About
The Alden children are helping out at the local animal shelter for the summer. Some mean men have come into town and threatened an older woman out of her home. The children hurry to beat the clock to protect the woman and her land.
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 was making the noise outside the Alden’s door?
Page 2 — Cat
2
How did Violet know the cat was a girl cat?
Page 3 — All Calico cats are girls
3
What was in the locket around the cat’s neck?
Page 5 — A note
5
What was the mystery the Alden children wanted to solve?
Page 8 — Who the cat belonged to and why they wanted to give it to the Aldens
8
Chapter 2
Comprehension questions
What did Violet do while Jesse made the cat carrier?
Page 12 — Make FOUND CAT signs
12
What were the children going to deliver as they looked for Patches' owner?
Page 15 — Newspapers
15
Who knew who owned Patches?
Page 15 — Mr. Clover
15
What did Mr. Clover want the children to do while he finished his delivery route?
Page 16 — Go to Miss Newcombe’s home and talk to her
16
Chapter 3
Comprehension questions
What was the screeching noise the Alden’s heard as they came up to Miss Newcombe’s place?
Page 20 — The iron gates closing
20
What was going to be happening to the animal shelter?
Page 26 — It was closing in two weeks.
26
What address was on Fred’s collar?
Page 27 — The same address Patches belongs to
27
Why was the shelter closing?
Page 30 — The founder wants to close it.
30
Where was the animal shelter going to keep the animals that won’t fit at the shelter?
Page 34 — In the boxcar
34
Chapter 4
Comprehension questions
What did the men at Mr. Seed’s store purchasing?
Page 37 — Dynamite
37
How did the men look at the children?
Page 40 — Stared hard in a mean way
40
Why did Mr. Seed want the children to stay in the store as he locked it behind the men?
Page 42 — He didn’t want the children around the men after the way the men acted.
42
What did Benny find as he pulled off the rotting shed boards?
Page 47 — Three black notebooks
47
Chapter 5
Comprehension questions
What is a deed?
Page 55 — Legal paper that says who owns certain land
55
Whose name was on the deed that was in the notebook?
Page 55 — Miss Newcombe’s father’s/ Silas Newcombe
55
Why can’t Miss Newcombe be visiting relatives?
Page 58 — She doesn’t have any family.
58
What did the man on the phone tell Jesse and Violet?
Page 62 — They’d need a freight train to hold all the animals when the shelter closes and to stop look for Miss Newcombe.
62
Chapter 6
Comprehension questions
What appeared overnight in the boxcar that morning?
Page 66 — More dogs and cats
66
What did the note say that was in with the newspapers?
Page 69 — Last warning, mind your own business
69
How did the children get into Miss Newcombe’s house?
Page 74 — The dogs ran in and they chased them
74
What did the men do to Miss Newcombe?
Page 78 — Scare her away
78
Chapter 7
Comprehension questions
What happened to the Alden’s car as they were driving to the capital building?
Page 83 — Stopped in the middle of the road
83
Why are the Aldens needing to get to the capital by noon?
Page 84 — It closes
84
What was wrong with the car?
Page 86 — Out of gas
86
What do the children need to get to Mr. Tully to prove the land belongs to Miss Newcombe?
Page 93 — A will saying her father gave her the land
93
Chapter 8
Comprehension questions
Who did Violet find in the boxcar at night?
Page 101 — Miss Newcombe
101
Why did Miss Newcombe bring the animals to the boxcar shelter and leave Patches with the Aldens?
Page 101 — She knew they’d get taken care of.
101
How did Miss Newcombe not know the property was hers?
Page 105 — Jacob Kisco never gave her father the deed
105
Who’s the founder of the animal shelter?
Page 106 — Miss Newcombe
106
In his will, why did her father say the land was hers if there wasn’t a deed?
Page 109 — He was sure Kisco left the land to him
109
Chapter 9
Comprehension questions
Who did Jesse call when she saw a truck with a man in it early in the morning?
Page 111 — Police
111
What did the men try to do before the police officer got there?
Page 112 — Slash grandfather’s tires
112
Who did Violet give the gray Persian cat to?
Page 121 — The people who found Lad/ Fred wandering in the parking lot/ O’Conners
121
Why was Miss Newcombe so secretive and always kept to herself?
Page 118 — She was afraid the state would find out she didn’t have the deed for the land.
118
Why was she glad her new friends found her?
Page 121 — they helped her out so much and she wants to be a friend herself now
121
Downloads
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Worksheets
Practice sheets with space to write your answers.
Download one reading section
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