Steal Away Home Ch. 1-6 Comprehension Questions

Who had recorded notes in the little black diary Dana found?

Millicent Weaver (Mrs. Weaver).

How long had Dana's found body lay dead?

More than 100 years.

What did Dana's father, Dr. Shannon, teach at the university?

History.

Where did Dana Shannon and her parents live?

In a 135 year old home in Lawrence, Kansas.

Name the two Weaver children and their ages.

James was 12 and Rebecca was 5.

When was Dana planning to turn the black book over to police?

July 1st.

Infer why Dana's classmate, Jeep, was upset by Derek and Mike's comments about the dead girl.

Like the dead girl, Jeep was also African American.

What was Mr. Weaver's occupation?

He was a lawyer.

What "war" were the people of Lawrence, Kansas, perparing for?

A civil war between the Border Ruffians from Missouri and themselves, the Free-Soilers of Kansas.

Where did the Weavers live before moving west to Kansas?

Boston.

Why did the county coroner, Dr. Baxi, invite Dana to be present for the body's autopsy?

Dr. Baxi's wife was Dana's Life Science teacher at school and she told her husband about Dana's interest in biology.

Who was the President of the United States in 1856?

Franklin Pierce.

Why had the Weavers settled in Kansas rather than Missouri?

Quakers were against slavery and the settlers in Kansas Territory were hoping to make it a free-state. Missouri was a pro-slavery state.

What did Mrs. Weaver do when Mr. Weaver was out of the house, away on business?

She harbored runaway slaves on the Underground Railroad.

How did Dana come to possess an old journal, dated 1856?

She slipped the book from the little hidden room, just before police taped it off.

What plans did Mrs. Shannon have for the 135-year-old home?

She wanted to transform their old home into a bed-and-breakfast.

How old was Dana?

She was 12 years old.

What tiresome job was Dana Shannon performing for seventy-five cents an hour?

She was peeling off old wallpaper from an upstairs bedroom.

What information, concerning the skeleton, did Dr. Baxi share with Dana after the autopsy?

The body was that of a young Negro woman, five foot three inces tall. She had never given birth and was left-handed.

What name did Dana and her friend, Ahn, give the unknown dead girl?

They named her Elvira Lincoln.

According to the journal, what religion did the Weaver family practice?

They were Quakers.