COMMON CORE-ALIGNED TEACHER GUIDE

Polly
Di a m o n d
By Alice Kuipers
Illustrated by Diana Toledano

Polly Diamond and the Super

Polly Diamond and the Magic Book Stunning Spectacular School Fair
978-1-4521-5232-5 • $14.99 HC 978-1-4521-5233-2 • $14.99 HC
Ages 6 to 9 • F&P Text Level Gradient: N Ages 6 to 9 • F&P Text Level Gradient: N
Lexile® Measure: 330L Lexile® Measure: 440L

About The Books

Polly loves words. And she loves writing stories. So when a magic book appears on her doorstep that can make every-
thing she writes happen in real life, Polly is certain all of her dreams are about to come true. But she soon learns that
what you write and what you mean are not always the same thing!

Funny and touching, this new chapter book series will entertain readers and inspire budding writers.

About This Guide

This guide consists of discussion opportunities and classroom extension activities that can be used when reading,
teaching, or discussing the Polly Diamond early chapter book series. This guide is designed to be used in 1st through
4th grade as the text is read as a whole group, small group, or independently.

The Polly Diamond books allow readers to study a variety of types of words, affixes, syllables, and figurative language.
Learning extensions offer opportunities for students to use their imaginations (by exploring wishes, the future, and
more), produce poetry and other creative writing, conduct short research projects, practice precise word choice, stage
their own book-themed school fair, and more. This book also allows for cross-curricular activities in math.

The discussion questions and activities included in this guide are designed to support specific Common Core Lan-
guage Arts and Mathematics Standards. For more information on specific standards for your grade level, visit the
Common Core website at www.corestandards.org.

Invite an author or illustrator to visit your classroom or library!

Head to chroniclebooks.com/authorvisit to find out more.

CHRONICLEBOOKS.COM /CL ASSROOM

 POLLY DIAMOND AND THE MAGIC BOOK

Vocabulary
Research shows that discussing vocabulary within the context of reading is one of the most effective ways
to help students learn new vocabulary. The following vocabulary words can be found throughout the book.
Use these words as a starting point for a vocabulary study with Polly Diamond.

Teeny (p. 2) Hover (p. 31) Palatial (p. 58)

Baffling (p. 7) Astounding (p. 31) Squint (p. 63)
Woozy (p. 10) Astonishing (p. 31) Renovations (p. 79)
Contractor (p. 16) Astronomical (p. 31) Crackle (p. 80)
Batter (p. 18) Slosh (p. 33) Warps (p. 80)
Scribbled (p. 19) Wobbly (p. 33) Cozy (p. 89)
Dollop (p. 21) Banister (p. 34) Stuccoed (p. 89)
Waddles (p. 22) Jangle (p. 41) Timbered (p. 89)
Gaze (p. 22) Shimmer (p. 46) Scrunched (p. 96)
Creaking (p. 30) Sorrowfully (p. 57) Fairy lights (p. 100)

Learning About Language with Polly Diamond

Homonyms
Throughout the book, Polly uses homonyms (words that have multiple meanings), including “basil” and “fin.”*
The magical book even gets confused when Polly asks for a club sandwich, because “club” has many different meanings.

Instruct students to brainstorm words that are homonyms and to draw pictures or write definitions of all the
different meanings for each word. Then create a class dictionary for the complete list of homonyms, and have
students practice using alphabetical order to organize the words.

Examples: scales (fish scales vs. weighing scales), ship (boat vs. to mail), duck (the animal vs. bending down)

*Note that these examples are used as both formal names and another word; these are not necessarily true homonyms.

Figurative Language
Polly frequently uses figurative language to be descriptive. Lead a class discussion on figurative language and
demonstrate the different ways words may be used to describe and add imagery or other special effects to a story.

Similes
Teach students about similes by referring to Polly’s definition on page 13. Have students go on a scavenger hunt of
Polly Diamond to find all the similes in the book.

