Sleepy Hollow Sleepover

By Ron Roy

Grades 2-5; Genre – Fiction; GRL O; AR pts: 1.0

Third graders Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose are spending Halloween in spooky Sleepy Hollow, New York, home of the Headless Horseman. They're going to sleep in an old cabin, take a haunted hayride, and tour the old Dutch church where people claim to have seen the legendary headless horseman. But strange things start happening that don’t seem to be part of the planned Halloween fun. Is there a real Headless Horseman haunting Sleepy Hollow?

Comprehension Questions

Chapter 1

1. What activity were the kids going to be doing that night? A haunted hayride and going to a party p.2
2. Who’s the Headless Horseman? A fictional character from the story, “the Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” by Washington Irving; the story is about a teacher, Ichabod Crane. He liked a woman named Katrina. Brom Bones liked Katrina as well and didn’t want Ichabod to get her, so dressed up as the headless horseman to drive him out of town. He told people it was a ghost of a soldier who’d lost his head and looked for it at night p.4
3. Who did Dink step on after watching the mechanical headless horseman? One man wearing cowboy boots with silver toes; his name was Ace p.9

Chapter 2

1. Where were the kids sleeping? In a cabin Dink’s father rented called the Haunted House p.11
2. What popped out of the chest when Dink opened it to get a game? A skeleton p.13
3. Who did the kids see out the window? The Headless Horseman p.17

Chapter 3

1. What was suspicious about the driver of the wagon? He had a hat, wouldn’t look at the kids, deep voice, he doesn’t talk to the kids, he smacked a tree to make the bats fly out and around the kids p.23
2. What came out of the grave as the kids passed the cemetery? A zombie p.31
3. Who did the zombie and wagon driver end up being? Police officers Klevor and Reilly p.34

Chapter 4

1. What police officer was in charge of the pumpkin bowling? Officer Reilly p.41
2. What did Dink see as he ran after his pumpkin? Two men wearing masks by the wagons and horses p.44
3. What happened in the woods where the wagons were parked? A huge fire was started p.48

Chapter 5

1. Why did Andy think the fire started? Another prank by the police p.52
2. How did Officer Klevor know the fire was intentional? There were match books on the ground p.54
3. What happened to the policeman’s car tires? They were flattened p.58

Chapter 6

1. Why was Dink flustered? He was still bothered about the two men and the flashing shoes he saw just before the fire at the wagons was started p.61
2. How many police cruisers came to rescue the kids? 4 p.64
3. Who was out in the field with the burned wagons as Dink and his friends drove away? The police officer dressed up as a spaceman p.66

Chapter 7

1. What was suspicious about the cabin when the kids were dropped off by Officer Sneke? Dink’s dad said he would wait up until the kids got there, but he wasn’t there. Ice cubes were in the lemonade, Dink’s dad’s book was left opened on the chair p.69
2. Where was Dink’s dad? Hiding in the closet dressed as a ghost p.72
3. What did Dink realize the other man could have been who was by the wagons before they were set on fire? It could have been Officer Klevor p.75

Chapter 8

1. Where did the kids find Officer Klevor? At the bank p.81
2. What happened to Bonnie at the bank? Two men came to her house, told her to get her coat and took her to the bank to open the vault. She couldn’t open it and the men took money from the teller drawers p.81
3. What was inside the mechanical horse’s belly? The money that was stolen from the bank p.87

Chapter 9

1. Who did Ruth Rose call when they got stuck in the back of the truck with the mechanical horse? The police; 911 p.91
2. Why did Dink want to let money out of the bags while they were driving? People might see it and call the police; the driver may stop, and they could get away p.92
3. What did the kids feel in the dark of the barn hole? A body tied up p.100

Chapter 10

1. Who did the children free while in the hole? The man who was originally supposed to go pick up the mechanical horse p.102
2. Why did Dink think his dad would call the police and come find them? When the bad guys found the kids in the back of the truck, Dink had pushed the green button to the cell phone which would automatically call his dad. Then his dad would have heard the conversation and know the kids were in danger p.104
3. Why did the kids think Bonnie was in on the bank job? She led the police to think the robbers left at midnight and had an 8 hour lead and she could get the money out after the vault opened at 8 am p.107

Chapter 11

1. How did Dink reach up and lift the slat that covers the hole? He stood on Hank’s shoulders p.112
2. Why did Dink want a tin can? To prop open the piece of wood p.116
3. Why did Dink want Ruth Rose’s knife? To make the tire flat p.116

Chapter 12

1. How did Josh, Ruth Rose and Hank get out of the hole? Dink had seen a rope when he was on Hank’s shoulders and tied it to the bumper of the truck. Hank climbed out, then he pulled the kids out one by one p.120
2. Who came to the rescue and helped Dink out of the hole? The police; Officer Klevor p.123
3. Who ended up being the Headless Horseman the night the kids went to the party? They don’t know; it’s a mystery p.128