About
Jack and Annie adventure to an island where they meet sailors who are exploring the sea. Jack and Annie get to go on board their ship and get washed overboard during a squall. An octopus saves them and they save the octopus from getting hurt by the explorers.
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 did Jack and Annie see flying through the sky that told them the tree house was back?
Page 3 — Seagull
3
How many more secrets of happiness do Jack and Annie need to find to help Merlin?
Page 6 — Two
6
Where were Jack and Annie going this time?
Page 7 — The ocean
7
Chapter 2
Comprehension questions
What kind of ship did Jack and Annie think they saw at first?
Page 16 — Pirate
16
What was one of the men carrying on the beach?
Page 19 — Butterfly net
19
Where was the HMS Challenger from?
Page 22 — England
22
What was the crew doing on the island?
Page 23 — Exploring
23
Chapter 3
Comprehension questions
What’s the name of the scientist?
Page 24 — Henry
24
How was Annie being a show off when they were talking to the scientist and sailors?
Page 27 — By showing that she knew more about the ocean than the scientist did.
27
Why was that rude of Annie to show off?
Page 28 — She’s being a know-it-all, makes the scientist feel bad
28
Why were Joe and Tommy grumpy about Jack and Annie going aboard their ship?
Page 30 — No children were allowed
30
Chapter 4
Comprehension questions
How did the bouncing boat in the swell of waves affect Jack?
Page 33 — Made him sick
33
How did the sailors describe the Great Monster?
Page 35 — Mix between a dragon and starfish, floating nest of snakes
35
How did the captain of the ship feel when he saw Jack and Annie on board?
Page 39 — Angry
39
What are some things the explorers have learned about the ocean?
Page 40 — How deep the ocean is, the temperature, what lives in the deep
40
Chapter 5
Comprehension questions
What is a SQUALL?
Page 45 — a violent sudden gust of wind on the sea
45
What did Henry show Jack and Annie under the microscope?
Page 46 — Tiny seahorse skeleton
46
What are the bottles in the lab filled with?
Page 47 — Mud from the bottom of the ocean, dead sea creatures
47
What creature did Henry find that gave him pleasure before it died?
Page 50 — A nautilus
50
Chapter 6
Comprehension questions
What was in the cup Jack drank out of?
Page 54 — Lime juice
54
What is SCURVY?
Page 54 — Disease people can get if they don’t get enough vitamin C
54
Why did Jack go up on the deck of the ship?
Page 58 — He didn’t want to throw up down below in front of the sailors
58
What happened to Jack as a wave washed up onto the deck of the ship?
Page 60 — He was washed overboard
60
Chapter 7
Comprehension questions
What did the water do to Jack and Annie life preservers?
Page 63 — pushed them off
63
What was holding Jack and Annie above the surface of the water?
Page 65 — An octopus
65
How did Jack feel when he first saw the octopus?
Page 68 — Terrified, tried to get away
68
What was the octopus doing for Jack and Annie?
Page 69 — Rescuing them
69
Chapter 8
Comprehension questions
What scared the octopus away?
Page 70 — The ship
70
Did the professor believe the octopus saved Jack and Annie?
Page 72 — No
72
How did the sailors catch the octopus?
Page 74 — A net
74
What did the professor want to do with the octopus?
Page 77 — Bring it on the ship alive so he could study it
77
Chapter 9
Comprehension questions
What did Jack and Annie need to use to help save the octopus?
Page 79 — Dianthus Wand
79
Where did Jack and Annie leave the backpack?
Page 80 — Science lab
80
Why did they need Henry to get into the lab?
Page 81 — It was locked
81
What were the five words Jack used on the wand?
Page 84 — make them hear the truth
84
Chapter 10
Comprehension questions
What weapon did the sailor shoot at the octopus?
Page 87 — Harpoon
87
How did the sailors hear the truth about the octopus?
Page 89 — The octopus spoke to them
89
How did the ship’s crew feel when they heard the octopus speak?
Page 90 — Wanted to let him go
90
How did they free the octopus?
Page 91 — Cut the net
91
Chapter 11
Comprehension questions
Why did the captain want to leave that day from those waters?
Page 95 — He didn’t want to disturb the waters anymore
95
What did Henry give Jack and Annie?
Page 97 — His nautilus shell
97
What was the secret of happiness Jack and Annie were looking for?
Page 99 — Compassion for all living creatures
99
What name did Jack and Annie give the octopus?
Page 103 — Charles
103
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.
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