1. Lampman's information about the disappearance of dinosaurs is out of date. What explanations for their extinction have been suggested since this book was written? Is there a consensus currently on why dinosaurs died out? You may want to contrast the old and new theories.

2. Given the novel's vistas of desert plateaus dotted with sagebrush, some readers may suppose that the setting is the American Southwest, rather than Oregon. After all, isn't Oregon full of forests? Research the geography of this area of eastern Oregon and write a report on it.

3. We have seen that the terrain in which the novel is set can be very dry.

Can plants and animals live in such a desert habitat? If you walked along the canyons where Joey and Joan walked, what living things might you see? Research the plant and animal life that...