School, Glue,Timbuktu, - Taking Grades Publishing Company

The Word Works Series
by Margaret Whisnant
Copyright © 2011 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company
Brain Candy
for
Young Scholars
Seasonal Vocabulary Builders, Researchable Trivia,
and Graphic Organizers for Writing
1
Brain Candy for Young Scholars

Copyright © 2011 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company
for Young Scholars
by Margaret Whisnant
Month-by-Month
Assorted Flavors
Vocabulary Builders Researchable Trivia
Holidays Connections
Analogies Spelling
Graphic Organizers for Writing
2
Brain Candy for Young Scholars

Copyright © 2011 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company
Copyright © 2011 Margaret Whisnant
Brain Candy for Young Scholars
from the Word Works Series
U. S. Copyright Office
Taking Grades Publishing Company
Conover, NC 28613
www.takinggrades.com
ISBN 978-1-934538-63-0
Permission to copy for classroom use only.
Electronic distribution limited to classroom use only.
All rights reserved by author.
3
Brain Candy for Young Scholars

Copyright © 2011 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company
Table of Contents
4
Brain Candy for Young Scholars
Page(s)
Back to School (August/September)
Ooh! Aah! Back to School! Marverific! Super Cool!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .1-2
Ooh! Aah! Back to School! Marverific! Super Cool (Challenge Words) . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Marvelicious, Super Cool School (Graphic Organizer for Writing) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Sense of Humor Test (Part One) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 6-7
Sense of Humor Test (Part Two) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-9
I Couldn’t Stop Laughing! (Graphic Organizer for Writing) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Phonetic Fall Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-12
Ô′səm Ô′təm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-14
Ô′səm Ô′təm (Challenge Words) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15-16
Fall TV (Graphic Organizer for Writing) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
October
Double Double Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-19
Seeing Double (Graphic Organizer for Writing). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Terrifying Terms and Creepy Characters (Part One) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-22
Terrifying Terms and Creepy Characters (Part Two). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23-24
My Life with a Few Terms (Graphic Organizer for Writing) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
November
Yum or Yuck? (Part One) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-27
Yum or Yuck? (Part Two) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28-29
A Holiday Special for Young Gourmets (Graphic Organizer for Writing). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
B r-r-r-r! .. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31-32
Br-r-r-r! (Challenge Words) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33-34
Frosty Favorites (Graphic Organizer for Writing). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..35

Table of Contents—continued
Copyright © 2011 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company
5
Brain Candy for Young Scholars
December
Home (Part One) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36-37
Home (Part Two) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38-39
Home, Sweet Home of the Future (Graphic Organizer for Writing) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
December in Alphabetical Order (Part One) .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41-42
December in Alphabetical order (Part Two). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43-44
Alphabetical Order and Alphabetical Disorder (Graphic Organizer for Writing). . . . . . . . . . . . 45
January
Rhyming in the New Year with Anagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46-47
Three Years (Graphic Organizer for Writing). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
January Analogies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49-50
January—One Cool Month (Graphic Organizer for Writing). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
February
Words of Love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52-53
A Love Song, a Love Story, and a Movie (Graphic Organizer for Writing) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
February Anagrams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55-56
The Little Month with a Big Heart (Graphic Organizer for Writing). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
March
March Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58-59
Leprechauns and Other Diminutive Things . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60-61
Jackpot of Gold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
March Winds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63-64
Thinking about the Wind (Graphic Organizer for Writing). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..65
Warming Up. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66-67
Seasons (Graphic Organizer for Writing). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Table of Contents—continued
Copyright © 2011 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company
6
Brain Candy for Young Scholars
April April Connections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69-70
Earth Day Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71-72
April Trivia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73-74
From One April to Another (Graphic Organizer for Writing). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
May May Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76-77
Be That As It May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .78-79
A May Poem (Graphic Organizer for Writing) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
Mayflowers and May Days (Also suitable for November). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81-82
Into the Unknown (Graphic Organizer for Writing). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
June/July
Hidden Summer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84-85
Hidden Summer (Challenge Words) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86-87
My Kind of Summer (Graphic Organizer for Writing) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Answer Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89-94

