Max's Discovery and Encounter with Ahmed
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Questions and Answers

What did Max point to when he couldn't explain something without offending Ahmed?

  • The window
  • The cage man picture (correct)
  • The stairs
  • The door

What did Ahmed say when Max asked if he had a family?

No.

What did Ahmed raise to show Max?

  • A shade (correct)
  • A picture
  • A curtain
  • A map

Max's mother had gotten rid of the orchids

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

According to Ahmed, were the orchids dead?

<p>Still alive.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What sport pictures did Max see in the wine cellar?

<p>Ronald and Aquaman</p> Signup and view all the answers

What did Max find inside the next to last wine cubicle?

<p>A half-eaten banana (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What country did Ahmed say he was from?

<p>Syria</p> Signup and view all the answers

How old was Ahmed?

<p>Fourteen</p> Signup and view all the answers

What team did Max believe Ahmed referred to when he said "Go, the Red Castle."

<p>The Red Devils (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Ahmed admitted to stealing the bananas

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What did Ahmed decide to try and make for his mother?

<p>Kibbeh</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Ahmed's Alcove

A secret place Ahmed uses in the cellar.

Feeling Creeped Out

The feeling of being unsettled or unnerved.

Illegal Immigrant

Someone who enters a country without legal permission.

Max's Role

The main character who discovers Ahmed.

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Compassion

A strong feeling of concern or sympathy for others.

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Ahmed's Shyness

Not speaking openly or directly.

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"No Tell"

A request for someone to remain silent about a secret.

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Syria

A country where Ahmed comes from.

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Frightened Eyes

Showing the state of being scared

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Aquaman's Power

Aquaman can breathe and live underwater

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Shaggy Hair

A detail that reveals Ahmed has been in hiding for a long time.

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"I'm American"

A question that reveals Max's nationality.

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Camping Mat and Pictures

Items Ahmed uses to make the wine cellar more comfortable.

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Football

Soccer. Ahmed also calls it this.

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The Cage Man

The picture of a man whose body is a birdcage on the wine cellar wall

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Wine Cellar Alcove

Where Max finds Ahmed hiding in the wine cellar.

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Stolen bananas

Ahmed had been consuming bananas that belonged to Max's family

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The Red Devils

The Belgian national football team.

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The center

A place where Max fears Ahmed will be sent if he reveals his presence

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Pictures of athletes.

Items Ahmed uses to give the impression he is at least good at one form of exercise

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Distrust

Reluctance to fully trust

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Act of kindness

When Max lets down the shade to not reveal Ahmed's hiding spot

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Illegal Immigrant

The state of being an immigrant without legal authorization.

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Terrorist

A person who supports terrorism or uses violence for political aims.

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Orchids

Plants Ahmed cares for in his hiding space.

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Three months

A period mentioned that indicates how long the family has lived in their current home

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Teddy Roosevelt

The name of Max's cat.

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Bananas

A common argument between his parents revolves around this fruit.

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Paris

A city Max visited during fall break.

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Catacombs

Underground ossuaries in Paris that Max enjoyed exploring with his dad.

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Study Notes

Max's Discovery

  • Max investigates a noise downstairs and finds the basement door.
  • A box tumbling to the floor creates a bang, startling Max.
  • Teddy Roosevelt, the cat, runs out, spooked by the falling cardboard.
  • Max picks up a flashlight and opens the small door at the end of the hallway.
  • He notices the boxes are arranged so the door can open without disturbing them.
  • Max reaches for a skeleton key.

Encounter with Ahmed

  • Max questions Ahmed about his identity and how he arrived there.
  • Ahmed introduces himself and reveals he is fourteen.
  • Max states that he is American and has just recently turned thirteen.
  • Max points to pictures of Aquaman and a soccer player.
  • Ahmed identifies the soccer player as associated with "the Red Castle", the Belgian team.
  • Ahmed doesn't recognize Aquaman but comments on his swimming ability.
  • Max explains Aquaman can live under the ocean.
  • Max accuses Ahmed of stealing bananas, which causes Ahmed's smile to disappear and he denies the accusation.

Max's Perspective

  • Max feels Ahmed's loneliness.
  • Anxious, Max considers calling the police to report Ahmed.
  • Max reconsiders, reminded that Ahmed cares for the orchids.
  • Ahmed, like Max, now lives hidden away in Belgium.
  • He tries to think of explanations for Ahmed's presence and the pictures in the cellar.
  • Max is calmed by his compassion.
  • Max decides to sleep on it and determine what to do with Ahmed in the morning.

Ahmed's Isolation

  • Ahmed was permitted to come and go freely.
  • Upon discovering a halal butcher in the next block, Ahmed makes his mother's kibbeh.
  • He failed to execute the recipe very well, and was thinking of how he would never taste his mother's version of the dish again.
  • Ahmed is relieved when his family returns home at the end of the week.
  • He remembers an argument about spending too much time playing soccer and not enough on schoolwork.
  • When he hears his family's English voices he feels less alone.
  • When the family is away, he doesn't go past the first floor to avoid their bedrooms.
  • He feels unsafe unless everyone follows the same rule.

Nighttime Tensions

  • Max is upset by his parents' arguing and wants to return to the "School of Misery".
  • Max's parents suggests sending him to the American school.
  • Max's parents argue about their decision to keep him in French school.
  • Max believes his Belgian school was a desaster.
  • He goes downstairs alone to the first floor.
  • He sees the misty rain outside and recognizes why Inspector Fontaine liked it.
  • Max hears a door rattle closed downstairs.
  • Rain stopped, a cool moonlight shines across the space.
  • Max realizes that he is no longer on the third floor.
  • He wonders if someone is downstairs.

Sunday Night

  • Max wished his fall break in Paris could have lasted another week.
  • He had celebrated his birthday there, enjoying steak and fries near the iconic Eiffel Tower.
  • He fondly remembers walking with his dad through the underground tunnels of the Catacombs.
  • Unable to sleep in his own bed in Brussels.
  • Max doesn't believe in ghosts, but often hears creaking floorboards, imagining it's Teddy Roosevelt.
  • The parents have a habit of fighting with each other, with the main topic of the argument usually having something to do with house keys.
  • Max has been keeping track of the arguments and finds them to be absurd, especially the ones about bananas.

Cellar Intrusion

  • Ahmed is startled by the sound of a key turning in the lock.
  • After weeks of carelessness, Ahmed realizes someone is entering the cellar.
  • Ahmed quickly hides in the alcove with his blanket, hoping not to be found.

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Description

Max discovers a hidden basement door and encounters Ahmed. Ahmed reveals he is fourteen years old. Max accuses Ahmed of stealing bananas, which Ahmed denies, leading to a tense moment.

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