About
After becoming Master Librarians, Jack and Annie help Morgan find a lost scroll by traveling to Pompeii. They get to experience the volcano that destroyed the city.
Read one section at a time, then discuss the questions to review understanding. These questions are a starting place for conversation, not a complete test of the chapter.
Chapter 1
Comprehension questions
What had Jack and Annie finally become?
Page 1 — Master Librarians
1
What happens to time when Jack and Annie go on an adventure?
Page 3 — No time passes, they would return to Frog Creek the same time they left
3
What should Jack and Annie do in their darkest hour?
Page 7 — Ask the ancient story for help
7
Chapter 2
Comprehension questions
What were Jack and Annie wearing when the tree house stopped spinning?
Page 9 — White tunics, belt, sandals, Jack had a leather bag
9
Why didn’t Annie want to get out of the tree house and go find the writing?
Page 13 — She felt like something was wrong, the ground shook and rumbled
13
What is a soothsayer?
Page 19 — Someone who tells the future
19
What strange things were happening that Annie noticed?
Page 20 — The creek was dry, the grove of trees was silent, a woman in a black cloak was calling “the end is near”
20
Chapter 3
Comprehension questions
What were some of the buildings Jack and Annie saw as they walked through town?
The bathhouse, temple of Jupiter
Tell me two ancient myths Jack and Annie talked about.
Page 26 — Medusa, Venus, Hercules, Apollo
26
Chapter 4
Comprehension questions
Where did the soldiers take the gladiators?
Page 28 — Into the amphitheater
28
Why didn’t the guard let Jack and Annie into the amphitheater?
Page 29 — No children were allowed
29
What did Annie show the soothsayer?
Page 32 — Her Master Librarian card
32
Where was the writing that Jack and Annie needed to find?
Page 34 — House of Brutus
34
Chapter 5
Comprehension questions
What did the dining room look like?
Page 38 — Sloping couches, pillows, low table, silver dishes
38
Did Jack and Annie find any books?
Page 40 — No
40
What did the Romans use to write?
Page 40 — Small reeds, octopus ink, scrolls of paper/ papyrus
40
Chapter 6
Comprehension questions
Why were Jack and Annie in such a hurry after they found the scroll?
Page 43 — The soothsayer told them to hurry, Jack read about the volcano destroying the city
43
What helped Jack and Annie know what time it was?
Page 44 — The sundial
44
What does the shadow on a sundial look like at noon?
Page 46 — Can hardly be seen
46
Chapter 7
Comprehension questions
What ruined Pompeii?
Page 49 — A great cloud of pumice, ash and burning rock rained onto the city
49
Why did it get dark?
Page 50 — A thick black cloud spread over the city like an umbrella
50
What did Jack and Annie use to protect their heads from the falling debris?
Page 51 — Pillows
51
Chapter 8
Comprehension questions
What did it smell like when the volcano was erupting?
Page 54 — Rotten eggs, sulfur
54
Where was the tree house?
Page 56 — In the olive grove
56
Why couldn’t Jack and Annie get across the dried up stream?
Page 58 — The bridge had vanished and the bed was full of pumice rock
58
Chapter 9
Comprehension questions
What happened to Jack and Annie when they tried to wade through the pumice?
Page 61 — They got stuck
61
What did Annie remember to do when they were stuck?
Page 61 — Ask the story for help
61
Who appeared from the story to help Jack and Annie?
Page 64 — A huge gladiator
64
Chapter 10
Comprehension questions
What were Jack’s glasses covered with?
Page 66 — Ash, dust, filth
66
What story was going to be destroyed by the volcano?
Page 71 — The Strongest Man in the World, Hercules
71
Who is Hercules?
Page 71 — A hero of the Greeks and Romans, he’s the son of Jupiter/Zeus
71
Downloads
All the book’s resources, or just the ones you need, ready to read or print.
Worksheets
Practice sheets with space to write your answers.
Download one reading section
A small printout with all the resources for the selected section.
Very Helpful, helped me a lot on my book report:)