Answer key:
Spikey like a puffed-up puffer fish (p. 6) Scampers like an excited puppy (p. 50)
Scurry like busy mice (p. 6) Flops like a bar of soap (p. 50)
[Writes] like a sprinter rushing to finish the race (p. 7) Trembles like an earthquake (p. 60)
Carpet like a giant rolled up snake (p. 13) Shakes like in a blender (p. 61)
Waddles like a penguin (p. 22) Ripping like a giant pair of jeans is being torn apart (p. 61)
Pile up like a ladder (p. 30) Stacked like large toy blocks scattered by a giant baby (p. 63)
Drifting like small ships up from the rug (p. 31) Looks like a crown (p. 69)
Bursts like a firework (p. 33) Screams like a thousand bees are stinging her (p. 76)
Aquarium blue like an aquarium (p. 33) Crackle and burst like popcorn (p. 80)
Floats like a balloon (p. 37) Black and white like a chessboard (p. 82)
Sweet and soft like marshmallows (p. 40) Tick, tick, tick like an alarm clock (p. 85)
Small and round like an apple (p. 40) Small and scrunched like a big raisin (p. 96)
Fizz like bubbles in soda pop (p. 48)

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Divide the class into groups and have each group create two drawings of a simile from the book, one that
depicts the literal meaning and one that depicts the figurative meaning. Compile all the illustrations and
create a figurative language book for the class.

Example: The baby is small and scrunched like a big raisin.

Figurative: The baby is small and scrunched and wrinkly.

Literal: The baby is a raisin.

Extension Activity:
Have students create their own similes to add to the book.

The Literal Book

Building off the prior simile discussion, have students find examples of Polly saying something which she means
figuratively but which the book takes literally.

Answer key:
Room like an aquarium (p. 33) The house is like it used to be (p. 80)
Feel like I’m invisible (p. 35) Carpet fixed up (p. 60)
Club sandwich (p. 72) House go back (p. 85)

Note that some of the above examples are similes while others are idioms, and still others are examples of imprecise
wording. Have students reword Polly’s phrasing in these examples so the intent of her request is phrased literally,
since the book will do exactly as she asks.

Extension Activity:
Have students answer the following discussion question: Why do you believe authors use figurative language in
their books?

Hyperboles
Refer to page 71 for an example of hyperbole in Polly’s father’s saying, “I’m so hungry I could eat a cat.” Discuss
hyperbole with the class and ask students to identify other examples used by Polly and her dad throughout the book.

Answer key:
I wonder if I might faint (p. 10) Every grown up in Utopia (p. 41)
Polly’s mom called her three billion times (p. 14) Maybe a million doors (p. 63)
Chocolate chips and rainbow sprinkles are everywhere (p. 22) Could eat a horse…elephant (p. 75)
Best friends for a thousand years (p. 37) Zillions of cupboards (p. 80)
Worst babysitter ever (p. 41)

Instruct students to create drawings of these examples of hyperbole to add to the figurative language class book.

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Alliteration
On page 20, Polly shares another of her favorite literary devices: amazing alliteration!

Alliteration occurs when the beginning of each word in a series of words starts with the same sound. This device is
often used to make a reader pay attention to certain words or phrases, or simply to make reading a bit more fun.
Have students create a poem using alliteration built around the first letter of their first name. First, ask them to come
up with a list of nouns that begin with their letter. Then, have them come up with a list of verbs that begin with their
letter. Finally, have them come up with a list of adjectives that begin with their letter. Instruct students to pull from
their list of words to create a tongue twister using alliteration.

Favorite Words
Polly has a lot of favorite words, including words with double letters like “doozy” and homonyms like “basil.”
Have students make a list of three words that they really like. For each word, they should share the definition and
explain why they like the word. When finished, have the class do a word “meet and greet.” Using clock buddies or
some other buddy system, have students meet with other students in the classroom and learn about their favorite
words. Instruct students to add the favorite words they learn about from others to their own list.

Descriptive Words: Adjectives and Adverbs

Authors include descriptive words to help readers better visualize a story. Define adjectives and adverbs for the class
and give examples of each. Then, tell students to close their eyes and picture the following sentence: “The person went
shopping.” Next, tell students to open their eyes. Call on a few students and ask them to describe what they pictured.
Because of the lack of description in the original sentence, each student’s answer will be different. This will show your
students why description is important.

