Chapter 1

Retrieval: What school does Al attend?

Inference: What clues can be inferred from the way Al talks about his parents to imply that they don’t get along well?

Prediction: What will happen when Al goes to confront his parents with his invention?

Summarizing: In a few sentences, summarize the main events of Chapter 1.

Answer: Al attends St. Hilda’s school and is an avid inventor. He discovers a way to travel through time with a hamster and decides to use it to go back and fix a family argument with his parents. He creates the time-travel machine and leaves the present to go back to the past.

Chapter 2

Retrieval: What do Al and his father argue about?

Inference: What can be inferred from Al’s father’s reaction to the time-travel device?

Prediction: What will happen when Al’s father attempts to demonstrate the time-travel machine?

Summarizing: In a few sentences, summarize the main events of Chapter 2.

Answer: Al and his father argue about the invention of the time-travel machine. Al’s father is skeptical and does not believe the invention will work. He attempts to demonstrate the device but ultimately fails and decides to leave the house, taking Al’s notebook with him. Al follows his father and eventually convinces him to try out the machine by challenging him to a bet.

Chapter 3

Retrieval: What note does Al find taped to the door when he returns home?

Inference: What can be inferred from Al’s mother’s reaction to the time-travel device?

Prediction: What will happen when Al brings his parents together to use the time-travel machine?

Summarizing: In a few sentences, summarize the main events of Chapter 3.

Answer: Al finds a note taped to the door from his father saying he has gone to the future. Al meets up with his mother and brings her back to the living room to show her the time-travel machine. His mother is skeptical but eventually agrees to join them to travel back in time. Al, his father, and his mother travel back in time and resolve their argument.