Copyright © 2011 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company
Ooh! Aah!
Back to School!
Marverific! Super Cool!
1
Brain Candy for Young Scholars
The back-to-school experience and the sound written phonetically as ōō have a lot in common. To begin
with, ōō is an important part of the words school (skōōl), cool (kōōl), and ooh ((ōō). It’s in every classroom
(klās'rōōm'). This busy little syllable comes packaged in a variety of spellings, and it shows up all over the
place. There’s “How do( dōō) you (yōō) do (dōō)?” super (sōō'pər) glue (glōō), and chewing (chōō,ĭng) gum
on your shoe (shōō). It’s an audio dynamo, through (thrōō) and through (thrōō)!
Use the following definitions and clues to identify more ōō words. Write the missing letters in the blanks to
the left. Spelling counts!
s h __ __ __ __ __ 1. Carpets, rugs, upholstery, dogs, and humans all need
this product.
a __ __ __ o __ 2. This onomatopoeia mimics the sound of sneezing.
J __ __ __ __ __ __ 3. The planet rotating between Mars and Saturn.
b a __ __ __ __ 4. The name of a woody or treelike tropical and semitropical
grass that is valuable as building or craft materials.
s n __ __ z __ __ __ 5. This term is a synonym for sleeping.
D __ __ __ __ t t __ __ 6. The fictitious veterinarian
who talked to animals.
a __ __ __ __ __ 7. Its abbreviation is Ave.
t __ __ __ __ m e 8. A couple, a pair, or
a duo.
k __ __ g __ __ __ __ 9. When it’s a baby, this animal is called a joey.
b __ __ q __ __ __ 10. This word can be pronounced either bō-kā' or bōō- kā'.
c __ __ t __ __ __ 11. A sketch or drawing, usually depicting
a humorous situation; a comic strip.
d __ __ d __ __ 12. To draw or scribble idly or to waste time
in foolish or aimless activity.
t __ __ __ __ p __ __ __ __ 13. A dab of this is helpful when brushing one’s teeth.
l __ __ __ h __ __ __ 14. Sometimes people look for one of these as a way to
escape or evade a rule or a law.
j __ __ __ __ __ 15. Diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, etc.
m o __ __ __ __ __ e 16. This little ferretlike carnivore from India is famous for its
ability to kill cobras and other venomous snakes.
b __ __ __ 17. It’s one of the three primary colors.
p __ __ __ __ __ 18. This popular breed of dog has thick, curly hair.

Copyright © 2011 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company
Double Double Letters
2
Brain Candy for Young Scholars
Use the clues to unscramble the letters in bold print and reveal a word with two sets of double letters.
Write the correctly spelled word in the blank to the left.
_______________1. eellnoawH October 31, same spooky date every year
_______________2. oooodv It involves spells and magic.
_______________3. oollrmba Mummies and witches can dance
in this place.
_______________4. ooollydHw Vampires and werewolves go here
to be movie stars.
_______________5. ssoocmlar This is probably where you are right now.
_______________6. oollnab Some of them float, but they all make a loud noise when they pop.
_______________7. eeffco You can have it with or without caffeine.
_______________8. mmooaetrs Some of them get along well and some of them don’t.
_______________9. hhoofkis Without one of these, a fisherman couldn’t fish.
______________10. sspprhgorae an insect with a spring in its step
______________11. ssssooienp It’s something that you own.
______________12. eellluyfg happily
______________13. eeesshslcp You might temporarily be in this condition if you saw a ghost.
______________14. nnlluaay another way to say “once a year”
______________15. ccaalleitydn “Whoops!”
______________16. sslleipm Sum peepil dew this too allmoust everry wurd thay rite.
______________17. rraeullignq arguing, snarling, snapping, posturing, yelling, punching, etc. . .
______________18. ookkaarrbu It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It Super. . . No, it really is a bird.
______________19. lllliiybh a mountain William
______________20. ffooubn an undignified, silly jokester
______________21. ssrraaeebmd Is my face red!
______________22. ppllgraein People who are doing this are hanging along the side of a
building, a mountain, a cliff or a vertical surface of some kind.
______________23. nnnssoeeiaaccr a fact-finding mission
______________24. llllaaaaWW a town in southeastern Washington near the Oregon border
______________25. oossttleh If you’re in this condition, it’s too late to see a dentist.

