Judy Moody · Garden Heights Academy

Part 5

for Judy Moody · Part 5 · Chapters 8

a novel by Megan McDonald

30 min5 Parts

This workbook is built on a solid pedagogical foundation, effectively integrating content and language learning based on the CLIL framework (Content and Language Integrated Learning), elevated by our unique 5th C — Connection — and an integrated Standardized Test section that weaves every SAT & TOEFL question type right into the novel, so learners build real test skills easily, naturally, and with fun.

What Happens in Part 5

Judy is invited to Frank Pearl’s birthday party and really does not want to go — especially when she arrives and finds out she is the only girl there. She is sure it will be the worst thing ever. But as the party goes on, Judy discovers that she and Frank actually share some interests, including his impressive comic book and soap collections. By the time she goes home with a gemstone kit as a party favor, Judy is in a surprisingly good mood. The boy who used to bug her turns out to be a real friend.

What We Will Learn

Focus	What It Means
First Impressions	How Judy’s opinion of Frank changes
Theme	Giving people and things a second chance
Character Relationships	Turning an annoyance into a friend

Chapter Summary

Chapter	Key Events
Ch.8	Judy dreads Frank Pearl’s party and is the only girl there, but discovers shared interests — his comic and soap collections — and leaves in a good mood with a gemstone kit

💭 Before You Read · Warm-Up (not scored)

There are no wrong answers here — just think, guess, and talk:

Judy is sure Frank’s party will be ‘the worst thing ever.’ Have you ever dreaded something that turned out fun? What changed your mind?
A first impression is what you decide about someone in the first few minutes. When has a first impression of yours turned out completely wrong?
Predict: Judy thinks Frank is just an annoying boy. What might they discover they have in common?

Copyright Notice

This is an independent study guide created by Garden Heights Academy to support reading comprehension and literary analysis. It contains original analysis questions and does not reproduce any text from the novel. Judy Moody is a work by Megan McDonald. This guide is not affiliated with, authorized by, or endorsed by Megan McDonald or any associated rights holders. Students should read the original book, available from libraries and booksellers.

Part 1

Vocabulary

Study 10 key words from Chapters 8, then answer each question.

🎁Knowledge Bank · Party Favors and Collections

Culture · Birthdays & CollectingAmerican birthday parties follow a familiar pattern: games, cake, candles, and a small gift handed to each guest on the way out, called a favor. Favors are a way of saying thank you for coming. Plenty of children also build collections, gathering comic books, stamps, rocks, stickers, bottle caps, or even soaps. A collection is not really about the objects at all. It quietly shows what a person cares about, which is why two collectors can recognize each other within minutes. Naming the things you gather can turn a near stranger into a friend.

A page from an old stamp album with rows of small red, green, blue and brown postage stamps mounted under a printed heading — Photograph of a page from a stamp album of the 1930s, rows of small red, green, blue, and brown postage stamps from Germany mounted under a printed heading, the newest of them issued in 1923. The *Knowledge Bank* explains that plenty of children build collections of comic books, stamps, rocks, stickers, bottle caps, or even soaps, and that a collection is not really about the objects at all but quietly shows what a person cares about. This page is one collector’s care made visible, each stamp chosen, sorted, and mounted. It is a stamp album rather than a soap collection, and it belongs to no one in the story. Notice the empty spaces on the page — a collector always knows exactly what is still missing.
Page of German stamps from a 1930s stamp album; photograph released to the public domain. Source: Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

invitev.Ch.8

To ask someone to come to an event

“Frank decided to invite Judy to his party.”

dreadv.Ch.8

To feel worried about something coming

“Judy began to dread the party.”

collectionn.Ch.8

A group of similar things kept together

“Frank had a huge comic book collection.”

impressiveadj.Ch.8

Deserving admiration; very good

“His soap collection was impressive.”

awkwardadj.Ch.8

Uncomfortable or embarrassing

“Judy felt awkward as the only girl.”

surprisen.Ch.8

An unexpected event or feeling

“To her surprise, Judy had fun.”

favorn.Ch.8

A small gift for party guests

“Each guest got a party favor.”

hobbyn.Ch.8

An activity done for fun

“Collecting was Frank’s favorite hobby.”

moodn.Ch.8

The way a person feels at a time

“Judy went home in a good mood.”

commonadj.Ch.8

Shared by two or more people

“They had more in common than Judy thought.”

ⓘ The vocabulary words in this list are selected to help you understand and complete this workbook. Some may not appear verbatim in the original novel.

