The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Classic Starts)
Retold from the Mark Twain original
Grades 3-5; Genre - Fiction; AR pts: 3.0
This is a classic story adapted from the full account of Tom Sawyer written by Mark Twain. In this simplified version children are swept away to the 1800's and the adventures of a young boy about 12 years old. Even though he's always causing trouble for his aunt and finding some mischief to get into, he ends up being a hero to all.
Comprehension Questions
Chapter 1
- Why did Tom Sawyer get in trouble? He hadn’t cut the wood or mowed the lawn and he got into the raspberry jam and had sugar filling his pockets p. 2
- What was his consequence for not doing his chores and getting into the food? Painting the fence p. 3
- Tell me about Tom. Deceitful, tricky, mischievous, troublesome, manipulative p. 8
Chapter 2
- Why did Tom want to earn a Bible from Sunday School? the glory of winning it p. 12
- How did Tom get all of his tickets? He traded the treasures for them p. 13
- What did Tom do to get Becky’s attention? Making mischief, pulling hair, making faces p. 15
- What did Judge Thatcher want Tom to recite after Tom received the Bible? The twelve disciples p. 18
Chapter 3
- Tell me about Huck Finn. Trouble maker, mothers dreaded and disliked him, swore, was free to do as he wanted p. 21
- What superstition did Huck Finn believe would come true at midnight with his medicine potion? He’d make his warts go away p. 22
- What was Tom’s punishment for being late to school? Switches and sitting by the girls p. 25
Chapter 4
- Who did Tom court before he met Becky? Amy Lawrence p. 30
- Why did it upset Becky when Tom mentioned Amy Lawrence? She wanted to be the only and first girl he’d courted before p. 35
- Why did Tom decide to be a pirate? So Becky would be impressed by him p. 37
Chapter 5
- Who did Tom and Huck see in the graveyard? Injun Joe, Muff Potter, Dr. Robinson p. 43
- Who killed Dr. Robinson? Injun Joe p. 46
- How did Injun Joe trick Muff Potter into thinking he had killed Dr. Robinson? Injun Joe put the knife into Muff Potter’s hand when Muff Potter was unconscious p. 46
Chapter 6
- How did Becky react when she saw Tom showing off for her? she was put off by it p. 57
- What did Tom do when Becky said she didn’t like boys that show off? Started to flirt with Amy Lawrence and pretended not to notice Becky p. 58
- How did Becky and Tom’s actions affect each other? It made them both upset p. 59
Chapter 7
- Why did Becky want to get into Mr. Dobbins’ desk? To see what book he would get out and read p. 62
- What did Tom do for Becky when Mr. Dobbins called on her to see if she’d ripped the book? Tom confessed he had done it p. 66
Chapter 8
- Why didn’t Tom and Huck want to tell anybody what really happened on the night Dr. Robinson died? They knew they wouldn’t still be alive p. 69
- During the trial for the murder of Dr. Robinson, who did the prosecutor call up to the stand? Tom p. 73
- As Tom was telling his story in the court room, how did Injun Joe escape? Through the window p. 77
Chapter 9
- How did the prosecutor know that Tom and Huck witnessed the murder in the graveyard? Tom went and told him p. 78
- Where did Tom and Huck dig for treasure at first? the tree on Cardiff Hill p. 83
- Why did they decide to dig at midnight? The moonlight would make a shadow just right and that would be where they were supposed to dig p. 84
- How did the boys feel about digging in the haunted house at night? Scared p. 88
Chapter 10
- When Tom and Huck went to the haunted house during the day, who else visited the house? A Spanish man and another man p. 92
- Who was the Spanish man? Injun Joe in disguise p. 93
- What was the “job” about that Injun Joe needed to do before leaving for Texas? Revenge/ getting rid of Tom and Huck p. 97
- What stopped Injun Joe from finding Tom and Huck up the stairs of the haunted house? The stairs broke and Injun Joe fell through not being able to climb to the top p. 99
Chapter 11
- What place did Tom and Huck figure to be the Number 2 hide out Injun Joe was talking about? room at an inn that was locked p. 103
- Who was in the Number 2 room? Injun Joe p. 105
- What was Tom and Huck’s plan to get the treasure box from Injun Joe? Wait till Injun Joe wasn’t there and snatch it from the room at night/ Huck would watch and Tom would snatch p. 106
Chapter 12
- What were the activities the children were involved in during the all day picnic? Playing and exploring in the forest and rocky heights as well as playing in the cave p. 109
- What was Huck’s adventure the same night Tom was at the party? two men came out of the alley carrying the box and he followed them to Widow Douglas’ house p. 113
- What was the revenge job Injun Joe was wanting to do? Get back at Widow Douglas for her husband arresting Injun Joe p. 113
- Who did Huck get to help him stop Injun Joe from hurting Widow Douglas? The Welshman and his sons p. 114
Chapter 13
- How did Mrs. Thatcher and Aunt Polly feel when they both realized Tom and Becky didn’t come back with the party? upset/worried p. 121
- How did Tom and Becky get lost in the cave? They got chased by bats and ran into new passages trying to escape them p. 123
- What did Tom use to explore the passages of the cave so he wouldn’t get lost from Becky? Kite line he had in his pocket p. 127
Chapter 14
- How did Tom escape the cave? Took his kite line and went down two passages then saw light and dropped his line and went toward it, crawled out of a small hole right on the Mississippi River p. 131
- Why did Tom turn white as a sheet when Judge Thatcher told him about locking up the cave door so no one could go in? Injun was still in there p. 132
- Where was the real number two hiding spot? In the cave under a candle smoked cross p. 135
Chapter 15
- How did Judge Thatcher feel about Tom? Had a great opinion of him, would pay for him to go to West Point p. 141
- How did Tom get Huck to go back to the widow? Said he wanted Huck respectable if was going to be a part of his gang p. 144