Mills
Pictures by Rob Shepperson
Published by FSG/Macmillan
e discussion questions and activities in this guide were created by Leigh Courtney, Ph.D. She teaches in the
Global Education program at a public elementary school in San Diego, California. She holds both masters’ and
doctoral degrees in education, with an emphasis on curriculum and instruction.
Claudia Mills is the acclaimed author of fty early-chapter and
middle-grade books, including 7 x 9 = Trouble!, How Oliver Olson Changed
the World, and Zero Tolerance. Like the Franklin School Friends books,
most of Claudia’s stories have a school setting. Kirkus Reviews called her “a
master of the school story.”
Claudia received a B.A. from Wellesley College, an M.A. from Princeton
University, and a Ph.D. in Philosophy, also from Princeton. She received
an M.L.S. degree from the University of Maryland, with a concentration in children’s literature.
She was a professor of philosophy for over twenty years at the University of Colorado at Boulder,
where she received many teaching awards, before leaving the university to write full time. She
has two sons.
oughts from Claudia on how she came to write Kelsey Green, Reading Queen, the rst book in
the Franklin School Friends series:
Growing up as a reader in North Plainfield, NJ, each summer I entered the public library’s reading contest,
delighted when my name appeared in the paper as the child who had read the most books for my grade
level. I loved those reading contests, but as I got older I began to have some reservations about making
reading into a competition, where kids read for points or prizes, rather than for the sake of the books
themselves. So in Kelsey I created a girl like my younger self, who loves to read but also loves to win.
I hope the book shares the fun of reading contests but also raises a few doubts about them.
Learn more about Claudia Mills’s life and books at her website: claudiamillsauthor.com.
About the Author
Franklin School Friends books by Claudia Mills is page may be photocopied for free distribution.
Larry Haywood
