1. The Smallest Dragonboy by Anne McCaffrey
Feature Menu
Introducing the Selection
Literary Focus: Motivation
Reading Skills: Making Inferences

2. The Smallest Dragonboy by Anne McCaffrey

3. The Smallest Dragonboy by Anne McCaffrey
“To be chosen—to be a dragonrider! To sit astride the neck of a winged beast with jeweled eyes ”

4. The Smallest Dragonboy by Anne McCaffrey
But why would a dragon ever choose Keevan? He’s so young, and he’s so small—especially compared to that long-legged bully Beterli.
Find out what it takes to Impress a dragon.
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5. The Smallest Dragonboy Literary Focus: Motivation
As you read “The Smallest Dragonboy,” you will be asked to analyze the motivation of characters in the story.
Why do the characters do the things they do?
What makes them act one way and not another?

6. The Smallest Dragonboy Literary Focus: Motivation
Feelings, needs, wishes, pressures from family and friends—all these are forces that pull and push people from inside and outside.
What motivates you?
friends?
grades?
awards?
family?
adventure?

7. The Smallest Dragonboy Literary Focus: Motivation
The story’s main character, Keevan, is smaller and younger and has to work harder than all the other boys.
As you read, ask yourself what forces motivate this character. Why is Keevan so determined to become a dragonrider?
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8. The Smallest Dragonboy Reading Skills: Making Inferences
As you read “The Smallest Dragonboy,” practice the strategy making inferences.
An inference is an educated guess based on evidence.
Some writers tell you directly about a character. When a writer uses the direct characterization method, you don’t need to guess or make inferences.
Keevan is short.
Beterli is a bully.

9. The Smallest Dragonboy Reading Skills: Making Inferences
Most writers use the indirect characterization method. They don’t tell—they show you.
As you read “The Smallest Dragonboy,” stop and answer the questions at the open-book signs Look for
how the character acts
what the character says
how other characters respond to the character
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10. The Smallest Dragonboy by Anne McCaffrey
The End

11. The Smallest Dragonboy Background

12. The Smallest Dragonboy Background
This fantasy story takes place on Pern, an imaginary planet somewhere in outer space.
Every two hundred years, settlers on Pern face danger that rains down from the nearby Red Star.
Deadly plant spores—called Threads—fall on Pern, devouring every living thing.

13. The Smallest Dragonboy Background
During Thread attacks, the people of Pern huddle in cave towns deep under the ground
while the dragonriders battle the Threads.

14. The Smallest Dragonboy Background
Every child dreams of becoming a dragonrider, of riding forth on the back of one of the great winged protectors of Pern.
because each dragon picks its own rider.
The candidates for dragonrider work and train.
Most of all, they wait and hope
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15. The Smallest Dragonboy Make the Connection: Quickwrite

16. The Smallest Dragonboy Make the Connection: Quickwrite
Have you ever wanted to do something that you thought would be too hard or that someone said you couldn’t do?
What motivated you to overcome your difficulties? Take some notes about a time when you faced a challenge as an underdog.
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17. The Smallest Dragonboy Preview the Vocabulary

18. The Smallest Dragonboy Preview the Vocabulary
Some words in the story may be unfamiliar to you. Get to know these words before you read.
goaded v.: pushed or driven.
imminent adj.: about to happen.
perturbed v. used as adj.: disturbed or troubled.
confrontation n.: face-to-face meeting between opposing sides.
alleviate v.: relieve; reduce.

19. The Smallest Dragonboy Preview the Vocabulary
Which word…
imminent
perturbed
goaded
alleviate
confrontation
describes someone who is upset or bothered?
comes from a Latin word meaning “to make light”?
describes a situation that might lead to a fight?
might describe a bully’s actions?
could mean “on the brink” or “on the edge”?
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20. The Smallest Dragonboy Meet the Writer

21. The Smallest Dragonboy Meet the Writer
Born in 1926, Anne McCaffrey grew up in New Jersey. She always knew she wanted to be a writer.
Today, McCaffrey lives and writes in Ireland. Her science fantasy novels about the dragons of Pern are known all over the world and have been translated into many languages.
More about the writer.
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