Comprehension Questions – The Boxcar Children #87 The Mystery of the Spider’s Clue

The Mystery of the Spider’s Clue

By Gertrude Chandler Warner

Grades 3-5; Genre - Fiction; GRL O; AR pts: 2.0

The four Alden children receive an invitation to a mystery.  Their friend Sam is a window washer and has been in a bicycle accident.  He gets a letter full of riddles that if he can solve the mystery, he’ll inherit a millionaire’s money.  The Alden’s eagerly work to help their friend crack the code.

Comprehension Questions

Chapter 1

  1. What type of work does Sam do?  Washes windows    p. 7
  2. How did he get hurt?  He was riding his bike and hit a tree when a dog ran in front on him.    p. 7
  3. What is Sam like?  Friendly, caring, kind, helpful, a good friend   p. 9
  4. What did Sam get in the mail? An invitation to a mystery     p. 10
  5. Who did Jessie see looking at Sam’s house? A man with silver hair    p. 12

Chapter 2

  1. Who sent the invitation to Sam?  Thomas Paintner, a lawyer    p. 17
  2. What was the reward for solving the mystery?  Money    p. 19
  3. What did the children need to find out to solve the mystery?  A secret code word   p. 20
  4. How was Sam feeling when the children left his house? Sad    p. 31

Chapter 3

  1. Where did the children find the first clue?  On a map Grandfather gave them    p. 38
  2. What are the first few lines of the clue from? Nursery rhyme    p. 43
  3. What did Jessie feel uneasy about outside the library? Like they were being watched     p. 44

Chapter 4

  1. Who did Jessie see in the library? Man with silver hair    p. 47
  2. What was the nursery rhyme that went along with the clue? Little Boy Blue p. 48
  3. How did Sam react when the children told him about the nursery rhyme?  Surprised   p. 51
  4. How did Sam’s brother get his nickname Blue? His favorite rhyme was Little Boy Blue   p. 53

Chapter 5

  1. Whose windows did the children help wash for Sam? Mrs. Spencer’s    p. 55
  2. Where did the Little Boy Blue nursery rhyme tell the children to go? Blue Street   p. 61
  3. What other street do they need to go to? Ice Pone Road    p. 62
  4. What were the children looking for on the corner of Blue Street and Ice Pond Road? Hollow tree  p.  64  Did they find it?   No

Chapter 6

  1. Who did the children see shouting on the phone? Man with silver hair   p. 66
  2. What was the man yelling about? Some mystery    p. 67
  3. What mystery do the children think he’s talking about? The Spider’s Clue   p. 67
  4. What is the name of the restaurant the children ate at? Hollow Tree Restaurant   p. 75
  5. Who was watching the children at the restaurant? Melissa Campbell    p. 77

Chapter 7

  1. Who was arguing at the Greenfield Nursery? Melissa and Ray   p. 83
  2. Why was the restaurant called Hollow Tree? There used to be a hollowed tree there   p. 88
  3. What did the Chlorophytum plant look like? A big green spider   p. 91

Chapter 8

  1. What was wrong with Watch in the night?  He heard something and was upset    p. 96
  2. Why were Sam and his brother Simon angry at each other? Sam left the family business    p. 98
  3. What went missing from the boxcar?  Jessie’s notebook and Grandfather’s street map   p.99
  4. What did Watch find and bring to the children?  A broken heel from a lady’s shoe   p. 100

Chapter 9

  1. How did Melissa feel when she saw the children come into the office?  Not pleased   p. 112
  2. Who else was at the office to see Thomas Paintner? Ray from the Greenfield Nursery   p. 114
  3. What did Melissa do the night before? Steal the notebook and map    p. 119
  4. Who is Pinky?  Rose Hill   p. 120

Chapter 10

  1. What did the children say was the secret code word? Pinky   p. 126
  2. Who was the mystery man with the silver hair? Sam’s brother, Simon    p. 127
  3. Who made up the Mystery of the Spider’s Clue? Thomas Painter, Rose Hill and Simon   p. 126
  4. Why was Simon following the children around? To make sure they could solve the mystery p. 130