Give students another sentence lacking in description, such as: “The cat went down the street.” Again, have them
picture the sentence, but this time, ask them to add adjectives and adverbs to the sentence to make it easier to
visualize exactly what they are picturing.

Example: “The ferocious, yellow lion ran quickly down the busy street.”

Extension Activity:
When finished writing their sentences, students can trade their sentences and then illustrate the new sentences.
Then they can compare their own visualizations to what the other students imagined.

Now that students understand the importance of descriptive language, have them explore Polly Diamond and find
three times the author used very descriptive language that helped them visualize the story.

Extension Activity:
Have students rewrite the text from their three selections of descriptive language, leaving out the descriptive words.
Then have them rewrite the text yet again, this time using different descriptive words to change the meaning of the
text.

Example:
Original: “I stare at Anna’s side of the room. Too. Much. Pink. Anna’s pink dollhouse.
Anna’s huge pink stuffed unicorn. Anna’s pile of pink ruffled dresses.”
Revised: “I stare at Anna’s side of the room. Too. Much. Black. Anna’s black dollhouse. Anna’s tiny black
plastic unicorn. Anna’s pile of black leather dresses.”

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Affixes
Show students how different word parts (affixes) can be put together to make new words. Explain the
different types of word parts (prefix, suffix, root, and base) and how they fit together like puzzle pieces.

Prefixe s Root Words Suf fixe s

On page 56, Polly explains how adding “un-” to the beginning of a word gives it an opposite meaning. The word she
uses as an example is “unobservant.” Share with your students that “un-” is a prefix that means “not,” which is why
adding it to a word gives that word an opposite meaning. Have students brainstorm a list of words with “un-” at the
beginning and define each word using “not” as the definition for “un-.”

Extension Activity:
“Dis-,” “il-,” “im-,” “in-,” and “ir-” also mean “not.” Have students explore words made with these prefixes.

Extension Activity:
On page 57, Polly also talks about adding “-fully” to the end a word to make it bigger, but adding this affix does more
than that. Share with your students that “-fully” is a combination of “ful,” a root word that means “full of,” and “-ly,”
a suffix that turns an adjective into an adverb. Explain that Polly’s example of “sorrowfully” is an adverb that means
“full of sorrow.”

After showing students how words break apart and how understanding different types of affixes can help with
understanding word meanings, give students words with “un-” and “-ful” (or any other affix you’ve studied as a class).
Have them mark the different word parts and define the words.

Write Alongside Polly

Color Poem
On page 1, Polly shares that her teacher said her color poem was fantastic. Have your students use the following
template to create their own color poem:
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson375/PoemTemplates.pdf

Finish Her Perfect House Story

On page 3, Polly is interrupted while writing her perfect house story.
Have students finish her story by describing what their perfect house would include.

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Wishes
When Polly realizes her book is magical, she thinks of many things she can wish for, such as a cell phone,
not-frizzy hair, more books, a flat screen TV, and world peace.

Using a brainstorming graphic organizer, have your students think of all the things they wish for.

Wishes
After brainstorming all their wishes, have students circle their top three choices.
Using the five-paragraph format for informative essays, instruct students to write an essay about their three wishes.
Introduction: Start with a topic sentence.
Paragraphs 2–4: Write one paragraph per wish.
Conclusion: Summarize the wishes.

When I Grow Up….

Throughout the book, Polly mentions a few different careers that she is considering: treasure hunter, chef, and
explorer. Have students think about what they would love to do when they grow up if there were no limitations in
their future. Then have students research their hopeful careers, answering questions such as:
• What schooling do you need?
• What kind of skills do you need?
• What resources do you need?
• What can I do now to work towards this career path?

When completed, have the students write a career report using the five-paragraph format:
Introduction: Detail the thought process behind choosing your career.
Paragraph 2: Share information about the career.
Paragraph 3: Describe the education and training or other resources that are required for this career.
Paragraph 4: Describe some potential obstacles.
Paragraph 5: Share your conclusion.