Copyright © 2011 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company
Yum or Yuck?
(Part One)
To feast or not to feast. . . That is the question.
3
Brain Candy for Young Scholars
Some of the items below will reveal surprising facts about familiar foods. Others will give you the
information you need to respond correctly when someone says, “Try just one bite.” Grab the nearest
dictionary or log on to the fastest internet and begin separating the yum from the yuck. Write the letter of the
correct answer in the blank at the left.
______1. Where do cranberries grow? (A) on a type of tree
found only in swampy areas of the South, (B) on a dwarf
shrub that grows in acidic bogs throughout the cooler
areas of the Northern Hemisphere, (C) on cultivated
shrubs grown mainly on large farms in temperate zones.
______2. Who suggested that the turkey should be our national
bird? (A) Benjamin Franklin, (B) John Adams,
(C) Abraham Lincoln.
______3. Chocolate lovers take notice! Which of the
following is not an available food? (A) chocolate covered ants,
(B) chocolate green bean casserole, (C) chocolate dipped mushrooms.
______4. Which traditional Thanksgiving treat was probably not part of the 1621 Pilgrim celebration
in Plymouth, Massachusetts? (A) pumpkin pie, (B) venison, (C) corn
______5. What familiar staple was once thought to be poisonous? (A) lettuce, (B) tomatoes,
(C) pumpkins.
______6. The Irish potato did not come from Ireland. Neither is the French fry from France. Where
is the indigenous home of this versatile tuber? (A) the Andes Mountains of South
America, (B) the San Louis Valley of Colorado, (C) the coastal region of Spain.
______7. Some caviar sells for more than a hundred dollars an ounce. What is caviar? (A) insect
larvae, (B) a lentil paste, (C) fish eggs.
______8. There is a type of chocolate confection known as truffles, but the natural truffle, still a
popular part of French and some Italian cooking, is (A) a type of miniature frog, (B) a
fungus that grows two to sixteen inches underground, (C) an olive that grows only along
the coast of the Mediterranean.
______9. In the world of electronics, unsolicited e-mails with advertisements are known as spam.
Real spam, made by Hormel Foods Corporation, actually names its ingredients in its
acronym name. What are they? (A) salt, pork, and cornmeal, (B) sausage, paté and
sugar mixture, (C) shoulder pork and ham.
_____10. In the nursery rhyme, Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet, eating her curds and whey.
What was Miss Mufet eating? (A) the lumps and liquid of clabbered milk, (B) bread and
cheese, (C) a type of pudding made with fermented fruit and bread.
_____11. If you order pizza with anchovies, what will be one of the toppings? (A) hot peppers, (B) a
vegetable soy protein, (C) small fish.
_____12. You are in a darkened restaurant. The waiter arrives with your much-anticipated last
course and sets it on fire. What did you order? (A) rum cake with chocolate sauce, (B) a
type of Baked Alaska, (C) jambalaya.
_____13. Piccalilli and chow-chow are made from the same basic ingredients, but one is laced with
hot spices and the other has a sweet taste. How do they fit into a meal? They are used
as (A) a topping for meat, such as hot dogs or hamburgers, (B) an appetizer served with
crackers or bread, (C) a garnish for basic soup recipes.

December
in
Copyright © 2011 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company
Alphabetical Order
Part One
4
Brain Candy for Young Scholars
Use the clues and definitions to identify the alphabetical list of mystery words and phrases. Each one is
connected to December weather, events, or holidays. Write the missing letters in the blanks to the left.
a n __ __ __ __ 1. Gladys Herdman portrayed an aggressive version of one of
these heavenly beings in Barbara Robinson’s The Best
Christmas Pageant Ever.
b a __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 2. This is a popular indoor winter sport.
c r __ __ __ __ v __ __ _y 3. One of the seven principals of Kwanzaa (kuumba), this term
is linked to originality, imagination, and new ideas.
D __ __ __ __ __ r __ 4. On December 25, 1776, General George Washington led a
group of American soldiers across this icy river to make a
surprise attack on the Hessian forces camped in Trenton,
New Jersey.
e __ __ __ __ g 5. A drink consisting of milk or cream, sugar, and raw eggs
beaten together.
F __ o __ __ __ 6. This famous snowman has both a song and a movie with his
name in the title.
g __ __ __ __ __ d 7. This word names a wreath or string of leaves, flowers,
branches, or other material displayed as decoration.
H __ __ __ __ __ y __ 8. “Happy ________!” is an often-expressed December
greeting.
the i __ __ __ __ n __ __ 9. In addition to retail stores, many people do their holiday
shopping here.
J __ __ __ __ __ 10. These two words name the song about how much fun it is to
B __ __ __ __ go dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh.
K w __ __ __ __ __ 11. The African-American cultural festival celebrated from
December 26 to January 1 is identified by this name.
L __ g __ __ __ 12. The eight-day Jewish Holiday, Hanukkah, is also known as
the Festival of _______.
m i __ __ __ __ t __ __ 13. When displayed as a Christmas decoration, this parasitic
shrub with leathery evergreen leaves and waxy white berries
encourages kissing.
The 14. This ballet by Peter Tchaikovsky tells the story of Christmas
N __ __ c __ __ __ __ __ __ toys that come to life.

