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ABOUT THE BOOK
NO SPOILERSJeff Greene is twelve years old and has lived quietly with his reserved, scholarly father ever since his mother, Melody, walked out when Jeff was in second grade, leaving behind a note about saving the world. When Melody invites Jeff to spend a summer with her in Charleston, South Carolina, he falls completely under her spell, soaking up her warmth, beauty, and the gracious old house of his great-grandmother Gambo. But the summer does not go the way Jeff has imagined, and what happens there sets off a years-long struggle in Jeff between the pull of his mother's charm and his need to protect himself and his father from the damage she leaves in her wake.
Free Battle of the Books questions for A Solitary Blue
SPOILERSEvery one of these has the same answer, and that is the point. In a real battle the question is read aloud with a dozen other books in play, and students have a few seconds to place it. Here is what a battle might ask about A Solitary Blue. Use them as a quiz, a trivia round, or BOTB practice.
Where in the book they come from
- Early in the book
In what book does a mother's goodbye note mention hot dogs in the refrigerator?
✓ Answer
A Solitary Blue by Cynthia Voigt
Melody's farewell note to Jeff includes practical instructions about cooking hot dogs for dinner, mixed in with her emotional goodbye. The note reveals how she shifts between affection and detachment, telling Jeff he's old enough to manage on his own.
- First half
In what book does a boy buy a heavy old steel-string guitar at a pawnshop with saved-up allowance money?
✓ Answer
A Solitary Blue by Cynthia Voigt
Jeff saves his five-dollar weekly allowance and a birthday gift of ten dollars until he can afford a heavy old Stella guitar from a pawnshop. His fingertips bleed at first before he develops callouses and learns to use a flat pick. The guitar is his connection to Melody.
- First half
In what book does a lute concert almost make a boy forget to breathe?
✓ Answer
A Solitary Blue by Cynthia Voigt
Brother Thomas takes Jeff and the Professor to a lute concert at the Peabody Institute. The music winds and weaves until it lies over Jeff like a net, and he almost forgets to breathe. But he forces himself to resist the experience because admitting how weak Melody's songs are by comparison feels disloyal.
- Second half
In what book does a boy take a heron by a creek as a sign from the gods?
✓ Answer
A Solitary Blue by Cynthia Voigt
When Jeff and the Professor visit the little red-shingled cabin on the Eastern Shore, Jeff goes down to the creek and startles a great blue heron. He takes it as a sign from the gods, and the Professor agrees. They decide to buy the property.
- Second half
In what book does a boy write an essay about a historical figure and receive a grade of A/F?
✓ Answer
A Solitary Blue by Cynthia Voigt
Jeff writes about John C. Calhoun for an essay about conflict in a real character. His teacher gives him A/F because the assignment was supposed to be about someone the student knew personally. Jeff hadn't registered that detail, earning a top writing grade but failing the assignment.
- Near the end
In what book does a monk hoe a vegetable garden in the heat rather than remove his black suit?
✓ Answer
A Solitary Blue by Cynthia Voigt
Brother Thomas works in Mrs. Tillerman's garden around the tomato plants, his face red with heat and sweat running down his cheeks. When Jeff suggests he take off his jacket, Brother Thomas says if he does he might never put it on again, hinting at his crisis of faith.
