Comprehension Questions- Rowan of Rin #1 Rowan of Rin

 Rowan of Rin

by Emily Rodda

Grades 6-8; Genre - Fantasy; GRL T; AR pts: 5.0

Rowan is a shy boy who gets sent on a journey up the mountain to see why the spring has dried up.  He finds his courage as others from his village abandon the task and he's left to carry on.

Comprehension Questions

Chapter 1

  1. What's Rowan's job in the village? keeper of the bukshah  p. 2
  2. Tell me about Rowan? quiet, shy, nervous, father died saving him  p. 6
  3. Who is Sheba? the village wise woman   p.9

Chapter 2

  1. How did Rowan's father die? a fire    p. 14
  2. What did Rowan give to Sheba?  cheese   p. 17
  3. What is Sheba like?  mad, unpleasant, a witch, scary   p. 19

Chapter 3

  1. Name two of the six people who volunteered to go up the mountain? Allun, Val, Ellis, John, Marlie, Brondon   p. 30
  2. When were the people going to leave? the next day   p. 31
  3. What was Rowan's dream about? Sheba  p. 32

Chapter 4

  1. What was the stick Sheba had thrown about Rowan?  a wrapped piece of parchment   p. 34
  2. What was on the parchment?  a map of the mountain   p. 35
  3. Who had to hold the parchment to make the map appear?  Rowan  p. 39

Chapter 5

  1. How did Strong John feel about Rowan's mother?   He loved her.   p. 47
  2. How many people did Sheba say would go on this journey?   seven   p. 47
  3. How many white patches were there on the map?   six   p. 51

Chapter 6

  1. What appeared in one of the clear white spaces?  writing   p. 58
  2. Who was so scared of the spiders he ran back to Rin?  Ellis  p.64
  3. How did they shine sunlight on the webs?   mirror     p. 68

Chapter 7

  1. Who's the leader of the group through the swamp?     Bronden  p. 75
  2. Who did Rowan see i the swamp?  Star   p. 77
  3. What was the swamp doing to them? playing tricks with their minds  p. 78

Chapter 8

  1. Who did Bronden see in the swamp?  her childhood friend, Minna   p. 83
  2. Why did Bronden run back?  She couldn't bear to hear the swamp play tricks on her mind again  p.85
  3. How many people were still in the traveling party after the swamp? four p. 87

Chapter 9

  1. How was Rowan feeling about his three companions?  he trusted and appreciated them   p. 92
  2. Why was Rowan scared to reach the top of the mountain?   the dragon  p. 97
  3. What scared the travelers when they entered the cave?   bats   p. 101

Chapter 10

  1. Why did Allun quit?  he couldn't swim   p. 108
  2. How many people are left in their group now?  three  p. 112
  3. Where did Rowan put his outer clothes so they didn't get wet?   in his pack   p. 112

Chapter 11

  1. Why did the group stuff things into their pockets?  their packs wouldn't fit into the tunnel   p. 121
  2. How did Marlie feel about crawling into the small tunnel?  scared, couldn't breathe   p. 123
  3. Who did Strong John want to send back with Marlie?  Rowan      p. 123  

Chapter 12

  1. What did Rowan do to keep from panicking in the tunnel?   close his eyes   p.127
  2. Why did Rowan feel he didn't have the bravest heart?   he fears everything  p. 130
  3. How did Rowan help John make it through the night?  built a snow wall, heated stones, lay by John to warm him up   p.132

Chapter 13

  1. What did the dragon do to John? pin him to the wall   p. 136
  2. What made the dragon's mouth bleed?  a bone jammed in his tooth  p. 138
  3. What did Rowan throw at the dragon? compass & map  p. 141