Third Grade Books - Comprehension Questions

Chapters 1 and 2
1. Why did Gregory's family move?
Gregory's father lost his job at the factory but found a new job. Gregory's family moved to be closer to his father's new job.

2. Why didn't Gregory like his birthday? What made it his best birthday ever?
Gregory had to stay at Aunt Grace's house and was not with his parents for almost his entire birthday. He did not have a cake, or ice cream, or presents. Not having a party of any kind made it Gregory's worst birthday ever. But then he and his parents arrived at their new house, and he was given a room of his own. He had always wanted his own room so getting it made his birthday the best birthday ever.

3. Why didn't Gregory like his Uncle Max?
Gregory didn't like Uncle Max, because Uncle Max always thought he was so important. Also, Gregory learned that he didn't have a room of his own. Uncle Max was moving into Gregory's room.

4. Write a summary paragraph over Chapters 1 and 2 in The Chalk Box Kid.

Chapters 3, 4, and 5
1. Who did Gregory meet at his new school?
Gregory met Vance and his friends, but they did not seem to like Gregory. Gregory met Ivy, and he liked her, but she almost never talked to him or anyone. He liked his teacher, Miss Perry, and thought she liked him.

2. What was Gregory's mother doing when Gregory came home from school? What was his father doing when Gregory came home from school? What was his uncle doing when Gregory came home from school?
Gregory's parents were working when he came home from school. Uncle Max was always at the house—sleeping or playing his guitar. If Uncle Max wasn't in their bedroom, he was watching TV with the volume too loud.

3. What did Gregory like about his new neighborhood?
Gregory liked the burned-out chalk factory behind his house. He cleaned it up and started to draw on the black walls with white chalk.

4. Write a summary paragraph over Chapters 3, 4, and 5 in The Chalk Box Kid.

Chapters 6, 7, and 8

1. Why did Gregory want a garden?
Mr. Hiller showed Gregory's class his plant drawings and talked about his nursery. He inspired Gregory to want a garden.

2. The kids in Gregory's class saw his garden. What did they think about it?
At first, the kids in his class accused Gregory of not having a garden. When their teachers saw it and thought it was a good garden, the kids started to accept Gregory's garden as real and Gregory as a classmate. Ivy thought the garden was so well drawn that she wanted to give Gregory her art case. She even brought her brother to see it.

3. Gregory's parents and uncle saw his garden. What did they think about it?
Gregory's parents and Uncle Max saw Gregory's garden. They thought Gregory would be a famous artist someday, and Uncle Max called him the Chalk Box Kid. Afterward, Uncle Max took down his posters and kept Gregory's drawings on the wall in their room.

4. Write a summary paragraph over Chapters 6, 7, and 8 in The Chalk Box Kid.

"Mowgli's Brothers"

1. Where were cubs taken once they were able to stand? If they were accepted into the pack, what were they able to do? How were they protected?
Wolf parents took their cubs to a Pack Meeting once their cubs were able to stand. After the pack inspected and accepted responsibility for them, the cubs lived freely until they killed their first buck. No wolf could kill a cub during this growing time or the wolf would be put to death. That is how they were protected by the pack.

2. How was Mowgli accepted into the wolf pack?
After Father Wolf put Mowgli with the other cubs at a Pack Meeting, the Lone Wolf, Akela, called for the protection of the cubs. When Shere Khan demanded that the Man cub be given to him, Akela asked for two witnesses to stand up for the Man cub. According to the pack's rules, animals other than the cub's parents had to be willing to take responsibility for the cub. Baloo, a brown bear, spoke up in Mowgli's defense. Since Baloo taught the wolf cubs the Law of the Jungle, he was allowed to speak. Bagheera, a black panther, offered to purchase the cub's right to be in the pack by giving the pack a fat bull he had killed. When Bagheera's kill was accepted by the pack, Mowgli was officially protected by and a part of the wolf pack.

3. What did Bagheera ask Mowgli to get? How did Mowgli use it?
Bagheera asked Mowgli to get the Red Flower (fire) from "the men's huts in the valley." Bagheera knew Akela, the leader of the pack, would miss his kill before long and would no longer be the leader. Without Akela, Mowgli would not be protected from Shere Khan. When Akela missed killing a buck, Shere Khan came to Council Rock and demanded that the Man cub be given to him. Because Mowgli had done what Bagheera asked, Mowgli was able to produce fire at Council Rock, demand that Akela be allowed to live, and burn Shere Khan, which kept the tiger from killing Mowgli.

4. What did Mowgli tell the pack he would do?
Mowgli said he would go to the Man village and become a Man. He did not do this because he was scared but because the wolf pack had rejected him. He warned Shere Khan that when he returned as a Man, he would kill the tiger. To the wolves, Mowgli said he would not betray them as they had betrayed him.

