NLMG: Chapter 5

What was the purpose of the “secret guard”?

• To protect Miss Geraldine from being kidnapped and taken into the woods

• To keep imaginary lions from getting to the imaginary horses

• To keep the boys out of the pavilion while the girls were there

• To make sure nobody was talking trash about Ruth behind her back

Why were the students a little cautious about the woods behind Hailsham?

• They were unsafe; bobcats had been spotted several times.

• They were loaded with poison ivy and poison oak.

• There were rumors of students getting killed in the woods.

• There was a spooky cottage there and someone said that a witch lived inside.

Even though the girls seemed to eventually realize the Secret Guard was imaginary, they kept it going for months. According to Kathy, why might this group have lasted for so long?

• Ruth was very strict about people committing to the group.

• The girls seemed to really enjoy being together in this way.

• There was nothing else to do at Hailsham, so it helped avoid boredom.

Why is Ruth the one who is in charge of the Secret Guard?

• She was voted by other students to be the group's leader.

• She likes Miss Geraldine the most.

• She claims to know the most about the plot to kidnap Miss Geraldine.

• She was chosen to be the leader by Miss Lucy.

What shocked Kathy when she played chess with Ruth?

• Ruth was impossible to beat; Kathy was good, but Ruth was incredible

• Ruth called all of the pieces by the wrong names; for instance, she called the knights “horsey dudes” and the pawns “marble heads”

• When Kathy won the game, Ruth lost her temper and flipped the board, causing the pieces to fly everywhere

• Ruth pretended to be an expert in chess, but she had no clue how the game was actually played.

How does Ruth react after Kathy catches her in a lie?

• She quietly kicks her out of the Secret Guard.

• She cries and tries to get Kathy to feel sorry for her.

• She throws a shrieking, kicking tantrum on the floor of the pavilion.

• She spreads rumors about Kathy and Tommy all over the school.

How does Kathy feel about being kicked out of the Secret Guard by Ruth?

• Kathy is relieved to be out of the group; it was stressful for her.

• Kathy is unaffected by being kicked out; she was starting to think the group was a bit immature, anyway.

• Kathy is upset about being kicked out; she feels a bit embarrassed that she cannot participate anymore.

What set of words best describes Ruth as a child?

• Quiet, Shy, Passive

• Unkind, Risky, Jealous

• Assertive, Leader, Imaginative

• Rude, Clever, Sharp

Why might Ruth uses her imagination so much? (consider her imaginary horses and the Secret Guard)

• She is a young girl and that is what is fun for her to do.

• She is trying to make sense of her unusual world and give herself a sense of purpose.

• She is miserable at Hailsham, so she uses her imagination as a way to escape her reality.

What else does Ruth lie about?

• Where she got her pencil case

• Where she is from

• How old she is