February Anagrams
Use the clues to rearrange the letters of the anagrams
in bold print to reveal a word, name, or phrase connected
with the month of February. Write the answers in the blanks
to the left.
_____________________1. the sweater Another
word for girl friend.
_____________________2. owl serf Florists send
lots of these on
Valentine’s Day.
_____________________3. third bay This word is
the connection
between February
12 and Abraham
Lincoln.
Copyright © 2011 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company
5
Brain Candy for Young Scholars
_____________________4. Written mess In February 2008, a beagle named Uno won this
Kennel Club Dog Show.
_____________________5. snail event Sweethearts exchange these on February 14.
_____________________6. hat snoWing He was the first president of the United States.
_____________________7. run dog hog This animal is the center of attention on February 2.
_____________________8. dean egg This word applies to people who are planning to be
married.
_____________________9. sPark soaR This lady, born February 4, 1913, set the Civil Rights
Movement into motion when she refused to give up her
seat on a bus.
____________________10. Daisy Pretends The name given to the Federal holiday celebrated
on the third Monday in February. (two words)
____________________11. grin A boy might buy one of these for his sweetheart’s finger.
____________________12. sO car Actors and actresses hope to win one of these at the
February Academy Awards.
____________________13. BowlerS up This championship game is the most-watched television
event of the year.
____________________14. ape relay Every four years, February adds a day and creates one of
these.
____________________15. soon madE This Born February 11, 1847, he gave the world the
light bulb and the phonograph. (two words)
____________________16. rest host February gains this distinction when compared to the other
eleven months.

Copyright © 2011 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company
6
Brain Candy for Young Scholars
March Connections
St. Patrick’s Day, Vernal Equinox, Mardi Gras, March Madness, Arctic Winter Games, National
Women’s History Month, The Iditarod, National Girl Scout Week, American Red Cross Month, Dr.
Seuss’s Birthday, Alexander Graham Bell’s Birthday, swallows return to San Jan Capistrano.
Identify ONE WORD that can be connected to all three items in the lists below so that each one forms a
familiar word or phrase. The mystery words, all related to a March event or to March weather, can be placed
before or after the clues. Write your answers in the blanks to the left.
Example:
_____gold_______ Leprechaun’s star medal
( Leprechaun’s gold gold star gold medal)
_____________________1. bean house going
_____________________2. Patrick Nicholas Paul
_____________________3. skin king rattle
_____________________4. Isle green ring
_____________________5. guess charm penny
_____________________6. military fourth Madness
_____________________7. plan fair waiting
_____________________8. basket masquerade foul
_____________________9. bed off time
____________________10. mill chimes tunnel
____________________11. drift flake fall
____________________12. shine spot burn
____________________13. forecast man vane
____________________14. Brussels wings bean
____________________15. garden may girl
____________________16. lullaby coffee potato
____________________17. Blarney soup cold