5. Write a summary paragraph over "Mowgli's Brothers."

"Kaa's Hunting"

1. What did most wolf cubs learn from Baloo, and what did Mowgli learn?
All the wolf cubs and Mowgli learned the Hunting Verse and the Laws of the Jungle that were important to their pack and tribe. Mowgli also learned the Wood Laws, Water Laws, and the Stranger's Hunting Call. Baloo showed him how to be polite to bees, talk to Mang the Bat, and warn water snakes that he was entering the water.

2. Why didn't Baloo want Mowgli to talk to the Monkey People?
The Monkey People were lawless and ate anything they wanted. Although the Monkey People told Mowgli that he could lead them someday, Bagheera reminded Mowgli that the Monkey People had lied to him because they did not have a leader. Baloo told Mowgli that the Monkey Folk were outcasts in the jungle. They even stole the words they used. They were easily distracted and didn't remember their promises. They threw things at animals in order to be noticed, but the animals ignored the Monkey People.

3. How did Baloo and Bagheera follow Mowgli to the place where the Monkey People were holding him?
At first Baloo and Bagheera followed the monkeys. When they lost the trail, they went to Kaa, the Rock Snake, who was 30 feet long. Then Chil the Kite, who Mowgli asked to follow his movements, told Baloo that the Bandar-log had taken Mowgli to the Cold Lairs, also called Monkey City or the Lost City.

4. Why did the Monkey People think they were great, and what did Mowgli think of them?
The Monkey People said they were great and believed it because they all agreed that they were great. They said, "We all say so, and so it must be true," and "This is true; we all say so." Mowgli thought they had been bitten by a jackal because they were all mad (dewanee).

5. Write a summary paragraph over "Kaa's Hunting."

"Tiger! Tiger!"

1. What did Mowgli have to do to live in a Man village?
Mowgli had to learn to speak as men spoke. He had to wear clothes, learn about money, plough, and keep his temper when children teased him.

2. What job was Mowgli given, and why was he given it?
Mowgli was made a servant of the village and was asked to herd the buffalo. He was given this job because he helped a man who was a potter stack his pots on his donkey. The potter was a man in a lower caste. The caste system is the social system in India. Mowgli belonged to a higher caste. He was not supposed to associate with or touch a person who was in a lower caste. A priest rebuked Mowgli for his actions, and Mowgli angrily said that he'd stack the priest on the donkey, too. That's when the priest suggested that Mowgli be given work.

3. How did Mowgli plan to attack Shere Khan, and who helped him?
Akela and Grey Brother helped Mowgli split the herd of buffalo into cow-buffalo and calves on one side and bulls on the other. They herded the cows and calves into the ravine, to a place where Shere Khan could not jump up and over the sides of it. Mowgli and Akela herded the bulls to the other side of the ravine. Mowgli intended to let Shere Khan know Mowgli was behind the buffalo stampede before they trampled the tiger to death.

4. How did the Man village treat Mowgli after his kill?
The Man village treated Mowgli in the same way that the wolf pack had treated Mowgli. The wolf pack rejected him because he was a Man, and the men rejected him because they thought he was a wolf. Buldeo, who was upset that Mowgli would not give him the tiger's hide so he (Buldeo) could get a reward for it, told the villagers that Mowgli was a sorcerer. This scared the villagers, and they threw rocks at Mowgli to keep him out of their village. For the sake of his adopted mother, Messua, Mowgli did not destroy the village.

5. Write a summary paragraph over "Tiger! Tiger!"

Chapters 1 and 2
1. Grandfather did not get out of bed. What did Doc Smith say was wrong with him?
Doc Smith said that Grandfather no longer wanted to live. She didn't know why, but she had seen the same symptoms in others. She wondered if Grandfather and Little Willy owed a lot of money to someone. The type of sickness that Grandfather had was in his mind first, perhaps thoughts that made him feel hopeless, and then it spread to his physical body.

2. Grandfather was sick. Little Willy wanted him to get better. What did Little Willy do to help?
Little Willy thought that if he harvested their crop of potatoes, Grandfather would want to live again. So Little Willy and Searchlight harvested the potatoes.

3. Running a farm was hard work. How did Little Willy and Searchlight harvest crops without a horse?
Little Willy and Searchlight harvested Grandfather's crop of potatoes by working together. Little Willy did what his grandfather usually did, and Searchlight pulled the plow like a horse would.

4. Write a summary paragraph over Chapters 1 and 2 in Stone Fox.

Chapters 3 and 4
1. Winter started. How did Little Willy's life change?
Little Willy chopped wood and stored food for the winter. Then he went to school. After school, he ran errands and raced with Searchlight.

2. Searchlight was loyal to Little Willy. Which actions showed his loyalty?
Searchlight waited outside of the school for Little Willy every day. Searchlight also tried to protect Little Willy from Clifford Snyder when the taxman came to their house.

