In The War with Grandpa, ten-year-old Peter learns from his little sister that Grandpa is going to come to live with his family. He will be staying in Peter’s room because his bad leg won’t allow him to climb two flights of stairs up to the guest bedroom.
Peter is afraid to stay in the attic room with its creaks and shadows. This makes Peter angry that Grandpa will move into HIS room. Peter tells his best friends, Steve and Billy, about what is happening. They encourage Peter to fight for what is his. Shortly after moving in, Peter devises a series of pranks to drive Grandpa out.
Peter sets his grandfather’s alarm clock to go off at 3:00 AM. He leaves a note signed ‘The Secret Warrior’ telling Grandpa he has stolen his room, and he wants it back. The second prank is to take Grandpa’s slippers. Grandpa grows angry with Peter. He decides he can play the ‘war game.’ Grandpa takes Peter’s Monopoly game pieces, so Peter takes Grandpa’s watch. Grandpa hides everything Peter needs to get ready for school making him late. Grandpa does not give up easily causing a “war” between the two.
The War with Grandpa Activities
Book Unit Samples
Check out this unit with these samples:
- Vocabulary Practice for Chapters 1-3
- Comprehension Questions for Chapters 1-3
- Constructed Response Question – Point of View
Teaching Idea #1 ~ Comparing the Book to the Movie
The movie based on Robert Kimmel Smith’s book began filming May 2, 2017, in Atlanta, Georgia. Robert De Niro is playing the part of Grandpa. The cast includes Uma Thurman, Rob Riggle, Christopher Walken, and Cheech Marin. Oakes Fegle from Pete’s Dragon plays Peter. The War with Grandpa was released on the Disney Channel.
These handouts can be used to compare any book to its movie version.
Teaching Idea #2 ~ Movie Trailer
Teaching Idea #3 ~ On the Web
Comparing You and Grandpa
This link contains a printable Venn diagram for students to compare themselves with a grandparent.
Robert Kimmel Smith Author Website
The War With Grandpa: Solutions to Family Problems
See the product that inspired this post.
The War with Grandpa Novel Study includes vocabulary practice, comprehension questions, constructed response writing, and skill practice.
