12
Post-reading Questions:
1. Where is the fire?
2. How does Ben respond to the fire?
3. Who does Ben run into in the barn?
4. What happens to this person?
5. Who do you think Joe was?
Activities:
1. Write the ending chapter to The Winner’s Circle.
CHAPTER 18: IN THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
EALRS
Reading:
1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2
Writing:
1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5
Communication:
1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3
Pre-reading Questions:
1. This is the final chapter of the story, how would you like it to end?
2. The summary of chapter 17 states, “With the barn ablaze and no time to spare, Ben and Mr. Brennan struggle to get
the racehorses to safety. Through the inferno, Ben sees Joe Pastore consumed by his own burning revenge.”
What do you think it means to be consumed by your own revenge?
3. Do you believe Ben had anything to do with the fire? Do you think his father’s past will affect what others believe?
Post-reading Questions:
1. How did the story end?
2. Of all of the characters, with whom do you relate most? Why?
3. How did the fire begin?
4. What information does Ben have about the fire starting that he does not share with Mr. Brennan or the investigator?
5. The story challenges us to deal with our “personal demons.” What were Ben’s personal “demons”? Did he deal with them?
In what ways? What might you need to work on to become more comfortable and secure with yourself? How could you
address those needs?
6. What does Ben realize about Joe at the end of the story?
7. What did you learn from this story?
Activities:
1. At the end of this chapter, Ben though he’d ask Mr. Brennan for a ride to the prison. Write the next chapter—the title
of this chapter is, “Ben visits his past.”
2. Ben learned to trust the Brennans and himself. What traits must someone have to be trusted? Scan today’s newspaper and
read about the various people in the news. Do any of them deserve to be trusted? Why or why not? Why is important for a
family, team or community to trust each other? In the articles that you read, can you generalize about the impact
trust has on a person or group’s success? What is that generalization?
