Over the Moon by Natalie Illoyd - Initial Knowledge Assessment Worksheet for 13-Year-Old English Students

Instructions

This worksheet is designed to check your initial understanding of the characters, setting, and plot from the beginning of the book Over the Moon by Natalie Lloyd. Read each section carefully and answer the questions to the best of your ability. Good luck!

Part 1: Meet the Characters

Match the character on the left with the correct description on the right. Write the letter of the correct description in the blank next to the character's name.

1. Mallie _____
2. Star _____
3. Ma _____
4. Augustus _____

• A. Mallie's younger brother, who is very sick from breathing in dust.
• B. A traveling showman who arrives in town promising magical cures for a high price.
• C. The determined and brave main character who will do anything to save her brother.
• D. Mallie's mother, who puts her faith in doctors and science rather than mountain magic.

Part 2: Welcome to Coal Top

Read each question and circle the best answer.

1. What is the most significant feature of the setting, which affects everyone and everything in the town of Coal Top?

   1. Constant, heavy rainfall
   2. A thick, ever-present dust from the coal mines
   3. A magical, glowing forest
   4. Extreme heat from a nearby volcano



2. According to the old legends, what do the Dust-drinkers eat?

   1. Coal from the mines
   2. The dreams of sleeping children
   3. Moonlight
   4. Rare mountain flowers



3. Why is the dust in Coal Top considered both a curse and a wonder?

   1. It makes people sick, but it also makes crops grow faster.
   2. It looks ugly, but it can be sold for a lot of money.
   3. It causes illness like lung-dust, but it is also said to hold magic.
   4. It pollutes the air, but it keeps dangerous animals away.

Part 3: The Quest Begins

Answer the following questions in a few sentences.

1. What is the name of the serious illness affecting Mallie's brother and many others in Coal Top?

   ______________________________________________________________________

   ______________________________________________________________________




2. Mallie believes she can save her brother by finding three "impossible things." Why does she believe this will work when doctors have failed?

   ______________________________________________________________________

   ______________________________________________________________________

Answer Key

Part 1: Meet the Characters

1. Mallie C
2. Star A
3. Ma D
4. Augustus B

Part 2: Welcome to Coal Top

1. b. A thick, ever-present dust from the coal mines
2. c. Moonlight
3. c. It causes illness like lung-dust, but it is also said to hold magic.

Part 3: The Quest Begins

1. The illness affecting Star is called lung-dust. It is caused by breathing in the fine coal dust that covers the town.

2. Mallie believes in the old mountain magic and the legends of the Dust-drinkers. She has a deep faith that these magical elements hold a power that is stronger and more real than the science and medicine that have been unable to help Star.