Instead of writing an essay, you could have students create a PowerPoint or Prezi about their career choice.

Extension Activity:
Have students present their reports to the class or share with classmates in small groups.

Book Setting You’d Want to Visit

On page 48, Polly lists visiting Hogwarts and Narnia alongside her other wishes. Ask students to share the book
setting they would like to visit most and to explain their choice to the class.

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Your House
Polly had to be very specific to get the book to rebuild her house as it was at the beginning of the book.
Have your students pretend they are writing to the magical book to rebuild their own house. Instruct students to
write a description of their house, including every room and as many details as they can think of. Remind them to use
literal language because of how the book interprets descriptive words.

Math E x tension Ac tivitie s

Measuring
Polly’s grandmother’s recipe for pancakes calls for a cup of flour and a cup of milk. Explain that sometimes when
baking, the exact right measuring cup might not be at hand. Bring in one-cup measuring cups along with 1/4-, 1/3-,
1/2-, and 3/4-cup measuring cups, as well as various tablespoon and teaspoon measures. Break students up into
groups and give each group one of each measuring cup and spoon, as well as something to measure (like water, rice,
or flour). Ask each group to answer the following questions:
• If you only had a 1/4-cup measuring cup, how could you get one cup of flour?
• If you only had a 1/3-cup measuring cup, how could you get one cup of flour?
• If you only had a 1/2-cup measuring cup, how could you get one cup of flour?
• If you only had a 3/4-cup measuring cup, how could you get one cup of flour?
• If you only had a tablespoon measure, how could you get one cup of flour?
• If you only had a teaspoon measure, how could you get one cup of flour?

Numbers
Throughout the book, including on pages 63 and 80, Polly uses numbers such as million, thousand, and gazillion.
First, let your students know gazillion is not an official number grouping, but million, thousand, and billion (as well
as others) are. Then, teach the class the following progression: hundred, thousand, million. Next, show students
how to write these figures with numerals: 100; 1,000; 1,000,000. Help students see comparisons by sharing how the
smaller groupings combine to form larger groupings, such as ten one-hundreds is a thousand, a thousand million is
a billion, etc. Discuss examples like grains of sand in a bucket and people in a football stadium.

Extension Activity:
Create a number line where 1 centimeter = 100. Starting from 0, 1 centimeter
would be 100; 10 centimeters would be 1,000; 10,000 centimeters would be 1,000,000, etc.

Further Exploration
Baking Powder
When making pancakes, Polly can’t find flour, so she uses baking powder instead. These two baking ingredients have
very different functions. Split the class in half. Have half the class learn about flour and the other half learn about
baking powder. Ask each group to answer the following questions:
• How is this ingredient made?
• What is its purpose in baking?

Have each side share their findings with the class. Then, as a class, discuss why Polly’s exchanging of one ingredient
for the other was not effective.

Your Teacher
At the beginning of chapter 4, Polly shares the best things about her teacher. Have
students create a similar list detailing the best things about you or a past teacher.

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Paint Names
On page 29, Polly makes up names for paint colors, including muddy pond,
lunch bag, and baboon butt. Have students look at the colors Polly describes
on page 29 and then find the corresponding color in either a crayon box or
an online color exploration site. Next, ask students to create their own color
names using descriptive imagery. Have them reference the online color
exploration site or the color chart from Microsoft Word.

Favorite Books
Polly and her family love to read, and on page 26 Polly shares her favorite reading books. Ask students to share their
favorite books and explain why each selection is a favorite.

Standards
The following standards can be met by using the extension activities within this teaching guide.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy Next Generation Science Standards

RL.1-4.4, 3.2, 3.5, W. 1-4.2, 1-4.3, 3-4.7, 3-4.8, 3-4.10 2-PS1-1
2-PS1-2
CCSS.Math.Content
1.NBT.B.2 2.NBT.A.3 2.NBT.A.3 4.NBT.A.2
1.MD.C.4 3.MD.A.2 4.MD.A.2
2.NBT.A.1
2.MD.D.9

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 POLLY DIAMOND AND THE SUPER STUNNING SPECTACUL AR SCHOOL FAIR

Vocabulary
Research shows that discussing vocabulary within the context of reading is one of the most effective ways
to help students learn new vocabulary. These vocabulary words can be found throughout the book. Use these words
as a starting point for a vocabulary study with Polly Diamond and the Super Stunning Spectacular School Fair.