🧠Knowledge Bank question

1According to the Knowledge Bank, a collection quietly shows ___.Ch.8

2True or False: To “dread” the party means Judy is looking forward to it happily.Ch.8

3Frank’s soap collection was very good and deserving of admiration. It was ___.Ch.8

4True or False: A “party favor” is a small gift for guests.Ch.8

5Fill in each blank with the correct word.Ch.8

Word choices:invitedreadcollectionawkward- some words will not be used

Frank chose to Judy, but she began to the party and felt as the only girl.

6True or False: If you feel “awkward,” you feel comfortable and relaxed.Ch.8

7An activity you do for fun, like collecting comics, is a ___.Ch.8

8True or False: “Common” here means something Judy and Frank share.Ch.8

9Fill in the blanks with the correct words.Ch.8

Word choices:surprisefavorhobbymood- some words will not be used

To her , Judy went home in a good .

10A small gift given to guests at a party is a party ___.Ch.8

Part 2

Comprehension

How well do you understand Chapters 8?

🔮Knowledge Bank · Guessing What Comes Next

Reading Skill · Making PredictionsHave you ever guessed how a story would end before you got there? Smart guessing like that is called predicting. A prediction mixes clues from the page with what you already know about people. When a character announces that a day will be dreadful, you can predict her mood is about to dip. Then you read on and check whether the guess held up. Sometimes it does and sometimes it does not, and being wrong is fine, because a good reader simply builds a fresh prediction from newer clues. Predicting keeps a brain awake and turns every page into a small mystery.

🧠Knowledge Bank question

1The Knowledge Bank says being wrong about a prediction is fine because ___.Ch.8

2Why does Judy feel awkward when she arrives?Ch.8

3What does Judy discover she and Frank share?Ch.8

4True or False: Frank has a comic book collection and a soap collection.Ch.8

5Write the numbers 1–5 in the boxes to show the correct order across Part 5. Number 1 = what happens first.Ch.8

Judy goes home in a good mood with a gemstone kit.
Judy arrives and realizes she is the only girl at the party.
Judy is invited to Frank Pearl’s birthday party and dreads going.
Judy realizes she and Frank actually have things in common.
Judy discovers Frank’s comic and soap collections.

6True or False: Judy was excited and happy to go to the party from the very start.Ch.8

7What party favor does Judy take home?Ch.8

8How does Judy feel by the end of the party?Ch.8

9True or False: By the end, Judy sees Frank more as a friend than an annoyance.Ch.8

10Fill in the blanks to complete the sentence.Ch.8

Word choices:Frankgemstonecomicworst- some words will not be used

Judy thought the party would be the thing ever, but she went home with a kit.

Part 3

Literary Elements

Understanding HOW and WHY Megan McDonald creates certain feelings across Chapters 8.

👀Knowledge Bank · When First Looks Fool Us

Literary Craft · First ImpressionsAuthors enjoy playing with your first impression, the quick opinion you form about a person or place within moments. At the start something can look dull, unfair, or frightening. Then the writer supplies more information and the opinion flips over. Judy is sure this day will be dreadful, and the story keeps you wondering whether she is right. Setting up one feeling and then turning it around is an old and reliable craft trick, because a reader will stay for the turn. It carries a real lesson too. Notice a first impression, then keep an open mind.

Visual AidWhen a first look flips over

Diagram for the Knowledge Bank on first impressions. The three cards follow the craft trick the Knowledge Bank describes, a quick opinion formed within moments, the extra information the writer then supplies, and the opinion flipping over, using the Knowledge Bank’s example of a day that looks dreadful. It does not say how the day turns out. Notice that the flip comes only after the middle card — the Knowledge Bank says a reader will stay for the turn.

First impression, more information and the flip, as described in the Knowledge Bank. Drawn for Garden Heights Academy.

📚 Literary Devices in This Part · definitions & examples

A first impression is your first opinion of someone. Judy’s first impression of Frank changes.

A theme here is giving people a second chance — things are not always as bad as they seem.

Irony is when the opposite of what you expect happens. The “worst” party becomes a good time.

The questions below are mixed — not grouped by device. Decide which device each one is about.

🧠Knowledge Bank question

1According to the Knowledge Bank, a first impression is ___.Ch.8

2A first impression is your first opinion of someone.Ch.8

3Fill in each blank with the correct word.Ch.8

Word choices:first impressionthememoodsetting- some words will not be used

Judy’s first opinion of Frank is her

Giving people a second chance is a .

4Giving people a second chance is this part’s big idea, or —Ch.8

5A theme is a big idea a story explores, like second chances.Ch.8

6Fill in each blank with the correct word.Ch.8

Word choices:themefirst impressionmoodplot- some words will not be used

Judy’s first opinion of Frank is a

The big idea of second chances is a .

