Comprehension Questions – A to Z Mysteries The Runaway Racehorse

The Runaway Racehorse

by Ron Roy

Grades 3-5; Genre - Fiction; GRL N; AR pts: 1.0

And they're off! Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose are excited to see Uncle Warren's new racehorse, Whirlaway, in action. But the night before the big race, the horse disappears! He shows up just in time to lose the race. Why is Whirlaway suddenly so slow? Can the kids figure it out- or is Whirlaway out of the winner's circle for good?

Comprehension Questions

Chapter 1

  1. Where are Dink, Josh and Ruth Rose going? To Larchmont, New York to see a racehorse p.1
  2. How did they travel to get there? By train p.1
  3. What was missing when the kids went to see Whirlaway? Whirlaway p.11

Chapter 2

  1. Where does Forest think Whirlaway has disappeared to? Over to visit his mother p.13
  2. Why did Ruth Rose and Josh have so much fun in the back of the pickup? The road was bumpy p.15
  3. Was Whirlaway visiting his mom? No p.19

Chapter 3

  1. What did Whirlaway look like when he returned to the barn? Muddy p.26
  2. What did the kids find on Whirlaway when they were washing him? A mark like a stamp p.28

Chapter 4

  1. Why did Whirlaway refuse to go with Ruth Rose? He was spooked from being out in the storm and coming home to strangers p.31
  2. Who else was Whirlaway scared of? Sunny p.32
  3. What did Ruth Rose observe about Sunny after reading her book about horses? Sunny and she doesn’t have Whirlaway’s trust and scares him p.36

Chapter 5

  1. Where did the kids and adults travel to and why? Saratoga Springs; a horse race p.39
  2. Why does Sunny wear goggles during the race? The horses in front kick up mud, so it protects her eyes p.44
  3. How did Whirlaway react to Sunny when Ruth Rose wanted a picture? Scared; upset p.44

Chapter 6

  1. Where did the kids get to sit during the horse races? Forest’s private box p.45
  2. Who won the first horse race? Merry Mary p.49
  3. Why did Forest conclude that something was wrong with Whirlaway after the race? He had never run so badly before p.53

Chapter 7

  1. What did Sunny say about Whirlaway’s performance? She said he ran like a different horse p.55
  2. What can make a horse run slower? Their jockey p.56
  3. Who did Ruth Rose take a picture of? Josh, Dink and Dancer p.58

Chapter 8

  1. What did Josh find on his collar? A dark smudge p.62
  2. Why did Ruth Rose want to get her film developed so quickly? So she could see if the man in the cowboy hat was Mr. Bunks p.63
  3. If it is Mr. Bunks, what’s the problem? He said he wasn’t into racing horses anymore; he lied p.64

Chapter 9

  1. What was on Josh’s collar? Shoe polish p.69
  2. How did the shoe polish get there? From Dancer, the horse who nudged him from behind, it had shoe polish on its forehead covering up the white mark p.71
  3. How was Josh going to prove their horse wasn’t Whirlaway? Offer it a sugar cube, if the horse eats it, it’s not Whirlaway p.73

Chapter 10

  1. What was on Josh’s fingers after touching Dancer’s forehead? Shoe polish p.77
  2. Who’s responsible for trading the horses? Mr. Bunks p.78
  3. Why did it take Sunny so long to get home from the race? She stopped at the vet p.84