Spectacular (p. 1) Whoops (p. 20) Tuft (p. 58)

Dramatically (p. 4) Precious (p. 22) Death-defying (p. 66)
Snatches (p. 4) Groan (p. 23) Clang (p. 67)
Vanquish (p. 10) Wobbly (p. 31) Judder (p. 67)
Stunning (p. 14) Foyer (p. 38) Swishes (p. 74)
Pristine (p. 15) Bustling (p. 43) Veer (p. 77)
Glides (p. 17) Odyssey (p. 44) Swoop (p. 77)
Squirming (p. 18) Darting (p. 47) Hurtle (p. 79)
Splendid (p. 18) Lecture (p. 50) Gloop (p. 82)
Sleek (p. 18) Dabs (p. 52) Thwacked (p. 84)
Contractor (p. 19) Zings (p. 53) Clambers (p. 90)

Learning Extensions
Use these activities and discussion questions to extend student learning with Polly Diamond and the Super Stunning
Spectacular School Fair.

Syllables
Polly’s teacher describes syllables as beats in words. Using the following guide, ask students to determine how many
syllables their names have:
First name(s) syllable count + middle name(s) syllable count + last names(s) syllable count = total number of syllables in your name

Next, ask students to come up with other words that have the same number of syllables as their first, middle, last,
and/or full name.

3 Reasons Today Will be Spectacular

Polly begins her day by listing three reasons why her day will be spectacular. As a class, start out each day (or each
week) with this activity to set a positive course for the day (or week).

Word of the Day

There are many ways to incorporate a word of the day in classrooms. One of the most fun and interactive methods
involves a word jar. For the word jar, have each student find a word (or two or three) that they love and think is
interesting. Have them write the word, its part of speech, and its definition on an index card and place the card in a
jar. Each day, pick a card from the jar and have the student who submitted the card present to the class. Place each
presented card onto a class word wall. Challenge students to use any and all new words in their writing.

Other options: Dictionary.com and Merriam-Webster both feature a word of the day on their website.

Inventive Vocabulary
Polly invents words, primarily adjectives and adverbs, to help her when she can’t find just the right word. Some words
she invents in the book include “yelly,” “splooshy,” and “spandangly.” Have a class discussion on why Polly makes up
new words and how she is inspired by real words that she then exaggerates, combines, or modifies to make a new word.

Ask students to write a narrative about a randomly assigned scenario (55 creative writing starters can be found at
https://www.journalbuddies.com/creative-writing-2/creative-writing-story-starters/). Have them include at least five
made-up words describing different nouns/verbs throughout the story.

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 POLLY DIAMOND AND THE SUPER STUNNING SPECTACUL AR SCHOOL FAIR

Puns
Puns are word play and are so much fun! Find kid-friendly puns to share with your students and then
challenge them to either find a favorite pun or make up their own puns.
-
5 6! Book Titles
Ms. Arbul lets Polly put six favorite book titles on her index cards for the jar. Have students answer: What are the six
book titles you would have put in the jar? Why do you love each of the books?

Math extension: Ask students to consider the following scenario:

The jar was going to be used as a guessing game to give away a prize at Polly’s school fair. Guests would have to guess
how many book titles are in the jar. How many book titles would be in the jar if every kid in your school wrote five
and you wrote 6?

Example: 500 x 5 + 1 = 2501

# of Words
During math, Polly’s class is working on estimating the number of words on each page of Ms. Arbul’s book. Complete
this same activity in your classroom.

Number of words on each line x number of lines on each page = number of words on a page

Extension: Have students calculate the number of words in the entire book.
(For some examples of book titles and their corresponding word counts, refer to www.readinglength.com.)

