Podcast
Questions and Answers
In what city does this chapter take place?
In what city does this chapter take place?
- Paris
- Washington
- Brussels (correct)
- Belgium
What is the name of Max's new school?
What is the name of Max's new school?
- Washington Elementary
- Coding Camp
- Ecole du Malheur
- Ecole du Bonheur (correct)
What grade is Max entering?
What grade is Max entering?
- 7th
- 5th
- 8th
- 6th (correct)
What is the French word for 'hi' mentioned in the chapter?
What is the French word for 'hi' mentioned in the chapter?
What does Max's teacher, Madame Legrand, ask him to say?
What does Max's teacher, Madame Legrand, ask him to say?
What activity did Kevin and Malik describe to Max?
What activity did Kevin and Malik describe to Max?
What does l'été mean?
What does l'été mean?
What color are the uniforms of the students?
What color are the uniforms of the students?
What was the first French phrase Max used to get Madame Legrand's attention?
What was the first French phrase Max used to get Madame Legrand's attention?
What did Max ask for in French when speaking to Madame Legrand?
What did Max ask for in French when speaking to Madame Legrand?
In what language did Madame Legrand eventually tell Max where the toilets were?
In what language did Madame Legrand eventually tell Max where the toilets were?
What grammatical error did Madame Legrand correct in Max's French?
What grammatical error did Madame Legrand correct in Max's French?
According to Madame Legrand, where were the toilets located?
According to Madame Legrand, where were the toilets located?
What kind of soup did Max have for lunch at the school?
What kind of soup did Max have for lunch at the school?
Besides sausage and potatoes, what other item was on Max's lunch plate?
Besides sausage and potatoes, what other item was on Max's lunch plate?
What is different about recess at the School of Happiness compared to American schools, according to Max's observation?
What is different about recess at the School of Happiness compared to American schools, according to Max's observation?
From the athletic court, Max could see the backyard of which building?
From the athletic court, Max could see the backyard of which building?
What phrase did the red-haired boy and his friend repeat to Max after asking if he spoke English?
What phrase did the red-haired boy and his friend repeat to Max after asking if he spoke English?
Besides 'Do you speak English?' and 'Coca-Cola', what else did the red-haired kids know in English?
Besides 'Do you speak English?' and 'Coca-Cola', what else did the red-haired kids know in English?
How did Max participate in the soccer game?
How did Max participate in the soccer game?
What caused Max to miss stopping the soccer ball?
What caused Max to miss stopping the soccer ball?
After being hit in the face with the soccer ball, what was the first thing Max saw?
After being hit in the face with the soccer ball, what was the first thing Max saw?
What did Max decide to call his new school at the end of the passage?
What did Max decide to call his new school at the end of the passage?
What did the students primarily do during the first hour of class?
What did the students primarily do during the first hour of class?
Instead of lockers, the classroom had what?
Instead of lockers, the classroom had what?
What writing tool were the students required to use?
What writing tool were the students required to use?
What happened when Max first tried to write with his fountain pen?
What happened when Max first tried to write with his fountain pen?
How did the big, sandy-haired kid help Max with his pen?
How did the big, sandy-haired kid help Max with his pen?
What happened immediately after Max fixed the ink cartridge in his pen?
What happened immediately after Max fixed the ink cartridge in his pen?
Where did Max try to blot the ink from his fingers?
Where did Max try to blot the ink from his fingers?
Why didn't Madame Legrand notice that Max had a problem?
Why didn't Madame Legrand notice that Max had a problem?
What did Max likely get on his face?
What did Max likely get on his face?
What was Farah's distinguishing feature?
What was Farah's distinguishing feature?
Flashcards
"Coucou"
"Coucou"
A French word for 'hi'.
"L'été"
"L'été"
French for "summer."
"Oui, Madame"
"Oui, Madame"
Yes, ma'am (formal in French).
Detached, dreamlike feeling
Detached, dreamlike feeling
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Ecole du Bonheur
Ecole du Bonheur
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Cheek kisses
Cheek kisses
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Sixth Grade
Sixth Grade
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Madame Legrand
Madame Legrand
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Ça va?
Ça va?
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Hog the ball
Hog the ball
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Cold pack
Cold pack
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Black eye
Black eye
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School of Misery
School of Misery
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"Excusez-moi"
"Excusez-moi"
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"Où est la toilette?"
"Où est la toilette?"
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Madame
Madame
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"Où sont les toilettes?"
"Où sont les toilettes?"
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Recess
Recess
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Indoor recess
Indoor recess
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Free period
Free period
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Relief
Relief
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Backyard
Backyard
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Congregate
Congregate
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Fountain Pen
Fountain Pen
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Ink Cartridge
Ink Cartridge
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Pen Nib
Pen Nib
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Merci
Merci
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Blackboard
Blackboard
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Chalk
Chalk
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Blotting
Blotting
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School Desk
School Desk
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Blue Ink
Blue Ink
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Study Notes
- On September 1, 2015, Max began attending Ecole du Bonheur.
- Max thought the school's name, "School of Happiness," was a cosmic joke.
- Max had already completed sixth grade once before moving to Belgium.
- He didn't tell Kevin and Malik he was repeating sixth grade again.
- Max remembered the word for hi "coucou", and the work for Summer "l'été".
First Interactions
- Madame Legrand greeted Max and pronounced his name with a thick French accent, "Mex How-Weird".
- Max knew he'd done something wrong when he replied to Madame Legrand with "oui" instead of "oui, Madame".
The Classroom
- The first hour of class involved organizing new school supplies.
- Max copied Farah, the girl in front of him with glasses, to organize his supplies.
- The classroom was small and old-fashioned, with blackboards and desks with storage.
- Fountain pens with ink cartridges were required, antiquated compared to the US.
- Madame Legrand wrote lines on the board for the students to copy.
- Max struggled with his fountain pen at first.
- A boy mimed poking the top of the cartridge to get the ink flowing, and Max understood.
- After fixing the pen, ink poured everywhere, covering Max's paper, fingers, and shirt.
Communication Problems
- Max asked, "Excusez-moi" to get Madame Legrand's attention, then asked where the bathroom was "Où est la toilette?".
- Madame Legrand corrected Max's French and told him the bathrooms were at the end of the hall.
- She spoke English to Max, which made him self conscious.
Lunch and Recess
- The food tasted better than it looked.
- The lunch bell rang before Max could finish his food.
- Middle school in America had free periods to hang out but Ecole du Bonheur has recess.
- The School of Happiness didn't cancel for rain.
- Max's bedroom felt far away.
Making Acquaintances
- A group of boys gathered around Max, with one asking if he spoke English.
- The boys only knew a few English phrases like "Do you speak English?" and "Coca-Cola".
- Max tried to join a soccer game to get away from the group.
- He slipped, leading to a player kicking the ball into his face.
The Aftermath
- Max saw the "gray Belgian sky" and felt pain in his face Boys asked “Ça va? Ça va?"
- Farah led Max to the secretary's office instead of the principal's office.
- Max was covered with a blanket and given a cold pack.
- There was no nurse’s office.
- Max renamed the school "The School of Misery".
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Description
Max starts at Ecole du Bonheur, a school whose name he finds ironically amusing. Having repeated sixth grade, he navigates first interactions and classroom norms. He recalls basic French and observes classmates to adapt to the new environment.