Copyright © 2011 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company
April Trivia
People, Places, and Things—Then and Now
7
Brain Candy for Young Scholars
Search the internet, reference books, and your own knowledge base to answer the following questions
about the month of April. Write the letter of the correct answer in the blank before each item.
______1. April is one of four months with thirty days. Which of the
following is not among the other three? (A) June,
(B) October, (C) November.
______2. According to the old adage, April showers bring (A) April
sunshine, (B) April love, (C) May flowers.
______3. The two April birthstones are the sapphire and the
(A) diamond, (B) ruby, (C) emerald.
______4. Which of the following is not true of April? (A) Easter is
always the first or second Sunday of the month. (B) April
is the first full month of spring. (C) In some U.S. states,
snow continues to fall in April.
______5. What British passenger liner sank in the North Atlantic
in the early morning hours of April 15, 1912, two and a
half hours after hitting an iceberg?
(A) the Lusitanian, (B) the Titanic (C) the Poseidon.
______6. In the United States, April is National (A) Cookout Month,
(B) Dairy Month, (C) Poetry Month.
______7. The official “birth flowers” for April are the (A) daisy, rose, and dandelion, (B) tulip,
sweet pea, and daisy, (C) tulip, daffodil, and crocus.
______8. Between 1855 and 1917, fifty jewel-encrusted Imperial Easter Eggs were crafted for the
Russian Czars. Today they are regarded as masterpieces of the jeweler’s art. What are
they called? (A) Czar Alexander Eggs, (B) Empress Maria Eggs, (C) Fabergé Eggs
______9. On April 6, 1917, Congress officially entered the United States into World War I by
declaring war on Germany. Which President requested this action? (A) Harry S.
Truman, (B) Woodrow Wilson, (C) Warren G. Harding.
_____10. Pysanka is the name given to Ukrainian Easter eggs intricately decorated in a process
involving (A) hot wax and a stylus, (B) vegetable dyes applied with quills, (C) natural
objects such as feathers and twigs.
_____11. Which war began April 12, at Fort Sumter, South Carolina, and ended April 9, at
Appomattox, Virginia? (A) the American War for Independence, (B) the American Civil
War, (C) the War of 1812.
_____12. What American author, best known for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van
Winkle, was born April 3, 1783? (A) Theodore Seuss Geisel, (B) Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow, (C) Washington Irving.
_____13. This small tree, which covers itself in blooms in April, has the distinction of being both
the state tree and the state flower of Virginia, the state tree of Missouri, and the state
flower of North Carolina. What is it? (A) the dogwood, (B) the azalea, (C) the
rhododendron.
_____14. On which April day is it acceptable to create hoaxes and play practical jokes? (A) April
21, (B) April 11, (C) April 1.
_____15. On April 12, 1961, Russian Yuri Gagarin earned a prominent place in history by being
the first human to (A) go into space, (B) break the sound barrier, (C) walk on the moon.

Brain Candy for Young Scholars
Hidden Summer
Think of summer, and wonderful things come to mind—places to go, people and things to see, fun in the
sun, taking a nap, and good things to eat, to name a few. Fortunately, it’s possible to find summer delights
hidden here and there all year long if you know where to look. There’s sun in every Sunday, for example,
and go is a dragon’s middle name! You’ll find a snack or a scrumptious meal in any kind of weather!
Now that you understand the cryptic nature of summer, use the following definitions and descriptions to
identify more of its hiding places. Write the missing letters in the blanks to reveal the target word.
Copyright © 2011 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company
Obscured GO. . .
__ __ g g l __ s 1. Large spectacles with special
lenses and rims that protect
the eyes.
a m __ __ __ 2. In Spanish, or any other language,
this word means friend.
__ o __ __ __ t 3. The past tense of forget.
g o __ __ __ __ 4. A player assigned to
protect the goal in various
sports.
m a __ __ __ t 5. A soft-bodied, legless larva;
a baby fly.
__ __ s s __ p 6. Idle talk or rumor, especially about the private affairs of others.
o c __ __ __ o __ 7. A polygon having eight angles and eight sides.
__ __ g o __ __ 8. In baseball, a roofed structure where the players sit when not
on the playing field.
l __ __ o 9. A (trademark) piece from a child’s plastic construction set for
making mechanical models.
b __ __ g __ 10. One of a pair of small tuned drums, played by striking with the
fingers.
8
Concealed SEE. . .
s e __ __ 11. A ripened plant ovule containing an embryo.
f o __ __ __ e __ 12. To know in advance; to see beforehand.
__ e __ __ e __ __ e e 13. This state’s capital city is Nashville.
b i __ __ __ __ __ d 14. Any seed, or mixture of seeds, used for feeding birds.
s e __ __ a __ 15. A recreational apparatus in which two or more people ride up
and down while seated at opposite ends of a plank balanced at
the middle.
Cloaked FUN. . .
__ __ n g __ s 16. An organism lacking chlorophyll, such as mushrooms, molds,
mildews, yeast, etc., which live by decomposing and absorbing
the organic material in which they grow.