About
The Alden children go on a canoeing trip with Aunt Jane and find a stolen old coin collection.
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
Where were the children going for a week?
Page 3 — On a canoeing trip with Aunt Jane
3
What are some things Angela said to scare the Alden children?
Page 9 — Wolves or wild animals may attack them, thunderstorms will strike
9
What were the presents Aunt Jane gave the children?
Page 12 — Pocket knife, trail mix, tin cup, compass
12
Chapter 2
Comprehension questions
While the Aldens ate lunch, what did they overhear some men talking about?
Page 14 — Burglars breaking into a museum
14
What had been stolen from a local man the year before?
Page 14 — coin collection
14
Where did the travelers stop for the night?
Page 20 — Near an old wooden house
20
What did Violet find on a large rock?
Page 22 — A riddle painted
22
Chapter 3
Comprehension questions
How did Aunt Jane know lots of people had been to their camp spot when they stopped for the night?
Page 24 — Lots of piles of ashes
24
What did Benny think the riddle was about?
Page 27 — The coins that were stolen.
27
Where do the kids think the coins are hidden?
Page 28 — Catfish Lake
28
What did Benny hear in the night?
Page 30 — Wolf howls
30
Chapter 4
Comprehension questions
Who appeared out of the forest?
Page 32 — Lorenzo Espinosa
32
Why is Lorenzo up there?
Page 33 — He’s a scientist and studies the plants and animals of that area
33
Where did the Aldens and Aunt Jane eat their lunch?
Page 38 — On a rock island
38
How many warnings have the Aldens had on their trip?
Page 42 — Three
42
Chapter 5
Comprehension questions
Who did the Aldens meet at Catfish Lake?
Page 46 — A red haired man/Rob Wilson
46
Where did Rob take his food after cooking it?
Page 49 — Into the woods.
49
Who were they sharing a lean to with?
Page 49 — Rob
49
Why were Aunt Jane and the children being careful?
Page 50 — People were acting strangely
50
Chapter 6
Comprehension questions
How did the children and Aunt Jane feel about Rob?
Page 53 — Didn’t know if they could trust him
53
Who helped Jessie and Henry catch fish for dinner?
Page 55 — Rob
55
Why did the Aldens invite Rob to join them on their trip?
Page 55 — It’d be hard for him to make the trip by himself with his broken ankle.
55
What did the weather turn to and made everyone paddle to shore?
Page 59 — Fog, wind, rain
59
Chapter 7
Comprehension questions
What happened to the groups in the two canoes when the storm hit?
Page 60 — They got separated
60
Who did Aunt Jane, Jessie and Benny run into while they waited for the storm to subside?
Page 64 — Matt and Bill
64
What did Matt and Bill say they do for a living?
Page 64 — Forest rangers
64
Why were the Aldens suspicious of Matt and Bill?
Page 68 — They didn’t act like forest rangers and weren’t wearing uniforms.
68
Who did Henry, Rob and Violet run into when they pulled to shore during the storm?
Page 75 — Angela
75
Chapter 8
Comprehension questions
How did the Aldens feel when they reunited after the storm?
Page 78 — Happy, relieved
78
Why did Henry and Violet think Angela took the things out of the canoe?
Page 79 — She had disappeared.
79
Now that the Aldens were all at Catfish Lake what were they anxious to do?
Page 81 — Find more clues to solve the riddle
81
What did the children find in the well?
Page 91 — Old coins
91
Chapter 9
Comprehension questions
Why is Rob really out canoeing along the lake?
Page 93 — Trying to find the coins
93
Why?
Page 92 — He’s a detective for the man the coins belong to
92
Why does Rob think Angela could have stolen the coins?
Page 94 — She was an illustrator for Mr. Withington
94
Who does Rob recognize one of the park rangers to be?
Page 101 — Mr. Withington’s chauffer
101
Chapter 10
Comprehension questions
How did Angela’s canoe tip over?
Page 105 — It was too full and it hit a rock.
105
Who stole the coins from Mr. Withington?
Page 111 — Angela and Matt
111
Why did Angela paint the riddle on the rock?
Page 111 — So Matt could find the collection and get them out of the country.
111
What were some things Angela did to scare away everyone away so they wouldn’t find the riddle and collection?
Page 112 — Wolf noises, dug a hole, poison ivy, lots of campfires, light in Jessie’s tent
112
Chapter 11
Comprehension questions
Why was Mr. Withington sad when Rob gave him his collection back?
Page 115 — He was sad that Angela and Matt would take it.
115
Why did have to wait to get the coin collection out of the woods?
Page 116 — Can’t travel up there at winter.
116
What happened to the Aldens camping equipment that got stolen?
Page 119 — Sunk when the canoe tipped over.
119
Who was going to pay for the lost equipment?
Page 119 — Mr. Withington
119
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.
