Rise of the Green Flame: chapter reading guide

English-language edition | October 2026 | bernard.ink

Rise of the Green Flame

Kwame's Magic Quest #1 | 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 different beginning

Read printed pages 1-21. Say, draw or write your answer. Find a page or picture clue for each idea.

  1. What surprises Ms. Dofi when Kwame receives his calabash?
  2. How are the Omni and Boni calabashes different?
  3. How does Kwame feel when other children learn their magic types? Find an action or thought.

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 flashes red, and the elders cannot identify his magic type (Chapters 2-3).
  2. The Omni can use all four magic types; the Boni is dangerous and takes over anyone who touches it (Chapter 4).
  3. He worries that something is wrong with his calabash, bites his lip and hangs back (Chapters 3-4).

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 Finding a friend

Read printed pages 22-39. Say, draw or write your answer. Find a page or picture clue for each idea.

  1. How does Kwame respond when an older student teases the boy with fire-shaped hair?
  2. Why is staying at Nkonyaa School important to Fifi?
  3. What makes breakfast at Nkonyaa School unusual?

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

My page or picture clue ...

Teacher notes Chapters 5-8

Suggested responses

  1. He quietly reassures the boy not to listen to the teasing (Chapter 5).
  2. He has moved many times because of his father's work and hopes to stay in one place and make friends (Chapter 7).
  3. Children tell silver bowls what they want; flying ladles bring the food (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 Magic and worry

Read printed pages 40-56. Say, draw or write your answer. Find a page or picture clue for each idea.

  1. Why does Ms. Kumi tell students to offer their calabashes a gift?
  2. Is Kwame sent to Principal Wari because he is being expelled? What does the principal actually do?
  3. What does Principal Wari do when he finds Fifi being bullied?

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

My page or picture clue ...

Teacher notes Chapters 9-12

Suggested responses

  1. Calabashes are living friends; accepting a gift marks readiness to do magic (Chapter 9).
  2. Kwame fears expulsion, but the principal tries to discover his magic type and promises more research (Chapters 10-11).
  3. He stops Senyo and Mawuli, sets a consequence and returns the chocolate (Chapter 12).

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 A dangerous choice

Read printed pages 57-71. Say, draw or write your answer. Find a page or picture clue for each idea.

  1. Who bought the chocolate, and why?
  2. What changes when Fifi uses the Boni calabash?
  3. What protects Kwame from the green bolts? Does he understand why yet?

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

My page or picture clue ...

Teacher notes Chapters 13-16

Suggested responses

  1. Fifi bought it to cheer Kwame up while his calabash was not working. They share it (Chapter 13).
  2. He turns other students and Ms. Kumi into puddles, and the dangerous power changes him (Chapters 15-16).
  3. He holds up his own calabash, which absorbs the attack. He does not yet understand its power (Chapter 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 Ready for the next quest

Read printed pages 72-85. Say, draw or write your answer. Find a page or picture clue for each idea.

  1. How do Principal Wari and Ms. Dofi help the people turned into puddles?
  2. What does Okomfo Anochi tell Kwame about his calabash?
  3. What is solved at the end, and what remains to be done?

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

My page or picture clue ...

Teacher notes Chapters 17-20

Suggested responses

  1. They combine drumming, singing and a purple flame to restore them (Chapter 17).
  2. It is an Omni calabash, and Kwame must believe in his magic (Chapter 19).
  3. Kwame casts a stay-same spell and accepts the mission. Fifi and the stolen calabashes still need to be recovered (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.