The Barefoot Boy: Reading Adventure & Quiz

Roy would not have noticed the strange boy if it weren't for Dana Matherson, because Roy ordinarily didn't look out the window of the school bus. He preferred to read comics and mystery books on the morning ride to Trace Middle School.

But on this day, a Monday (Roy would never forget), Dana Matherson grabbed Roy's head from behind and pressed his thumbs into Roy's temple, as if he were squeezing a soccer ball. The older kids were supposed to stay in the back of the bus, but Dana had snuck up behind Roy's seat and ambushed him. When Roy tried to wriggle free, Dana mushed his face against the window.

The story starts by telling us that Roy "ordinarily didn't look out the window" — he preferred reading comics and mystery books. This is important because it sets up the fact that he only notices the strange boy because of what Dana does to him.
Dana Matherson is a bully — he sneaks up on Roy from behind and physically hurts him by squeezing his head. The simile "as if he were squeezing a soccer ball" helps us picture how rough Dana is being.
The phrase "Roy would never forget" tells us this day turns out to be very important, which builds suspense right from the start.

Ordinarily — normally; usually; what happens most of the time
Temple — the flat area on the side of your head, between your eye and your ear
Ambushed — attacked someone by surprise, without warning
Mushed — pushed or squashed something with force
Wriggle — to twist and turn your body to try to get free

1. What is Roy doing at the start of the passage, before Dana bothers him?

2. What sort of boy is Dana Matherson?

It was then, squinting through the smudged glass, that Roy spotted the strange boy running along the pavement. It appeared as if he was hurrying to catch the school bus, which had stopped at a corner to pick up more kids.

The boy was straw-blond and wiry, and his skin nut-brown from the sun. The expression on his face was intent and serious. He wore a faded Miami Heat basketball jersey and dirty khaki shorts, and here was the odd part: no shoes. The soles of his bare feet looked as black as barbecue coals.

Trace Middle School didn't have the world's strictest dress code, but Roy was pretty sure that some sort of footwear was required. The boy might have been carrying trainers in his backpack, if only he'd been wearing a backpack. No shoes, no backpack, no books — strange, indeed, on a school day.

Roy sees the boy through "smudged glass" while Dana is pressing his face against the window — so his view is literally forced on him by the bully.
The description builds a vivid picture: "straw-blond and wiry" tells us the boy is thin and strong, while "nut-brown from the sun" suggests he spends lots of time outdoors.
The simile "as black as barbecue coals" tells us the boy has been running barefoot for a long time — his feet are toughened and darkened.
The author builds mystery through a list of missing things: "No shoes, no backpack, no books" — each detail makes the boy stranger and more intriguing.
A "dress code" is a set of rules about what you can and cannot wear. Most schools have one — Roy's school requires at least some kind of shoes.

Squinting — partly closing your eyes to try to see more clearly
Smudged — marked with dirty fingerprints or streaks
Wiry — thin but strong and tough, like a piece of wire
Intent — showing strong concentration and focus
Faded — a colour that has become lighter and duller over time, usually from being washed a lot or left in the sun
Dress code — a set of rules about what clothes people must wear
Footwear — anything you wear on your feet, such as shoes, trainers, or boots

3. What does Roy first think the barefoot boy is trying to do?

4. What is especially unusual about the boy outside the bus?

5. What is a 'dress code'?

Roy was sure that the barefoot boy would get in all sorts of trouble with Dana and the other big kids once he boarded the bus, but that didn't happen...

Because the boy kept running — past the corner, past the queue of students waiting to get on the bus; past the bus itself. Roy wanted to shout, 'Hey, look at that boy!' but his mouth wasn't working so well. Dana Matherson still had him from behind, pushing his face against the window.

As the bus pulled away from the junction, Roy hoped to catch another glimpse of the boy farther up the street. However, he had turned off the pavement and was now cutting across a private garden — running very fast, much faster than Roy could run and maybe even faster than Richard, Roy's best friend back in Montana. Richard was so fast that he got to train with the high school running team when he was only in Year Six.

Roy expects the barefoot boy to board the bus and get bullied, just like Roy himself is being bullied — this tells us that bullying is common on this bus.
The repetition of "past the corner, past the queue... past the bus itself" builds pace and excitement. Each 'past' shows the boy going further and further away.
Roy is fascinated by the boy. Even though Dana is hurting him, Roy's attention is on the runner. He wants to shout about the boy and hopes to "catch another glimpse" — he can't stop watching.
The comparison with Richard, who trained with the high school team in Year Six, shows just how incredibly fast the barefoot boy is. If he's faster than someone who trained with older runners, he must be extraordinarily quick.
The boy cutting across a private garden suggests he isn't following normal rules or routes — adding to the mystery of who he is and where he's going.

Boarded — got on (a bus, train, or plane)
Queue — a line of people waiting for something
Glimpse — a very quick, brief look at something
Junction — a place where roads meet or cross
Cutting across — taking a short cut through somewhere, instead of going the long way round

6. Why does Roy think the barefoot boy would get into trouble on the bus?

7. How can you tell that Roy is really interested in the barefoot boy?

8. Why might the barefoot boy be running so fast?

Reading: The Barefoot Boy

Vocabulary & Phrases Quiz

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