Pax

Chapters 1-3

Reading Check

1. A toy soldier (Chapter 1)

2. They were “inseparable.” (Chapter 2)

Short Answer

1. He thinks that Peter will come back to the same spot where he left Pax by the road, and Pax wants to be there when Peter returns. (Chapter 3)

Chapters 4-7

Reading Check

1. A flashlight (Chapter 4)

2. The Vixen (Chapter 5)

Short Answer

1. They hold their ears and tail erect. The Vixen employs this gesture because she wants to show Pax her dominance. (Chapter 5)

2. Peter lies because he does not want to address his true feelings about his mother’s death. He may be suppressing his anger at the circumstances or unready to confront feelings of abandonment. (Chapter 6)

Chapters 8-12

Reading Check

1. Fire (Chapter 9)

2. She got caught in a trap. (Chapter 11)

Short Answer

1. Peter lies because he is afraid of Vola. He senses something dangerous about her and notices she has a wooden leg. (Chapter 8)

Chapters 13-15

Reading Check

1. A worm (Chapter 13)

Short Answer

1. Peter’s mother treasures the bracelet because of the symbol of the phoenix that she associates with rebirth. (Chapter 14)

2. He describes Peter’s scent as a mixture of grief and yearning. This is significant because the terms describe how Pax himself feels missing Peter. (Chapter 15)

Chapters 16-18

Reading Check

1. The Seven Voyages of Sinbad from the Arabian Nights Series (Chapter 16)

2. He steps on a mine. (Chapter 17)

Short Answer

1. He learned that it was not safe for any of them to go south because of the human war camps. This is significant because Gray and the other foxes don’t trust humans; they want Pax to stay with them and leave humans behind. (Chapter 17)

2. She uses a screwdriver to disassemble the puppet so Peter can put it together. In doing so, Peter learns how to assemble the puppet independently, thereby gaining confidence. (Chapter 18)

Chapters 19-21

Reading Check

1. He loses a leg. (Chapter 19)

2. Pax (Chapter 20)

Short Answer

1. He says his boy is not war-sick but that he’s changed and is now false-acting. This shows that Pax may be worried that Peter is capable of dishonesty because of society’s impact. (Chapter 21)

Chapters 22-24

Reading Check

1. Vola (Chapter 22)

Short Answer

1. The first condition is that Vola must wear her prosthetic leg instead of her wooden one. (Chapter 24)

2. Peter and the Shortstop experience a moment of peace because they share a love of baseball. (Chapter 24)

Chapters 25-28

Reading Check

1. A mouse (Chapter 25)

Short Answer

1. When Peter tells him he left his pet behind, the guard seems to sympathize and tells Peter that he has a dog named Henry. (Chapter 26)

Chapters 29-34

Reading Check

1. A coyote (Chapter 29)

Short Answer

1. Peter screams “Pax” when he sees the toy soldier because he believes that Pax has died and left his toy behind. (Chapter 30)