The Pickwell Family Mystery

In Chapter 6 of 'Maniac McGee' by Jerry Spinelli, Mrs. Pickwell's unique whistle calls her large family, including a taxi driver, to dinner. The family gathers around a ping-pong table for their regular spaghetti meal. During dinner, the Pickwell kids notice an unfamiliar boy at the table, but no one knows who he is. After dinner, they see the boy running on the steel rail of the train tracks, a feat no other kid has accomplished.

What makes Mrs. Pickwell's whistle special to her family?

• It is a whistle that changes every day.

• It is a complex melody that only the Pickwell kids can understand.

• It is a simple two-note whistle that is magical to the Pickwell kids.

• It is very loud and screechy.

How many Pickwell kids are there?

• Seven

• Twelve

• Five

• Ten

What is a regular dinner dish for the Pickwell family?

• Pizza

• Spaghetti

• Salad

• Burgers

What was the Pickwell family's dining table?

• A round table

• A large wooden table

• A ping-pong table

• A picnic table

Who was the guest at the Pickwell dinner table?

• A distant relative

• A new neighbor

• A traveling salesman

• A down-and-out taxi driver

Who did Dominic Pickwell think knew the mysterious kid at the table?

• Duke

• Dion

• Deidre

• Donald

What was Deidre's reaction when Dion suggested the kid was her boyfriend?

• She laughed.

• She kicked Dion in the shins.

• She agreed.

• She ignored him.

Where did the Pickwell kids go to look for the mysterious kid?

• The creek

• The tracks

• Raco Hill

• The dump

What unusual ability did the mysterious kid demonstrate?

• He could fly.

• He could run on the steel rail.

• He could jump very high.

• He could swim very fast.

What did the Pickwell kids have to do to see the mysterious kid clearly?

• Climb a tree

• Use binoculars

• Blink and squint

• Run closer