Making the Grade |
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Summary:
Riley Jackson is a smart student in his last year of high school. He is used to getting high marks; his parents expect him to do well. When he cannot take debating and has to take photography instead, he discovers a new love. He uses his skill in photography to get a part-time job and to help his friend Tyson to possibly foil a break-in. Soon a deadline looms and Riley downloads an essay from the Internet. But before he can hand it in, Riley learns that another friend is also facing pressure from home. Riley stands up to his parents and learns that his mother gave up studying fine art to become a lawyer. |
Before You Read — Pre-Reading
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Chapter One—The Life of Riley
Summary:
Riley Jackson is excited about his final year at Bayview High School. He has worked hard to stay on top. Next year he is off to University. His parents have everything planned. Lulu Fontaine is his only real competition. A change in Riley's timetable may be problematic. Advanced debating is being replaced by photography. How will Riley tell his parents? |
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Chapter Two—Keeping the Peace
Summary:
Tyson invites Riley to his house to see his photographs. Tyson's younger brothers have just broken a reading lamp by tossing a football in the house. They are in trouble. Tyson and Riley go upstairs. While Riley looks at the photographs, Tyson listens to jazz. Tyson tells Riley that students from Lincoln High have been charged by the police for stealing exams. |
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Chapter Three—Sic 'em Stinky
Summary:
Riley's parents are at work but Stinky, the family dog, greets him at the door. After two voice messages saying they will pick up dinner, his parents leave one telling him to eat their leftover pizza. At ten o'clock his parents arrive home. Riley tells them about the cancelled class. His father is angry and insists that Riley go to the school office to explain why he needs to take the debating course. |
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Chapter Four—Just Point and Shoot
Summary:
Debating is not going to be offered at Bayview or at any other local high school. Riley angrily storms out of the guidance office and knocks down Willow Thomson-a beautiful girl who is a model. He is tongue-tied. His friend Beth meets him in the hall and takes him to photography class. She explains the challenges and adventures associated with photography. Riley feels better about taking the course as long as he can get great marks. |
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Chapter Five—Ooh la la!
Summary:
Riley goes to French class. Madame Gaudette is one of the best teachers at Bayview High. She discusses course assignments and announces that the top student will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Paris and an award for further education. Riley and Lulu exchange glances. The competition is on! |
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Chapter Six—Can You Say Cheese?
Summary:
Riley and Beth are ready for their first photo shoot. They pose for pictures with Tyson. Riley brags that he is going to Paris but Beth suggests that Lulu has set her sights on the trip too. Lulu is a top student who has been accelerated in school, but is having problems at home. Riley works with his camera, wants his subjects to act natural and gets excited about his assignment. Beth, Tyson and Riley talk about their plans for the future. Riley's dad is still mad. |
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Chapter Seven—In the Dark
Summary:
Riley spends time in the darkroom developing pictures. He is happy with one shot of Beth. He has the teacher check it for quality. Mr. Williams notes that he has captured Beth's beauty. Riley has never considered how she looked before because she has always been “one of the guys.” |
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Chapter Eight—Out of the Dark
Summary:
Riley spends most of his free time taking pictures. He lets his other schoolwork slip. After school Riley and Tyson head to their hangout, Lee's Restaurant. Tyson wants a copy of the photo of him beside his car. Tyson and Riley notice something strange in the photo. A guy is hiding in the bushes near a house. The house belongs to Willow Thomson. Tyson and Riley decide to check it out. |
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Chapter Nine—Stink Bomb
Summary:
Riley agrees to stakeout Willow's house at night to see if they can catch the prowler. He figures he can take nighttime photos as well. Mr. Williams shows Riley's photos to his wife who is a magazine photographer and she offers him a job. Riley is pre-occupied with taking pictures. He gets a “D” in French. Madame Gaudette offers help and reminds him report cards are being sent soon. Riley feels sick about his grades. |
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Chapter Ten—I Should Have Taken Italian
Summary:
Lulu offers to help Riley study for the French test. She asks about the essay and Riley panics because he has not yet read the book. He has four days; he can watch the movie, do research or check out a term paper on the Internet. |
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Chapter Eleven—Musketeers to the Rescue
Summary:
Riley and Tyson pack up the car with stakeout supplies and set up surveillance down the street from Willow's house. Tyson pulls out his detective gear and orders Riley to take notes of all the details on the street. They sit and watch but nothing strange happens. |
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Chapter Twelve—Fearless?
