Time's Up (18 page)

BSG Words

(name)alicious:
adjective—
a way to describe someone so cool and sweet, you could just eat him or her up.

major 411:
noun—
a start-with-the-basics explanation of something.

all-nighter:
noun—
staying up all night to finish a project so it won't be late.

Knitwit:
noun—
someone who loves to knit!

Spanish Words and Phrases

¡Vámanos!:
—
Let's go!

No es nada:
—
It's nothing.

Other Cool Words

entrepreneur:
noun—
a person who starts and runs her own business.

mohair:
noun—
yarn made from Angora goat hair.

Pegasus:
noun—
a mythical Greek horse with big wings.

Method acting:
noun—
when an actor uses her own emotions and life experiences to understand a character she's playing.

wave, the:
noun—
when each member of a group, one after another, stands and waves their hands in the air, then sits back
down. From a distance, it looks like a rolling wave.

nemesis:
noun—
an enemy you can't win against.

purl:
noun—
a basic stitch for knitting. A purled stitch looks like a little bump.

archetypal:
adjective—
an example of an idea that's so perfect, a lot of similar ideas have been based on it.

scrimmage:
noun—
a just-for-fun basketball game played by two five-player teams.

bibliography:
noun—
a list of authors or books that were used for a research project.

Chai tea:
noun—
black tea mixed with cardamom, and other tasty spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.

hibernation:
noun—
the state animals like bears are in when they settle in to sleep through the winter.

wildebeest:
noun—
a big, horned African antelope that looks a bit like an ox. Also known as a gnu.

pungent:
adjective—
having a strong smell or taste.

10 Q
UESTIONS FOR
Y
OU AND
Y
OUR
F
RIENDS TO
C
HAT
A
BOUT

1. If you were going to enter an entrepreneur contest, what kind of business would you want to start?
   
2. Why doesn't Katani want her family to know she's entering the Entrepreneur of the Year contest? Have you ever tried to keep a secret from your family or friends? What happened?
   
3. Have you ever bitten off more than you could chew? How did you handle it?
   
4. How does each BSG use her talents and interests to turn the book report from a chore into something she can have fun with?
   
5. Katani asks her sister Candice for advice on what she does when she's “totally stressed.” When you're feeling stressed, how do you chill out?
   
6. Maeve decides to ask for Betsy's help even though she knows Katani's feelings will be hurt when she finds out. Do you think she has a right to ask whomever she wants for help with her homework, or should she have talked to Katani and the BSG before calling Betsy?
   
7. Maeve says pink relaxes her, and Betsy finds it easier to concentrate in a room with no distractions, like Maeve's kitchen. Is there a color, or a kind of music, or something else that helps you focus on getting your work done?
   
8. If you were in Reggie's shoes, how would you have handled Katani forgetting to meet you after school? Would you have given her a second chance, or would you have preferred to work alone?
   
9. Maeve says, “When in doubt, call a BSG.” Which of the girls' problems could have been avoided if they'd talked to one another and asked for help instead of keeping their problems secret?
   
10. Katani worries that the BSG will be mad when she finally tells them the truth about what's been going on. Would you be mad at a friend if you found out she'd been keeping a problem secret from you, or would you want to help her—or both?