How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found Level W Summary

Level W
How to Disappear Completely
and Never Be Found
Summary
Margaret has always wanted to know more about how her father
died but has never been able to approach her mother about it. When
Margaret opens up a package that was sent at the time of her father’s
death, she finds that it holds some clues she can’t resist. Read as
Margaret and her friend Boyle try to solve a mystery that involves
Margaret’s father, her uncle, a haunted mansion, and a series of
mysterious comic books.
by Sara Nickerson
Genre: mystery
Guided Reading Level: W
Interacting with the Text
Content Connections
English Language Learners
Talk to students about any mysteries they might have
been involved in figuring out. Discuss the kinds of
clues they used to figure out the mysteries, and the
people that helped them. Then talk about mystery
books students might have read, whether they liked
them or not, and why they felt the way they did. Ask:
What is it about mysteries that draws us in and makes
us want to figure out the mystery for ourselves?
Pre-teaching Challenging Vocabulary Text Structure and Features
Illustrator’s Style Have students page through
the book. Ask them what they notice about the
illustrations. Help students understand that the role
of the illustrations changes as the plot develops. In
the beginning, the illustrations mirror the actions in
the text. However, later on, the illustrations begin to
predict what will happen to the characters in the story.
Prior to reading the book, help students
understand challenging vocabulary words, such
as macrobiotic (p. 37), Chihuahua (p. 49), and
suspicious (p. 205). Provide definitions for these
words and model using them in sentences. Then
ask students to make up sentences of their own
that include the words. If appropriate, you may
discuss word parts or derivations, and/or invite
students to help you brainstorm related words:
suspect (as both noun and verb) and suspicion, for
example.
During Reading
Developing Comprehension
Strategies
Developing Word-Solving
Strategies
Drawing Conclusions Remind students that
Suffixes Remind students that a suffix is a word
drawing conclusions means using what you read
along with what you already know to make a
decision about something. Tell students that they will
draw conclusions throughout the book, but that these
conclusions may change as they read and understand
more about the events in the story. What conclusion
can you draw from the fact that Sophie’s suitcase is
found at the mansion but she’s nowhere to be seen?
What clues does the author give you to help you draw
conclusions about Ratt’s true intentions?
or word part added to the end of a word that
changes its meaning. Write predictable on the board,
underline the base word predict, and circle the suffix
-able. Ask students to define the word predict. Tell
them that the suffix -able means “is, or can be.” Ask
a volunteer to use the base word and the suffix to
define the word predictable.
• Have students find the words imagination
(p. 145) and wonderful (p. 254), and repeat the
process with the suffixes -tion and -ful.
After Reading
Developing Oral Language
Developing Fluency
Have students page through the book, looking for
unfamiliar words they encountered as they were
reading. Ask them to make a list of these words and
then research their correct meanings and usages.
Have students take turns reading aloud their words,
the definitions, and a sentence of their own that uses
each word.
Partner Reading Model reading the comic book
entry on page 153 or 217. Then have students read
silently before pairing up to read aloud with another
student. Encourage readers to read expressively to
help their listeners distinguish one character from
another. You might suggest that students time each
other as they read aloud.
Writing: Moving Beyond the Text
Have students think about an adventure or mystery they were involved in and create a comic strip
about an important part of that experience. Tell students that their comic strip should be no longer
than two pages. Encourage students to use the comics in the book as a model.
HOW TO DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY AND NEVER BE FOUND by Sara Nickerson, illustrated by Sally Wern Comport. Illustrations copyright © 2002
by Sally Wern Comport. Published by Scholastic Inc. by arrangement with HarperCollins Children’s Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers. All rights
reserved.