By Linda Nicodemo Illustrations by Graham Ross...5502 Atlantic Street Halifax, NS, Canada B3H 1G4 5...
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1 Resource Guide By Linda Nicodemo Illustrations by Graham Ross Formac Publishing Company Limited Halifax
Transcript of By Linda Nicodemo Illustrations by Graham Ross...5502 Atlantic Street Halifax, NS, Canada B3H 1G4 5...
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ResourceGuide
By Linda NicodemoIllustrations by Graham Ross
Formac Publishing Company LimitedHalifax
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ResourceGuide
By Linda NicodemoIllustrations by Graham Ross
Formac Publishing Company LimitedHalifax
Coming Winter 2021
Copyright © 2020 by Linda Nicodemo.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Formac Publishing Company Limited recognizes the support of the Province of Nova Scotia through the Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage. We are pleased to work in partnership with the Province of Nova Scotia to develop and promote our cultural resources for all Nova Scotians. We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, which last year invested $153 million to bring the arts to Canadians throughout the country. This project has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada.
Formac Publishing Company Limited 5502 Atlantic Street Halifax, NS, Canada B3H 1G4 www.formac.ca
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ContentsAbout the author and illustrator 7
About the series 8
Praise for the series 9
About The Secret Games of Maximus Todd resource guide 10
Getting started
1. Reading log 11
2. Character study 12
Hyper to the Max
3. Story exploration 14
4. Vocabulary practice 16
Frantic Friend Countdown
5. Story exploration 18
6. Vocabulary practice 20
Flu Shot Fidgets
7. Story exploration 22
8. Vocabulary practice 24
Big Game Jitters
9. Story exploration 26
10. Vocabulary practice 28
Show what you know!
11. Book review 30
12. Scavenger hunt 31
13. Puzzle time 33
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Words and language
14. Making connections 35
15. What does the author mean? 37
16. Antonyms 38
17. Homophones 40
18. Looking at setting 42
19. Cause and Effect 44
20. Making predictions 46
21. Poetry power 48
Fun stuff
22. Be an artist 50
23. Fun activities 52
24. Bookmark and door hanger 54
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About the authorL.M. NICODEMO was born and raised in Windsor, Ontario. During her senior year in high school,
an English teacher advised that she pursue a profession in writing. L.M. earned a computer science
degree instead and fulfilled her childhood dream of working in education. However, she never forgot
her teacher’s words of encouragement, and three decades later, L.M. finally found the time and nerve
to try her hand at writing.
While enrolled in the English and Creative Writing program at the University of Windsor, L.M.
Nicodemo acquired invaluable guidance from many talented professors. Mentorships with both
Canadian poet/journalist Marty Gervais and Canadian novelist Sandra Birdsell, through a writing
course at Humber College, also helped L.M. hone her skills.
The Secret Games of Maximus Todd series marks L.M. Nicodemo’s first publication for young readers.
She is also currently working on several children’s picture books as well as a prose poetry collection
depicting a fictional narrative of the immigration experience.
About the illustratorA graduate of the illustration program at Sheridan College in Ontario, Canada, Graham began his career
as a book designer for the respected Canadian publisher McClelland & Stewart in Toronto, Ontario.
Graham thought he would stick around the “6” and in addition to his work as a book designer, he
would also cultivate his Flock of Seagulls hair style and work on his dance floor moves. But alas, soon
follicles started to recede and shoulder pads deflated, so Graham moved back to his hometown of
Ottawa, Canada to contemplate his next career move.
It was in Ottawa that Graham began his freelance illustration and graphic design career. A career
that has resulted in illustrations for publishers such as Orca Book Publishers in Canada, Simon and
Schuster in New York, Meadowside Books and Random House in the United Kingdom, as well as
numerous Canadian government agencies and private design firms.
Graham now lives in a little log cabin in the woods just outside Merrickville, Ontario with his
wife, Jenn.
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About the seriesLook out! It’s an ATTACK of the SUPER FIDGETS!
Quirky eight-year-old Maximus Todd struggles with paying attention. His “super fidgets” (extreme
bursts of energy, based on the real experiences of children with ADD/ADHD) seem to materialize at
the worst of times during a championship soccer match or on a visit to the doctor. What a catastrophe!
Luckily Max devises a clever solution. By creating a secret game to play, his brain keeps busy on the
inside so he can stay out of trouble on the outside. To make each game challenging, he sets pretty high
stakes like giving away his prized comic book collection or forfeiting a play date with his best friend,
Shiv Pal. Of course, Max must also contend with Mandy Beth Bokely, his pesky but brainy classmate
who often tries to sabotage his efforts.
Each story in The Secret Games of Maximus Todd collection (for ages five to nine) has been designed to
engage young readers through a series of well-paced, humour-packed chapters. Recognizable settings
and relatable characters allow children to make meaningful connections to their own experiences. As
well, Max’s singular way of managing everyday complications encourages respecting the uniqueness of
all individuals.
From the opening pages, children will find themselves celebrating Maximus Todd’s originality and
rooting for his success. Each of the books in the series uses an open-source dyslexia-friendly font called
OpenDyslexic, as well as a dyslexia-friendly layout and paper stock.
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Praise for the series“The target audience will surely have no trouble relating to the storylines. The blend of fun graphics
by Graham Ross, with varying sizes and designs of text in the quickly paced 96 pages, will be appealing
to both beginning and reluctant readers.
