The Mystery of the Box "You have a good day son. Don't get into any trouble," Lou Trump said as he patted his son Joey's blonde head. "You too, Dad," Joey called out as his father set out for their farm. It was a hot day. The sun was shining brightly and the air was humid. All of Joey's friends — Rick, Harry and Jill —— were out on a camping trip while Joey played alone at home. His father did not allow him to go for the camping trip because someone needed to be home to take care of Mae, Joey's five year old baby sister. Joey's mother Martha was visiting her sister Catherine who had just delivered a baby boy. Catherine lived in a town a few miles away and Martha wasn't expected back home until the next day.
By noon Joey had prepared a simple lunch for Mae and tucked her into her bed for an afternoon nap. Once the toddler was asleep, Joey had nothing better to do. He missed his friends as he hated playing alone. He walked through the empty house aimlessly until he noticed something strange outside the kitchen door that led into the backyard. A three foot cardboard box wrapped in bubble wrap quivered in the wind. Joey eyed the box curiously as he remembered that the box certainly wasn't there when he was preparing Mae's lunch. He picked up the box which wasn't heavy. The label said "222B Baker Street." Joey was puzzled. The last house on the street was 221B. So who was the box for? Should he open it? Was it intended for 221B? That was the house where the Holmes lived. At one time Joey used to be good friends with the Holmes' son Shane. Shane was crazy about puzzles and they would spend hours trying to solve popular puzzles that were notoriously difficult to solve. Once they had solved a real mystery as they helped old Mrs. Garland discover the identity of a prank caller.
With the box in his hand, Joey looked longingly at the Holmes's front porch. Shane could help him solve the mystery of the box. He wanted to knock on the door, but his father had instructed him not to be friends with the Holmes any more. Lou Trump and Chester Holmes had a huge fight last month. Since then the families were feuding like the Montagues and Capulets.
What is the best reason the author alludes to the detective Sherlock Holmes?

Lesson quiz: communication: oral response to literature 1.) it is important to communicate the thesis statement to the audience a. as the final point in your presentation. b. in the introduction. c. in the questioning period following the presentation. d. in your presentation title. 2.) a critical consideration for validating the thesis is a. to incorporate an author study. b. to identify supportive quotes. c. to examine the internal conflict. d. to repeat the thesis multiple times in the body. 3.) a presentation that shares the analysis of a piece of literature by explaining the deeper meaning is a. a book review. b. a narrative presentation. c. an oral response to literature. d. an expository analysis. 4.) the goal of an oral response to literature is to reflect and respond to a piece of literature. this is done by a. predicting the outcome of the story and writing the conclusion from a different viewpoint. b. interviewing the author. c. identifying, examining and interpreting a specific element from the literary text. d. sharing the history of the specific genre. 5.) which of the following provides the most accurate statement regarding an oral response to literature? a. a report that discusses the theme of a specific piece of literature. b. a presentation to share the analysis of a piece of literature explaining the deeper meaning of the work with an audience. c. a speech to promote a particular genre of literature. d. a presentation discussing the elements of the setting and major characters in a work of literature. 6.) an oral response to literature gives you the opportunity to examine and interpret a specific element from a literary work. which of the following would be a good analysis? a. compare the historical significance of two works b. identify each simile and metaphor c. determine how characters are given their names d. construct a thorough plot analysis 7.) asking questions to gain a deeper meaning of the work is an excellent way to focus your analysis in preparation for the oral response to literature. which of the following would be a good question to ask? a. why did the tone change as the story progressed? b. who is the antagonist? c. what is the setting of the story? d. what is the climax?