The House in the Cerulean Sea

Chapters 1-4

Reading Check

1. Telekinesis (Chapter 1)

2. Ms. Jenkins (Chapter 2)

3. Mr. Werner (Chapter 3)

4. Lucifer (Chapter 4)

Short Answer

1. Linus is uncomfortable answering questions about joining the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. On his way out, he sees posters that clearly disapprove of the use of magic by these children. (Chapter 1)

2. Linus has a mousepad that features a picture of a beach and the words “Don’t you wish you were here?” (Chapter 2)

3. EUM asks Linus many questions about his belief in the rules of DICOMY and his devotion to the chain of command. It is clear that they are looking for someone who will strictly adhere to DICOMY policy. (Chapter 3)

4. The farther Linus gets from the city, the bluer the sky becomes, and when he finally arrives at the ocean, he is drawn to its beauty, as if it is asking him, “Don’t you wish you were here?” (Chapter 4)

Chapters 5-8

Reading Check

1. A gnome (Chapter 5)

2. Spying (Chapter 6)

3. Antichrist (Chapter 7)

4. Chauncey (Chapter 8)

Short Answer

1. Talia tells Linus that he has to pay Theodore for his help. Since Theodore is a wyvern, he is delighted with such small tokens. (Chapter 5)

2. Arthur tells the children that Linus has come only to make sure that they are safe and that he is taking good care of them. (Chapter 6)

3. Arthur accepts and even embraces ambiguity and mystery. But Linus is uncomfortable with the unknown, and he clings to the belief that everything in life has a logical explanation. (Chapter 7)

4. She shows him a raft that contains a threatening message from someone in the village. The message says that they should leave the island because magical beings are unwelcome. (Chapter 8)

Chapters 9-12

Reading Check

1. Bellhop (Chapter 9)

2. Zoe’s (Chapter 10)

3. Calliope, his cat (Chapter 11)

4. A record player (Chapter 12)

Short Answer

1. Arthur tells Linus that Mr. Werner once spent some time on the island and that he hoped Werner would stay there, revealing to Linus that the two men were once romantically involved. (Chapter 9)

2. When Merle and the postmaster say discriminatory things about the children, Linus bristles and puts both men in their place. (Chapter 10)

3. He asks Linus to help him move his desk from the closet to a spot near the window. (Chapter 11)

4. Werner’s letter notes that Arthur has secrets that Linus does not know, and he chastises Linus for not sending a more detailed report on Arthur. (Chapter 12)

Chapters 13-16

Reading Check

1. Lucy’s nightmares (Chapter 13)

2. The hardware store (Chapter 14)

3. Phoenix (Chapter 15)

4. The brass button (Chapter 16)

Short Answer

1. Instead of reporting directly on Arthur, Linus details how Arthur positively impacts each child under his care. (Chapter 13)

2. When the owner of the ice cream shop tries to deny the children service, an argument breaks out, and Helen, the town’s mayor, enters and takes the children’s side. (Chapter 14)

4. Learning about Arthur’s magical nature makes Linus afraid that Arthur is using his abilities to manipulate Linus. (Chapter 15)

5. Zoe creates a road from the salt in the ocean water, and they drive across it. (Chapter 16)

Chapter 17-Epilogue

Reading Check

1. Zoe’s house (Chapter 17)

2. His sunflowers (Chapter 18)

3. His and other caseworkers’ reports (Chapter 19)

4. Helen (Epilogue)

Short Answer

1. He promises that he will do everything he can to make sure that the children are not taken from their home. (Chapter 17)

2. His final report is a single sentence recommending that Marsyas remain open under Arthur’s direction. (Chapter 18)

3. He must let Chauncey do his laundry, work with Talia in her garden, spend one day each month in the woods with Phee and Zoe, give Theodore every loose button he finds, comfort Lucy when he has a nightmare, dance with all of the children, and let them call him Linus. (Chapter 19)

4. They agree to take in a new child, David, who is a Yeti. (Epilogue)