The series is written by a teacher who clearly has insight into the mind of a child who feels the
type of anxiety that Max does, presumably because she has encountered some throughout her career.
While it may be rare to have a child as young as Max display the self-awareness and strength of will
that he does, perhaps these books will serve as inspiration to children facing the same difficulties with
their own Super Fidgets.
The four books were published concurrently for Formac’s First Novels Series, in a format that
should prove to be attractive to young readers.”
– Resource Links
“With a quirky main character and a relatable plot of childhood mishaps, Big Game Jitters is a pleasing
read for young readers who are moving away from picture books and into short novels with chapters.
Featuring fun artwork and typography, this engaging early chapter book is sure to please. The simple
yet effective black and white illustrations by Graham Ross help bring the characters and major plot points
to life. Although some readers may yearn for a colour edition, the simplicity of the drawings allows the
story to be the standout and helps emphasize that Maximus Todd could be any student, of any race or
ethnic background, in any school.
Part of a larger series, Big Game Jitters offers not only a glimpse into being the kid who is a
little bit different, but it also exemplifies authentic friendships offering compassion, kindness and
understanding. Readers are certain to not only like Maximus Todd but also develop a genuine
empathy for those who struggle in ways that aren’t always apparent at first glance.”
– Amy Westbury, CM Magazine
“The book is a great beginning chapter book for young readers, and the use of large, bold fonts
to exaggerate certain words and phrases ... makes it appealing to an elementary-age audience. ...
the ratio of text to Graham Ross’s illustrations is approximately 50:50 making Hyper to the Max a
less intimidating read than many other chapter books. A fabulous addition to school and classroom
libraries.”
– Andrea Boyd, CM Magazine
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About The Secret Games of Maximum Todd resource guide
As a former teacher, L. M. Nicodemo appreciates the value of educational support documents. She
designed the activity sheets in this guide for the purpose of enhancing a child’s reading experience.
To begin, the child completes a reading log for keeping track of the number of pages and time
invested while reading a book from The Secret Games of Maximus Todd series. The rest of the guide
explores language arts, literary devices and reading comprehension. These exercises encourage young
readers to discuss concepts, problem-solve and make inferences.
Most of the sheets can be completed after reading one book from the series. The few pages that
link to a novel focus on specific vocabulary understanding and require making connections to plot
events. These can be tackled as the reader progresses through the series.
Parents and educators should notice the range of response formats implemented in this guide: fill-
in-the-blank, match-up, circle/underline, crossword, full sentence, cut/colour/draw and movement.
Not only do the different formats help maintain a child’s interest, but they also reflect a wide range of
learning styles.
Several exercises like making bookmarks and working on fun puzzles serve as supplementary
materials strictly for enjoyment purposes.
The activity pages may be printed and collected into a hard copy booklet for a novel study.
Alternatively, they can be completed through the use of an online document annotation/mark-up
tool and saved or shared electronically.
Within a classroom setting, teachers may choose to pair or arrange students into groups and assign
them a single story. Children will then have the opportunity to work collaboratively through the
activities.
Note that young readers may demonstrate their understanding in many other ways beyond the
scope of this guide, such as by:
• acting out favourite scenes
• providing an alternate ending to their assigned story
• imagining an interview with one of the characters
• developing a new dilemma for Max and supplying a secret game for him to play
Indeed, The Secret Games of Maximus Todd series and accompanying activity guide provides a
creative and fun source for developing reading and language comprehension skills. Encouraging a
love of reading remains its chief objective.
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thump-thumping
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Hyper to the Max
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(Where story takes place)
(What is going on there?)
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Choose a “Secret Games of Maximus Todd” book. I pick: __________________________________________________
Looking at the book, can you …
o Guess what the book is about from the picture on the front cover? I think ____________________________ ______________________________________________________
o Find who wrote the book? _________________________ o Find who drew the pictures? _______________________ o Find how many chapters there are?
o Find the total number of pages?
Reading the book, can you …
o Tell where the story mostly takes place? __________________________________________________
o List some of the characters in the story: _______________________ _______________________
_______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________
By: L. M. NICODEMO Illustrated by: GRAHAM ROSS
Name: _______________________
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o Explain the secret game that Max invents? ____________________________________________________
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o Tell what will happen if Max loses his secret game? ____________________________________________________
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o Find a VERB or action word? What page is it on? Word: ________________________________ Page: ______ Who does the action: ___________________________
o Find a word or phrase that is in CAPITAL LETTERS? The word or phrase is ___________________________
____________________________________________________ Page: ______ It is in capital letters because ___________________
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o Find a picture with no people in it? The picture is of _________________________________ Page: ______
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R V Y R N Z S W D J S B I B S P E N C E R S U B T N C Y D N A M R X M Y T W I O B R U P Q G I N G S T W E H V K G A X A I A G I V P O C T M A M A Z R A I E T Q H E M R H G E Z H L Y R G S V E D E E Q S G W L I L W S R V N B C M H I E S U A N S T E G D I F D H I L S E C R E T X R S G U D
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in a car or van they are wearing seatbelts and there is a back window.
the day
it looks light outside the window.
spring or fall Max has a jacket and Mandy Beth has a sweater.
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