Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: __________________
Close Reading
NONFICTION: “The Children’s Blizzard,” pages 4-9
February 2019
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Close-Reading Questions
“The Children’s Blizzard”
1. Consider the last line of the introduction: “‘There’s something in the air,’ he told her with a
worried glance toward the heavens.” What literary device is the author using by including
this line? What purpose does it serve? (literary devices, author’s craft)
2. According to information in the section “An Arctic Blast,” what made the blizzard of 1888
so powerful? (summarizing)
3. On page 6, Lauren Tarshis writes that at the time of the blizzard, “The science of weather
forecasting was in its infancy, and there was no technology that could accurately predict a
storm’s strength or path.” Why is this information important to the story? (key ideas)
4. Why do you think Walter jumped out of the sled to retrieve his perfume bottle? (inference)
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