Comprehension Questions – Magic Tree House Merlin Missions #8 Blizzard of the Blue Moon

Blizzard of the Blue Moon

By Mary Pope Osborne

Grades 3-5; Genre- Historical Fiction with Fantastical Elements; GRL N; AR pts: 2.0

Jack and Annie go to New York City to save a unicorn that's been trapped in a spell.

Comprehension Questions

Chapter 1

  1. What time of year is it?  Late fall/ November  p. 5
  2. What special animal is Jack and Annie supposed to help on this mission?  Unicorn  p. 7
  3. Where are they going to find the unicorn?  New York City  p. 7
  4. How many rhymes do Jack and Annie have left in the book Teddy and Kathleen gave them?  Three  p. 9

Chapter 2

  1. What was the weather like when Jack and Annie arrived in New York City? Snowy  p. 11
  2. What park did the tree house land in?  Central Park   p. 13
  3. What’s a blue moon?  Two full moons in the same month  p. 14
  4. Why did the horses look sad and lonely on the merry-go-round? No one was riding on them.  P. 18

Chapter 3

  1. What treasure did Jack want to never lose?  Annie  p. 27
  2. Who do Jack and Annie think are following them?  Teddy and Kathleen  p. 30
  3. Why is there a castle in Central Park?  To be a delightful surprise to anyone wandering the park.  P. 31
  4. What kind of weather did Mr. Perkins say they would have that night?  Monster blizzard   p. 32

Chapter 4

  1. Where were Jack and Annie going to find the unicorn?  Bronx Zoo  p. 36
  2. Why were there so many poor people in New York City?  No jobs/ no money/ Great Depression  p. 41
  3. What sort of transportation did Jack and Annie use to get to the zoo?  Subway  p. 42
  4. How did Jack and Annie know what stop to get off the subway?  A girl helped them.  P. 48

Chapter 5

  1. Why couldn’t the taxi driver take Jack and Annie all the way to the zoo?  taxi got stuck  p. 54
  2. What’s a cloister?  Enclosed garden or courtyard  p. 58
  3. What’s a tapestry?  A large cloth hanging with pictures or designs  p.58
  4. Where did Jack and Annie see a unicorn?  the tapestry  p. 61

Chapter 6

  1. What did the seven tapestries of the unicorn tell?The story of the unicorn  p. 62
  2. Who had been following Jack and Annie?  Balor and Grinda  p. 67
  3. What’s the real name of the unicorn?  Dianthus  p. 68
  4. Were Balor and Grinda good or bad?  Bad  p. 71

Chapter 7

  1. Where are Balor and Grinda from?  The same magic world Dianthus comes from.  P. 73
  2. Why did Jack try to stop Balor from putting the rope around Dianthus’ neck?  It would take him to the Castle of the Dark Wizard  p. 75
  3. What did the cloud spell do to help Jack and Annie protect Dianthus?  Make a thick fog in the room.  P. 76
  4. How did Jack and Annie find Dianthus in the fog?  Annie whispered his name and he came to her.  p. 77

Chapter 8

  1. What did Dianthus’ horn do to the winds and snow?  Calm them  p. 80
  2. Where did the unicorn take Jack and Annie?  Tree house  p. 85
  3. Who was waiting for Jack and Annie at the tree house?  Grinda and Balor  p. 85
  4. What did Annie do to Balor and Grinda?  Turn them into ducks  p. 87

Chapter 9

  1. Who were Teddy and Kathleen dressed up as?  Taxi driver and girl on the subway  p. 90
  2. Who came out of the back seat of the taxicab?  Merlin and Morgan  p. 93
  3. What did Merlin give Jack and Annie now that he could trust them to use magic?  Wand of Dianthus p. 97
  4. What did Merlin want to do before he went back to Camelot?  Drive the taxi around New York City  p. 98

Chapter 10

  1. How did Teddy and Kathleen get back to Camelot? Riding on Dianthus  p. 101
  2. Why was Annie sad when Dianthus disappeared? She was sad to see him go.  P. 102
  3. Why weren’t Jack and Annie going to use the rhyme book anymore? They’d used all the rhymes.  P. 104
  4. What did Jack and Annie’s dad make for them when they got home? Hot chocolate  p. 105