No Ordinary Day: Reading Response

No Ordinary Day   By: Deborah Ellis       Name:__________

Due: Dec. 11, 2017

Note to Parents: Please discuss these words with your child:

poverty, child-slavery, homelessness, leprosy, prejudice, stereotype, ulcers, bacterial infection, antibiotics

Summary:  Valli, an Indian girl from a poverty-stricken coal town, decides to run away one day when she discovers that her "auntie" is actually just a woman who was paid by her own family to watch over her. Valli does not come from much, not being able to go to school or to even eat on a regular basis. Her background helps her to be resourceful when she ends up in Kolkatta, homeless. Valli's only fear is of the "monsters", who are actually lepers, who resided on the wrong side of her coal town. Little does she know that her magic feet that don't feel are a symptom of leprosy, and that to escape poverty, she must choose to face the monsters. 

Chapter 1: What does Valli have to do to help her family? What does she really want to spend her time doing instead?  Why is this important to Valli?

Chapter 2: Why does Valli decide to jump onto a coal truck and become a “stowaway”?  Is this a good idea? Why or why not?

  

Chapter 3:  Why does Valli try to impress Mrs Mukerjee with reciting the alphabet on page 39? What  do you think Valli was trying to do?

Chapter 4: Why does Valli give the soap away? In your opinion, was it a good move? Why or why not?  For example, she could have sold the soap for money.  

Chapter 5: Valli is now a homeless child on the streets of Kolkata.  What does she learn to do to survive? Name three things that she had to do in order to survive on the streets.

Chapter 6:  Valli is alone on the streets. At the end of the chapter she feels that she is not alone and that she “almost has friends.”  Please explain why you think she feels that way, especially when she is “all alone”.

Chapter 7: What does Valli do at the river with the coins?  Did she really “make things happen” like magic?  Explain why or why not?

Chapter 8: Why does she trust Dr Indra and follow a stranger?  Explain three reasons why this is dangerous and how Valli tries to keep herself “safe”.

Chapter 9: Valli knows she is sick but runs away to live on the streets because of the “monsters”. What is she really scared of and does her fear help her? Please explain and use connections from your life? Would it be easier to run away from a problem?

Chapter 10:  Valli gets kicked out of the bookstore.  She really wants the biology book, and knows that “books are not for her” based on how badly she looks and smells.  Why is there a prejudice against poor people being able to read or even be able to go to where “rich” people go? Is this different here in Canada? How is it different? Do we have prejudice for other things? Please explain.   

Chapter 11: Valli goes back to the hospital. What made her return to Dr Indra? Do you think she is still scared but still decided to go? 

Chapter 12: What is an oath? Why does Dr Indra want to honour her oath? What three personality traits does this reveal to you that Dr Indra has based on her oath?

Chapter 13: Usha helps Valli in more ways than just cleaning her up & making Valli tea.  She asks Valli to “look at her”.  What does this do for Valli? Do you think Valli still has fear and prejudice against Usha? Why or why not?

Chapter 14: Valli likes to learn.  What did she teach herself to do?  Have you ever figured out how to do something on your own that your parents do? What was it? How did you figure it out?

Chapter 15:   What does Dr Indra gives Valli her old biology textbook; is this an amazing gift?  Do you think giving is more important than receiving a gift? Why or why not?

Please note: All the royalties from No Ordinary Day go to The Leprosy Mission out of Canada. In fact, all of Deborah Ellis's book royalties (money made from each book) go to various charity organizations.