Bite of the Kaba Lagoon: chapter reading guide

English-language edition | October 2026 | bernard.ink

Bite of the Kaba Lagoon

Kwame's Magic Quest #3 | By Bernard Mensah; illustrated by Natasha Nayo.

Teacher notes: start here

Five adult-supported reading sessions cover all 20 chapters. Read four chapters, then allow 15-20 minutes for paired talk and one response. Use a shared or individual copy.

Spoilers: share one session at a time

Each pupil page is followed by teacher-only suggested responses. Print pupil pages separately. References use printed pages in the supplied Scholastic interior; publisher proofs may differ from your classroom edition.

Support and stretch

Offer read-alouds, pointing, partner talk, drawings or adult scribing. Extend by comparing two clues and revising a prediction. Do not assess handwriting when understanding is the focus.

Story and real life

Calabash magic is fantasy inspired by Ghanaian cultures. Do not describe invented spells or creatures as scientific facts. In real life, children should tell a trusted adult about bullying or danger; they should not handle it alone.

Chapters 1-4 A trial without a hearing

Read printed pages 1-19. Say, draw or write your answer. Find a page or picture clue for each idea.

  1. What new problem threatens Nkonyaa School?
  2. Why do the friends call the trial unfair?
  3. What is Papa-Kow's plan to help Fifi and Principal Wari?

Draw one moment that supports your answer. Label an important detail.

My page or picture clue ...

Teacher notes Chapters 1-4

Suggested responses

  1. The tree no longer makes calabash fruit and its fading magic threatens every calabash (Chapter 1).
  2. Tani interrupts Principal Wari and gives neither accused person a proper chance to explain (Chapters 3-4).
  3. Find a cure for the tree so the council has reason to release them (Chapter 4).

Support and stretch

Support: reread one relevant illustrated moment and invite an oral response. Stretch: compare what characters believe with what the reader can prove.

Listen for

A relevant detail, a character's reason and a distinction between evidence and prediction. Accept different interpretations supported by the text.

Teaching links

Suggested England KS2 English: inference and discussion using evidence. US Grades 2-3: RL.2.1 and RL.2.3, adapted to reading development. These are suggested links, not an accredited curriculum.

Chapters 5-8 A riddle and a trap

Read printed pages 20-31. Say, draw or write your answer. Find a page or picture clue for each idea.

  1. What clue do the knowledge gourds give?
  2. Why does Kwame leave his room without his calabash?
  3. Who else is imprisoned underground? What details suggest she is weak?

Draw one moment that supports your answer. Label an important detail.

My page or picture clue ...

Teacher notes Chapters 5-8

Suggested responses

  1. Three rare ingredients are needed, and one is already at school (Chapter 5).
  2. He thinks he hears Fifi calling and follows the voice. The Sasandua have imitated it (Chapters 6-7).
  3. The Earth Queen sits restrained on a throne; her flowers wilt and she smiles weakly (Chapter 8).

Support and stretch

Support: reread one relevant illustrated moment and invite an oral response. Stretch: compare what characters believe with what the reader can prove.

Listen for

A relevant detail, a character's reason and a distinction between evidence and prediction. Accept different interpretations supported by the text.

Teaching links

Suggested England KS2 English: inference and discussion using evidence. US Grades 2-3: RL.2.1 and RL.2.3, adapted to reading development. These are suggested links, not an accredited curriculum.

Chapters 9-12 Three ingredients; many helpers

Read printed pages 32-51. Say, draw or write your answer. Find a page or picture clue for each idea.

  1. How does Quainoo help locate Kwame?
  2. Why are the Earth Queen and the tree connected?
  3. What are the three ingredients, and how do the friends divide the work?

Draw one moment that supports your answer. Label an important detail.

My page or picture clue ...

Teacher notes Chapters 9-12

Suggested responses

  1. He knows where Kwame is and brings Sumaila to rescue him (Chapter 9).
  2. Each draws magic from the other. The Sasandua's power-draining handcuffs weaken the queen and threaten the tree (Chapter 9).
  3. Sabi sabi is already in Papa-Kow's bag; he collects an Afzelia bella flower in Atewa. Kwame and Esi collect Kaba Lagoon water in Okomfo's Omni at first sunlight (Chapters 10-11).

Support and stretch

Support: reread one relevant illustrated moment and invite an oral response. Stretch: compare what characters believe with what the reader can prove.

Listen for

A relevant detail, a character's reason and a distinction between evidence and prediction. Accept different interpretations supported by the text.

Teaching links

Suggested England KS2 English: inference and discussion using evidence. US Grades 2-3: RL.2.1 and RL.2.3, adapted to reading development. These are suggested links, not an accredited curriculum.

Chapters 13-16 Race against sunrise and drums

Read printed pages 52-68. Say, draw or write your answer. Find a page or picture clue for each idea.

  1. Why is Quainoo needed at the lagoon?
  2. What do the changing drumbeats tell the friends?
  3. Why must Kwame keep chanting while others protect him?

Draw one moment that supports your answer. Label an important detail.

My page or picture clue ...

Teacher notes Chapters 13-16

Suggested responses

  1. He can fly the Omni to the centre while crocodiles block the friends and collect water as the first rays strike (Chapter 14).
  2. The ceremony is advancing; three drumbeats will mark its end, so they must hurry (Chapter 15).
  3. The healing spell must continue until all ingredients work together and the water turns yellow (Chapters 15-16).

Support and stretch

Support: reread one relevant illustrated moment and invite an oral response. Stretch: compare what characters believe with what the reader can prove.

Listen for

A relevant detail, a character's reason and a distinction between evidence and prediction. Accept different interpretations supported by the text.

Teaching links

Suggested England KS2 English: inference and discussion using evidence. US Grades 2-3: RL.2.1 and RL.2.3, adapted to reading development. These are suggested links, not an accredited curriculum.

Chapters 17-20 New leaves; a warning

Read printed pages 69-85. Say, draw or write your answer. Find a page or picture clue for each idea.

  1. How do the helpers protect Kwame long enough to finish?
  2. Does the falling of the tree's leaves prove that the cure failed?
  3. What changes for Kwame, and what remains uncertain?

Draw one moment that supports your answer. Label an important detail.

My page or picture clue ...

Teacher notes Chapters 17-20

Suggested responses

  1. Quainoo's screech, combined water magic and Sumaila's mushroom dust delay Tani and the guards (Chapter 17).
  2. No. The queen is freed and regains her magic; she restores the tree, which produces new leaves and calabash fruit (Chapters 18-19).
  3. His own Omni is repaired with a visible crack, Okomfo's returns to its pedestal, and the Boni warns of a coming evil. Its meaning remains unresolved (Chapter 20).

Support and stretch

Support: reread one relevant illustrated moment and invite an oral response. Stretch: compare what characters believe with what the reader can prove.

Listen for

A relevant detail, a character's reason and a distinction between evidence and prediction. Accept different interpretations supported by the text.

Teaching links

Suggested England KS2 English: inference and discussion using evidence. US Grades 2-3: RL.2.1 and RL.2.3, adapted to reading development. These are suggested links, not an accredited curriculum.