Comprehension Questions – Magic Tree House Merlin Missions #3 Summer of the Sea Serpent

Summer of the Sea Serpent

By Mary Pope Osborne

Grades 3-5; Genre - Fantasy; GRL N; AR pts: 2.0

Jack and Annie help Merlin recover the Sword of Light.  They meet Kathleen, a selkie, who uses her magic to turn them into seals.

Comprehension Questions

Chapter 1

  1. What is summer solstice?  The first day of summer, longest day of the year  p. 2
  2. What was the invitation from Merlin written on?  Seashell  p. 4
  3. What was in the rhyme that scared Jack and Annie?  Ghosts and spiders  p. 6

Chapter 2

  1. How did Annie call the Water Knight?  Opened her arms and shouted out to him  p. 14
  2. What did the knight’s creature look like?  Half horse/ half fish  p. 15
  3. Where did the knight take them?  To a cove  p. 20

Chapter 3

  1. What cave were Jack and Annie trying to get through?  Spider Queen’s  p. 22
  2. How did the starfish get on the ceiling of the cave?  High tide coming into the cave  p. 27
  3. Why couldn’t they go back out of the cave the way they came in?  waves will keep knocking them down/ water current was too strong p. 29

Chapter 4

  1. How did Jack know the Spider Queen was trying to help them?  Something about her voice  p. 34
  2. What did the Spider Queen do to help them?  Make a web ladder   p. 35
  3. What helped Jack and Annie stay on the ladder and not slip off?  It was sticky  p. 35

Chapter 5

  1. According to the rhyme, what were Jack and Annie supposed to swim with next?  A selkie  p. 40
  2. What came up out of the water and was so excited to see Jack and Annie?  Two seals  p. 41
  3. What did the seals want to do?  Sit in the sun and nap  p. 43

Chapter 6

  1. Who woke up Jack and Annie?  Teddy  p. 45
  2. Who was the selkie they met?  Kathleen  p. 50
  3. What did Kathleen have to say about the Cove of the Stormy Coast?  She’s forbidden to go there, terrible winter storms burst out when anyone tries to enter, she’s always wanted to explore that cove  p. 51

Chapter 7

  1. How did Jack, Annie, Kathleen and Teddy become seals?  Put on seal skins, Kathleen spoke magic words, they dove into the water  p. 56
  2. How do you know Jack enjoyed being a seal?   It was fun going fast and smooth swimming everywhere  p. 60
  3. How did the children speak when they were seals?  Clicking and gurgling sounds  p. 60

Chapter 8

  1. How were the children able to swim through the jellyfish safely?  Their tough seal skins protected them.  p. 64
  2. What are the selkies talking about when they say “the Cloak of the Old Gray Ghost”?  very thick fog  p. 67
  3. Why wasn’t it a good idea for all four of the children to be seals to dive for the sword?  Seals can’t pick up the heavy sword with their flippers.  P. 68

Chapter 9

  1. What happened to the storm as Jack and Annie brought the sword up to the surface?  Went away   p.76
  2. When did Jack and Annie need to get the sword back to Merlin?  Before nightfall  p. 77
  3. Why were the green hills shifting and moving?  It was a serpent’s body  p. 78

Chapter 10

  1. Why did the serpent wake up when Jack and Annie got the Sword of Light?  He was protecting it  p. 80
  2. What was the question Jack and Annie needed to answer to have the sword?  What’s the purpose of the sword?  P. 80
  3. What is the purpose of the sword?  Peace  p. 86

Chapter 11

  1. What did Kathleen and Teddy make with the sword and a spell so Jack and Annie could get to their tree house quickly?  A bright bridge  p. 91
  2. How did Jack feel about leaving Teddy and Kathleen?  Didn’t want to  p. 94
  3. What happened to the bridge when Jack and Annie stepped off of it?  Shattered  p. 96

Chapter 12

  1. Who was waiting at the tree house for Jack and Annie?  Merlin  p. 97
  2. Why did they have to get the sword on summer solstice? That’s the day the Ice Wizard’s power is the weakest  p. 98
  3. Who did the Ice Wizard steal the sword from?  Lady of the Lake  p. 98
  4. How does Jack know the Water Knight was Merlin?  They had the same wave.  p. 105