3. Clifford Snyder talked to Little Willy. What did Little Willy learn from him?
Little Willy learned that Grandfather owed $500 in back taxes. When Little Willy asked Grandfather if he owed the money, Grandfather did not respond. If they do not pay their taxes, the government will sell their farm.

4. Write a summary paragraph over Chapters 3 and 4 in Stone Fox.

Chapters 5 and 6
1. Little Willy knew what to do. He had to pay the taxes. What did he think would happen when he paid them?
Little Willy believed Grandfather would get well.

2. Little Willy asked for advice. Who gave him advice? What was the advice?
Little Willy asked Doc Smith, Mr. Foster (the banker), Miss Williams (his teacher), Lester (general store clerk) and Hank (who swept the post office). They all advised Little Willy to sell the farm. Instead, Little Willy chose to take his college money and enter a dog-sled race that had a $500 prize. With that money, he wanted to pay the taxes.

3. Stone Fox entered the race. Who was Stone Fox? What did he do with prize money?
Stone Fox, a Shoshone Indian, entered the race. He owned five Samoyeds. He had never lost a race. After he entered, few other racers entered. He used prize money to buy back land for his people. So far, he had purchased over 200 acres.

4. Write a summary paragraph over Chapters 5 and 6 in Stone Fox.

Chapters 7 and 8
1. Little Willy heard dogs barking. He was curious. Curiosity can be a good thing. It can also be a bad thing. Was it helpful or harmful to Little Willy? Explain.
Little Willy went to get Grandfather's medicine. He heard barking dogs, so he looked inside a deserted barn and found Stone Fox's Samoyeds. When he tried to pet one of them, Stone Fox hit him. The night before the race, Little Willy could not sleep because of the pain he felt around his eye. In this case, his curiosity was not a good thing.

2. Why didn't Stone Fox talk to Little Willy?
Stone Fox did not talk to white people because white people stole his people's land.

3. Two people saw Little Willy's swollen eye. Who were they? How did he explain it?
Little Willy tried to hide his swollen eye from Grandfather, but he was sure Grandfather saw it. He did not explain it to Grandfather. Then the grocer asked Little Willy about it. Little Willy lied. He said he'd hit it that morning.

4. Write a summary paragraph over Chapters 7 and 8 in Stone Fox.

Chapters 9 and 10
1. Little Willy took the lead. How was he able to do that?
Little Willy's sled was light, so Searchlight could make the turns at full pace.

2. Stone Fox did not speak to white men. Why did Stone Fox break his rule?
Stone Fox drew a line and took out his rifle. He told the racers that if they crossed the line, he would shoot them. Stone Fox knew about injustice. His people had suffered injustice. He also knew about loss and the end of dreams. Perhaps he saw all of that in what Little Willy was trying to do and in what Searchlight did for his master. He broke his own rule and the rules of the race to help Little Willie.

3. Little Willy did not win the race by himself. Who helped him?
Stone Fox helped Little Willy win the race. Stone Fox did not cross the finish line himself, and he was willing to go to jail for shooting someone if anyone tried to cross the line before Little Willy. The other racers also helped Little Willy. Their fear of Stone Fox kept them from finishing the race. The people watching helped Little Willy. They allowed Stone Fox to readjust the rules of the race. Finally, Searchlight gave his life to help Little Willy win the race.

4. Write a summary paragraph over Chapters 9 and 10 in Stone Fox.

Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4
1. Jemmy lived in the castle. He was poor. The prince was rich. How were their lives different?
Jemmy was supposed to appreciate living in the castle, but he didn't. He was constantly beaten for someone else's wrongdoing. He would rather live a poor man's life than continue living in the castle. Castle life bored the prince, and he was not held accountable for his actions. So he was never content. Living at the castle was a problem for both boys, but in different ways.

2. Jemmy was beaten. He did not cry or yell. Why didn't he cry or yell?
Jemmy refused to make a sound when he was beaten. He did not want the prince to gloat over the pain Jemmy felt.

3. Jemmy and the prince were grabbed by two cutthroats. What do you think will happen next?
Answers will vary. It's okay if students give creative or implausible endings. Encourage their creativity.

4. Write a summary paragraph over Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4 in The Whipping Boy.

Chapters 5 and 6
1. What did the prince bring with him to run away?
The prince brought a horse, a man servant (Jemmy), his crown, royal dishes, roasted pheasant, meat pies, and fruit tarts.

2. How helpful were the things the prince brought?
The things the prince brought were not helpful. From them, the cutthroats knew that one of the boys was the prince. None of the items were practical or helpful for escaping cutthroats or living on the streets.

3. The prince and Jemmy were in trouble. Jemmy knew it. Why didn't the prince know it?
The prince had never suffered the consequences of his actions. Therefore, he did not see a direct connection between what he said and did and what happened next. That was why he continued to demand things—things that were unrealistic—and he did not realize the severity of his situation.

