The One and Only Bob

49 pages • 1 hour read

The One and Only Bob

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2020

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Introduction

Before Reading

During Reading

After Reading

During Reading

Reading Questions & Paired Texts

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

PART 1, CHAPTERS 1-20

Reading Check

1. What does Julia call Bob when he misbehaves?

2. What type of dog is Bob?

3. Who becomes Bob’s best friend after he is abandoned?

4. Who adopts Bob after Ivan and the other animals are taken to a zoo?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why does Bob believe gorillas to be a dog’s best friend rather than humans?

2. What are Bob’s regrets about humans and their treatment of the earth? Why does Bob feel this way?

3. How have Bob’s relationships changed since Ivan’s removal from the mall? What new relationships has he developed, and how does he feel about them?

Paired Resource

“How Metaphors Shape the Way You See the World”

This 4-minute video explores the definition and use of metaphors.
In what ways does Bob use metaphorical language in the novel? Why do you think Applegate uses metaphorical language in her writing?

PART 2, CHAPTERS 21-97

Reading Check

1. What does Julia do as a part time job?

2. What facility reminds Bob of the “bad old days”?

3. Who attempts to lock Bob in the office at the zoo for safety?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How does Bob feel about Snickers, and why do the other animals claim Bob has no right to feel that way about her?

2. Why does Bob often misbehave and how might it be tied to his identity?

3. What inference can the reader make about Bob’s reluctance to ride in a car?

Paired Resources

“An Anti-Hero of One’s Own”

This 5-minute Ted-Ex video explores the differences between traditional heroes and antiheroes.
Shared themes include The Unlikely Hero.
How do antiheroes differ from traditional heroes? In what ways does Bob exemplify an antihero?

“What is Foreshadowing?”

This article from Oregon State University describes foreshadowing and provides examples of its use in popular literature.
Shared themes include Humans’ Capacity to Hurt or Help and The Unlikely Hero.
What are some examples of foreshadowing in Applegate’s book? Why do you think Applegate used this technique when writing her novel?

PART 3, CHAPTERS 98-135

Reading Check

1. Who is Bob searching for after the storm?

2. What surprising character arrives at the shelter while Boss and Bob are in a cage together?

3. Who does Bob tell Boss he will try to save?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What is Bob’s explanation for abandoning Boss, and how does Boss feel about his confession?

2. What does Boss’s appearance indicate about her living situation?

3. What is Kimu’s response to Bob’s decision to protect Rowdy? Why does this interaction surprise Kimu? In what way does it change Bob’s perception of himself?

Paired Resource

“The Power of the Dog” by Rudyard Kipling

This poem by Rudyard Kipling explores the important role of dogs in the life of humans.
Shared themes include Forgiveness and Trust, The Unlikely Hero, and Humans’ Capacity to Hurt or Help.
Why does Kipling describe the human experience with a dog as sorrowful? What is the purpose of Kipling’s poem? How does the poem relate to the novel’s themes of Forgiveness and Trust and Humans’ Capacity to Hurt or Help?

PART 4, CHAPTERS 136-140

Reading Check

1. Who first joins Bob in Julia and George’s home?

2. Who does Bob vow to continue to work to forgive?

3. Who is the final visitor to Bob’s house at the novel’s conclusion?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How has Bob’s relationship with Snickers changed over the course of the novel?

2. What does Bob have difficulty reconciling about his lifestyle compared to other dogs?

3. How has Bob redeemed himself after acknowledging his past wrongs toward Boss?

Recommended Next Reads

The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate

This sequel to The One and Only Bob explores the story of Ruby as she prepares for a coming-of-age ceremony while coping with her difficult past.
Shared themes include Forgiveness and Trust and Humans’ Capacity to Hurt or Help.
Shared topics include friendship, grief, and coping with the past.
The One and Only Ruby on SuperSummary

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

This novel is about a robot who washes ashore on an uninhabited island after a shipwreck.
Shared themes include Forgiveness and Trust and The Unlikely Hero.
Shared topics include isolation, survival, and friendship.
The Wild Robot on SuperSummary