Summary:
Riley and Tyson both doze off in Tyson's tiny blue car. Then Riley notices the bushes moving under the side window. They see someone climbing up the trellis. Tyson jumps out of the car to catch the guy. They crawl up the sidewalk and cross the street. A car comes down the street and turns into the neighbour's driveway. When the neighbour calls out, the guy on the trellis climbs down and runs down the street and Riley and Tyson get back into the car and drive off. Riley has taken a photo. |
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Chapter Thirteen—Show Time
Summary:
Riley wakes up at 6:00 a.m. to go to his photo shoot job. His parents are up but he tells them he is doing research. He rushes to get out of the house to drive to the Riverside Estate. He meets Victoria Williams, the photographer, and helps lug the equipment upstairs for the photo shoot for a perfume called “First Love.” |
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Chapter Fourteen—Not Just a Pretty Face
Summary:
Willow Thomson is at the photo shoot not, as Riley expects, as a model, but as Victoria's assistant. Willow gives him directions to set up the equipment. When he hears voices, he opens a door to where the models are getting ready-some of them look terrible! He watches for a moment while make-up, hair and wardrobe work on the girls. Once the set is ready, Victoria comes out with the models who now look gorgeous! |
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Chapter Fifteen—Lights, Camera, Action
Summary:
The photo shoot is long and tiring, but exciting for Riley to watch. Victoria takes hundreds of pictures, but only a few will be good enough for the magazine. Willow thanks Riley for his work and asks to see some of his photos. Riley shows her the photo of her house with someone climbing up the trellis and tells her about Tyson's stakeout. She laughs and explains it is only her younger brother sneaking in late. Riley and Willow talk about people's perceptions of her. |
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Chapter Sixteen—A Slippery Slope
Summary:
Riley feels guilty when he gets home. He has not finished his French novel or started his essay. He starts reading in bed but falls asleep and wakes up at 4:00 a.m. He won't get the book finished in time-let alone write an essay in French. He looks at his computer for an online dictionary but thinks about the term-paper websites Darcy MacLean has told him about. He looks at some sites for references but then realizes he will not get the paper done by the deadline. He downloads an essay. |
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Chapter Seventeen—I Hate Mondays
Summary:
The school gym is packed for Monday morning assembly. The Principal adjusts the shrieking microphone and talks about the problem of plagiarism-taking someone's work and copying it or using it as your own. Consequences for plagiarizing at Bayview High are a mark of zero and possible suspension from school. Students have already been caught in English and history classes. Riley feels sick as he thinks of the French essay in his backpack. |
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Chapter Eighteen—Matchmaker, Matchmaker
Summary:
When Beth asks Riley about his French essay he snaps at her-then apologizes and talks about the pressure he is under. Beth fills him in on her own life and stomps on his portfolio. Riley is confused. Mr. Williams gives Riley a tip about girls. He sees Beth in the hallway. She has some of his photos. One is of her-he tells her she looks great and apologizes for being a jerk. He tells her about falling behind in his work and downloading an essay just as Lulu walks by. Beth advises him not to hand in the paper. |
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Chapter Nineteen—Nowhere to Turn
Summary:
Lulu approaches Madame Gaudette's desk and whispers in her ear. Riley panics. After class Madame Gaudette wants to speak to Riley and asks him to explain about his paper. He thinks Lulu has ratted on him, but she is only concerned about her own paper. Riley did not hand in anything. He digs into his backpack but cannot give Madame Gaudette the plagiarized paper. He hands her his research notes with no essay or author write-up attached. Madame Gaudette is concerned about his failing grades and suggests he hand in his essay later and accept the penalty for being late. |
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Chapter Twenty—Smell the Fear
Summary:
Riley stays up late to finish his French essay and gets a C, but he is happy. Report cards are being sent home and Riley has to do some explaining to his parents. When he gets home the voice mail from his parents is about a celebration dinner for his report card. He goes upstairs and tries to fake his report card but gets caught in the act. He confesses about his joy in photography and his new job. His father calls Royal Academy—an all-boys school—to send him away to re-focus on his studies. Riley has a disagreement with his father and runs away. |
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Chapter Twenty-One—The Trouble with Parents
Summary:
Riley drives around town and goes for a run. He sees a girl sitting on the train tracks. He yells but she doesn't hear him because of the loud music coming from her headphones. As a train approaches, Riley knocks the girl off the tracks. It is Lulu Fontaine! They have a long talk about the pressure of staying on top for their parents. They decide to stand up for themselves. |
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Chapter Two—Riley Jackson: King of the World
Summary:
Riley goes back home at 1:30 a.m. His parents, Beth and Tyson are waiting and are relieved to see him. They all hug him. His father talks about his future but his mother talks about him pursuing his goals. She goes upstairs to get a big scrapbook-full of her photography. She tells about her love of photography and being a fine arts major at university but switched to law to appease her parents. Riley's parents agree to let him pursue his goals and to take summer school to improve his grades. |
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After Reading — Post-Reading Reflection
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