7Judy’s first opinion of Frank, later changed, was her —Ch.8

8‘Give people a second chance’ is the part’s main —Ch.8

9Fill in each blank with the correct word.Ch.8

Word choices:first impressionthememoodplot- some words will not be used

Your first opinion of someone is a

The big idea of the chapter is its .

10That Judy’s view of Frank changes mainly supports the theme of —Ch.8

Part 4

Think Deeper

Four deeper challenges — no single-word recall. Read, weigh the evidence, and reason it through.

🤝Knowledge Bank · Give Things a Second Chance

Social-Emotional · Second ChancesDeciding quickly that something will be terrible is easy, and it is often unfair. A new food, a new game, a new classmate: any of them can look bad for five minutes and then turn out fine. Giving something a second chance means looking again with a slower, kinder eye. People deserve that most of all. Somebody who seems annoying might simply be shy, nervous, or having a rotten week. When you hold off on judging, you leave space for a happy surprise. A little patience lets you notice the good you would otherwise have missed.

1Claim: “Judy’s dread of the party turns out to be wrong.” — choose the two details that best prove it.Claim & Evidence

2Shows Judy changing her mind, or just a detail of the party? Tap each item to sort it — tap again to switch sides. You can keep tapping to change your answer.Sort into two

◄ Judy changing her mindJust a detail ►

3Match each cause to its result. For each cause, pick its result.Cause & Effect

Judy is invited to the party→

She is the only girl there→

The party goes on→

They share an interest→

🧠Knowledge Bank question

4Fill both blanks to complete the reasoning.Build the Argument

The Knowledge Bank says giving something a second chance means , because somebody who seems annoying .

Part 5

Standardized Test

Author’s Purpose & Passage Structure — SAT & TOEFL-style practice

The Two-Second First Impression

You form a first impression of a stranger astonishingly fast, often in about two seconds, before a single word is spoken. In that flash, your brain guesses whether the person seems friendly, confident, or trustworthy, using only a face and a posture. This lightning judgment was once truly useful: long ago, deciding quickly whether a stranger was a friend or a threat could save your life. But speed comes at a cost. A first impression is built from very little evidence, so it is often mistaken. The confident-looking person may be unkind; the awkward one may become your best friend. Scientists who study this suggest a simple habit: treat a first impression as a guess, not a fact, and stay ready to revise it. The people we end up loving most are often the ones who surprised us, the ones our two-second brain got completely wrong.

Original passage written for Garden Heights — not a quotation from the novel.

1About how long does the passage say a first impression takes to form?TOEFL · Factual Information

2An awkward person seems ___.SAT · Words in Context

3Why was a fast judgment once useful?TOEFL · Factual Information

4A “threat” is —SAT · Words in Context

5People who surprised us ___.SAT · Words in Context

6Why does the author say first impressions are “often mistaken”?SAT · Inference

7The passage suggests that a first impression should be —SAT · Inference

8What habit do scientists suggest?TOEFL · Factual Information

9Which sentence best states the main idea of the passage?SAT · Central Ideas

10The author ends with people “our two-second brain got completely wrong” mainly to —TOEFL · Rhetorical Purpose

Part 6 · Optional

Creative Writing

A bonus challenge to practice your English. Take your time and have fun with it.

About This Section

This writing task is optional and is not part of your auto-graded score. The feedback below checks only the basics — length, spelling, and grammar — not whether your ideas are right or wrong. It is meant for classroom discussion and creative practice, so feel free to use your imagination!

Writing Task — Part 5 “A Happy Surprise”

Judy expects the party to be terrible, but it turns out great. Write about a time something you dreaded turned out better than you expected. What changed your mind? Write at least 40 words.

You can start with: “I really did not want to go, but then…”

0 / 40 words minimum

🗣 Teach It · Just for Fun (optional)

No right or wrong — close the screen and tell someone nearby what happened in this part. Can’t find anyone? Tell yourself out loud. The moment you teach it, you truly understand it.

Part 5 Complete!

You finished Chapters 8 of Judy Moody.

Here are your auto-graded results:

-

points out of 100

Teach it to someone

The best last step is to teach it. In your own words, explain what happened — retell a favorite scene, teach a character’s big choice, or sum up the main idea for a parent, friend, or classmate. When you can teach it clearly, you truly own it.

Move on to Part 6 →

Independent study guide by Garden Heights Academy. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Megan McDonald. Contains original analysis only; no text from the novel is reproduced.