Palindromes
Polly and Spell introduce the idea of palindromes to readers. Palindromes are words or sentences that read the same
way backwards and forwards, like “taco cat” or “Hannah.” Write all of the palindromes from the book out for your
students to see, and then challenge them to create their own palindromes. Remind students that their palindromes
don’t have to make complete sense but should be somewhat grammatically correct.

Reading Rules!
Polly creates a set of rules for reading to be displayed during her school fair. Her rules are similar to the International
Literacy Association’s Children’s Rights to Read. Have your students make their own reading rules! Remind them to
brainstorm rules that might be helpful for advanced adult readers and struggling readers alike.

Adaption: Have your class create a whole-class list of reading rules!

Extension: Have your students write their rules as similes, like Polly does.

Book Travel Posters

Polly’s school fair features travel posters on the walls depicting the settings for a variety of books.
Look at the examples shared in the book on page 26. Discuss how the creator incorporated the
setting, the book title, and positive information to make the setting appealing. Have students
create a travel poster tempting viewers to visit a setting from a book of their choice.

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Text Set
Split up the book between students and have them go on a scavenger hunt to find all the books mentioned
throughout. Compile a list of all the books mentioned and then get as many as possible for students to
read/interact with.
Extension: If the books are picture books, read them together as a class and then look at how they are alluded to in
Polly Diamond and the Super Stunning Spectacular School Fair.

Word Choice
Throughout the book, what Polly writes in Spell doesn’t turn out exactly as she intends. Examples related to the
school fair can be found on pages 25, 51, 57, and 58. Although Polly’s ideas are magical, they don’t always yield the
results she wants.
Split students into collaborative groups and have them rewrite each of the above referenced sections as if they are
Polly writing in Spell. Remind them to include more details to make Polly’s intentions more clear.

Writing Prompts
Use these writing prompts to allow for free writing time while also connecting to Polly Diamond and the Super
Stunning Spectacular School Fair:
Write your own story of the Puddle Monster.
By using Spell, Polly plans what her book-themed school fair is going to include. What would you have your
book-themed school fair include? What about if you had a magical book like Polly’s?
What would you get painted on your face if you knew whatever you painted would change you into that
person/creature?
What book setting would you choose to go to on the magic carpet?
Every classroom looks a bit different. Ms. Arbul’s classroom is described as the nicest classroom in the whole
school. What would your dream classroom look like?

Standards
CCSS ELA-LITERACY Standards CCSS MATH CONTENT Standards
RL.1-4.1 1.OA.A.1
RL.1-4.3 2.OA.A.1
RL.1-4.7 3.OA.C.7
RL.1-4.10 4.OA.A.2
W.1-4.3 4.NBT.B.5
W.3-4.4
W.1-4.7
W.1-4.10

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About the Author

ALICE KUIPERS is the author of four novels and two picture books. Her debut novel was Life on the Refrigerator
Door, a Young Adult/Adult crossover published in 28 countries. Her second novel, The Worst Thing She Ever Did (pub-
lished in the US as Lost for Words), was a Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Books of the Year selection
for 2011. Alice’s debut picture book, Violet and Victor Write the Best-Ever Bookworm Book (2014) and Violet and Victor
Write the Most Fabulous Fairy Tale (2016) both received strong reviews. Born and raised in London, England, Alice
now lives in Saskatoon, Canada. Learn more about her at www.alicekuipers.com.

About the Illustrator

DIANA TOLDEDANO hails from Madrid, Spain. She divides her time between working as a freelance illustrator and
teaching in museums. Her illustration clients include Usborne Publishing, Red Cross of Spain, and the California
Academy of Sciences. Diana lives in San Francisco.

This guide was created by Kellee Moye, a middle school reading coach and teacher from Orlando, Florida. Kellee was her middle school’s Teacher of the Year for
the 2017–19 school year. She is also the co-author of the blog Unleashing Readers; the author of various teaching guides; the chair of the 2014 Amelia Elizabeth
Walden Book Award committee; a member of the 2015–2018 ALAN Board of Directors; and a member of NCTE, ALAN, and ALA.

CHRONICLEBOOKS.COM /CL ASSROOM

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