69 pages • 2 hours read
William Pene du BoisThe 21 Balloons
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1947A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
During Reading
Reading Questions & Paired Texts
Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.
INTRODUCTION-CHAPTER 2
Reading Check
1. What subject does William Waterman Sherman teach before he retires?
2. What body of water is Sherman hoping to be the first person to fly across?
3. To what club does Sherman belong?
4. With what objects does San Francisco line its streets to welcome Sherman back to the city?
5. What does Tomes Aeronautical Studios call its couch that is lifted by balloon and drawn by horse?
Short Answer
Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.
1. According to the book’s Introduction, what are the two forms that travel can take?
2. What note does the captain of the SS Cunningham make in his log about a puzzling item he briefly saw among the balloons?
3. What do people find surprising about the circumstances that Sherman is found in?
4. What happens to the dome of the San Francisco club that Sherman belongs to?
5. What accident befalls the balloon-lifted couch that Tomes invents?
Paired Resources
- This page, hosted by New York’s Explorers Club, offers a timeline and historical highlights from the long history of the club.