Reading Questions Answer Key

PART 1, CHAPTERS 1-20

Reading Check

1. Robert (Part 1, Chapters 1-20)

2. A “mutt” (Part 1, Chapters 1-20)

3. Ivan (Part 1, Chapters 1-20)

4. Julia (Part 1, Chapters 1-20)

Short Answer

1. After being abandoned by the human who once owned him, Bob discovers the home of Ivan, and the place becomes a refuge for Bob where he can eat, sleep, and escape the cold streets. Ivan and Bob became best friends, and because Ivan is loyal to Bob in a way his human owner was not, Bob believes gorillas to be better friends than humans. (Part 1, Chapters 1-20)

2. Bob is saddened by the way humans treat the earth and the animals that live on the earth. Bob cites Ivan’s removal from his natural habitat as an example of mistreatment by humans. (Part 1, Chapters 1-20)

3. Bob is adopted by Julia and her father when Ivan is removed from the mall. Bob continues to visit Ivan in the zoo but spends more time with Julia in his permanent home. Bob describes having his own bed, plenty of food, loving the humans he lives with, and getting plenty of belly rubs, indicating that his time with humans is pleasant. (Part 1, Chapters 1-20)

PART 2, CHAPTERS 21-97

Reading Check

1. Walk dogs (Part 2, Chapters 21-97)

2. The dog shelter (Part 2, Chapters 21-97)

3. Sara (Part 2, Chapters 21-97)

Short Answer

1. Bob dislikes Snickers because she made fun of Bob when he was a stray living in the mall. Nutwit, Moo, and Mini indicate that Bob has no right to dislike Snickers as he is as pampered as she is now. Upon reflection, Bob recognizes how soft he has become after living with Julia. (Part 2, Chapters 21-97)

2. Bob claims he feels resentful of the rules and commands given to him by humans and therefore misbehaves. This misbehavior stems from his loss of identity as a “tough” dog on the streets. (Part 2, Chapters 21-97)

3. In Part 1, Bob explains that his former owners drove him in a car and dumped him on the side of the highway. Bob is likely reluctant to ride in a car because he fears he may be abandoned by Julia and George. (Part 2, Chapters 21-97)

PART 3, CHAPTERS 98-135

Reading Check

1. Boss (Part 3, Chapters 98-135)

2. Snickers (Part 3, Chapters 98-135)

3. Rowdy (Part 3, Chapters 98-135)

Short Answer

1. Bob explains that when he was first abandoned by the humans, he was scared and afraid and did not think to look for Boss when he left the highway. Boss acknowledges that they were both young and she does not hold Bob accountable for leaving her that night. (Part 3, Chapters 98-135)

2. Boss is described as gaunt and unhealthy and her son, Rowdy, is described as sickly. Boss explains that she was scrounging for food when she was captured and taken to the animal shelter. These clues indicate that Boss has not yet found a permanent home and continues to live as a stray. (Part 3, Chapters 98-135)

3. Kimu believes he will be able to take Rowdy from Bob without any trouble because he is a large wild animal. Previously, in Part 2, Bob had cowered before Kimu, but with his nephew’s life at stake, Bob attacks Kimu. Kimu realizes for the first time that Bob has the potential to be dangerous. Likewise, Bob has a newfound respect for himself by reconnecting with his “inner wolf” despite his previous fears that he may be a lapdog. (Parts 2-3, Chapters 21-135)

PART 4, CHAPTERS 136-140

Reading Check

1. Rowdy (Part 4, Chapters 136-140)

2. Humans (Part 4, Chapters 136-140)

3. Boss (Part 4, Chapters 136-140)

Short Answer

1. Initially Bob disliked Snickers because she made fun of him while he was a stray, but after Snickers confesses her love for him at the animal shelter, Bob admits that he believes she is “swell” herself. Now that the two are reunited after the storm, Snickers adores Bob, something that Bob finds somewhat embarrassing. (Part 4, Chapters 136-140)

2. Bob feels guilty for his comfortable home while other dogs struggle to survive on the street or live with cruel owners. He is committed to trying to forgive humans. (Part 4, Chapters 136-140)

3. After asking for Boss’s forgiveness, Bob ensures that Rowdy has a warm comfortable home to live in. Additionally, Boss’s arrival on the final pages indicates that Boss will likely also have a comfortable home after having lived on the street for many years. In this way, Bob has made reparations for abandoning his sister. (Part 4, Chapters 136-140)