4. Write a summary paragraph over Chapters 5 and 6 in The Whipping Boy.

Chapters 7, 8, and 9
1. Jemmy was a servant. The cutthroats thought Jemmy was the prince. Why did they think Jemmy was the prince?
Jemmy convinced the cutthroats that he was the real prince because he could read and write. Royalty was taught to read and write, and common people, such as whipping boys, were not. Prince Horace could not read or write.

2. The cutthroats wanted gold. What did Jemmy ask for in his note? How did he sign it?
Jemmy asked for a wagonload of gold and jewels instead of his weight in gold. He signed the note as the king's obedient child.

3. What was the prince beginning to learn?
The prince was beginning to learn the importance of an education. He also was learning to be polite and say things like, "sir," instead of demanding things when he wanted them. Finally, he realized that it was unfair for one person to be beaten for another's actions. He had never thought about that before this adventure.

4. Write a summary paragraph over Chapters 7, 8, and 9 in The Whipping Boy.

Chapters 10, 11, and 12
1. The cutthroats had a plan. Jemmy changed their minds. How did Jemmy change their minds?
Jemmy told the cutthroats how they would be tortured or boiled in oil if they delivered the ransom note themselves. He emphasized that a whipping boy could be valuable as a messenger. The cutthroats chose to send the whipping boy, who was really the prince, with the ransom note and crown. Jemmy had convinced them that the crown would prove they had the prince.

2. Prince Horace refused to deliver the note. The cutthroats thought he was smart. Why did they think he was smart?
The cutthroats thought Prince Horace was smart because he wouldn't deliver the note until he was promised a share of the ransom. They confused his bratty refusal with greed, which is something they understood.

3. The ransom note was sent to the king. How did the note get to the king?
When Prince Horace would not deliver the note, Jemmy came up with a second plan. Hold-Your-Nose Billy put the note in a linen sack, tied it to the saddle of a horse and took the horse close to the castle. Then the horse found its way back to the royal stable.

4. Write a summary paragraph over Chapters 10, 11 and 12 in The Whipping Boy.

Chapters 13, 14, 15, and 16
1. Jemmy wanted to be rid of the prince. Why did he let the prince stay with him?
Although the prince said he was fine on his own, Jemmy knew better. The prince did not know what to do outside of the castle and needed help. Jemmy also may have seen a little fear in the prince's eyes. So he did not leave the prince alone on the side of the road. He told the potato man, who had offered to give Jemmy a ride in his carriage, that he'd left his friend behind, and the carriage waited for Prince Horace to catch up.

2. Jemmy was whipped many times for the prince. Why didn't he want the prince beaten for him?
Jemmy tried to keep the prince from being beaten—not because he was afraid of what the king would do but because he knew it was hurting the prince. Jemmy didn't like being beaten for someone else and didn't want someone else whipped for him.

3. How did the prince change?
Earlier, the prince betrayed Jemmy. He told Cutwater where Jemmy was hiding in the straw. In the carriage, the prince lied to save Jemmy from capture. Then instead of demanding his way, Prince Horace took the whippings meant for Jemmy without a sound.

4. Jemmy told the prince to cry when he was hit. Why did Jemmy want the prince to bawl?
Jemmy wanted the cutthroats to stop beating Prince Horace. Jemmy knew that they would continue beating the prince until he yelled out in pain. That's why he wanted the prince to bawl.

5. Write a summary paragraph over Chapters 13, 14, 15, and 16 in The Whipping Boy.

Chapters 17, 18, 19, and 20
1. Think back to the beginning of the book. Jemmy and the prince were different. What were some ways that they were different?
Prince Horace could do anything he wanted to do, and Jemmy couldn't do anything he wanted to do. Prince Horace was naughty, and Jemmy was whipped for the prince's naughtiness. The prince was rich, and Jemmy was poor. Prince Horace complained about everything and abused his authority, and Jemmy refused to utter a complaint, even when he was whipped unfairly. Prince Horace refused to learn to read or write, and Jemmy learned everything he could between whippings. Prince Horace had no friends, and Jemmy had many friends. Prince Horace had a dad, and Jemmy did not.

2. Jemmy and the prince learned many things. What did they learn?
Jemmy and Prince Horace learned the value of an education and an appreciation for their lives at the castle. They also learned to be friends and realized that friends sacrifice for each other.

3. Jemmy was a whipping boy. He was whipped in place of the prince. In the end, Jemmy was still a whipping boy. What has changed?
Prince Horace finally wanted to learn his lessons and didn’t want Jemmy to be whipped for his mistakes. As a result, the prince wanted to be better behaved and to do what was expected of him. Jemmy and Prince Horace also became friends.

4. Write a summary paragraph over Chapters 17, 18, 19, and 20 in The Whipping Boy.