Danny, the Champion of the World
About
A young English boy describes his relationship with his father and the special adventure they share together.
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’s the setting of this story?
Page 3 — Danny’s home in England at a gas station
3
Chapter 2
Comprehension questions
Describe Danny’s father.
Page 8 — Funny, hard worker, eyes would smile, loving, storyteller
8
Describe the BFG.
Page 9 — Big friendly giant; made up character in father’s stories; 3x’s as tall as an ordinary man; hands as large as wheelbarrows; lived in a vast underground cavern; only comes outside when it’s dark; powder factory where he would make magic powder out of children’s dreams; great sense of hearing; catches good and bad dreams; makes dreams turn real
9
Chapter 3
Comprehension questions
Use examples from the story to describe how Danny feels about his father.
Page 16 — He loves him and loves spending time with him; his dad walked to and from school; he helped him make a kite, fire cannon, playhouse, stilts, etc
16
What do you like to do together with your father, or father figure?
Listen to your child’s answers.
Chapter 4
Comprehension questions
What’s Danny’s father’s deep dark secret?
Page 28 — He likes to go poaching
28
What’s poaching and why is it wrong?
Page 28 — the illegal practice of trespassing on another's property to hunt or steal game without the landowner's permission
28
Where did Danny’s father learn to love the challenge of poaching?
Page 28 — From his father
28
Chapter 5
Comprehension questions
List two methods Danny’s grandfather used to catch pheasants.
Page 34 — The Horsehair Stopper and the Sticky Hat
34
Why doesn’t Danny’s dad want to take him poaching yet?
Page 40 — His dad’s out of practice and he doesn’t want to get Danny hurt
40
Chapter 6
Comprehension questions
Why doesn’t Danny’s father like Mr. Hazell?
Page 42 — He threatened Danny with a gun for no reason when he came to the filler station last year
42
Why is it important for Danny’s father to leave right at 6pm?
Page 46 — He wants to get to the woods at twilight so it’s easy for him to hide in the shadows and the pheasants haven’t roosted in the tops of the trees
46
Chapter 7
Comprehension questions
Why was Danny so worried when his dad didn’t return from poaching on time?
Page 49 — He might have gotten hurt by the Keepers
49
Describe Danny’s adventure as he drove to Hazell’s wood.
Page 51 — He took the car he and his dad had been fixing and started out slowly but drove faster and faster; a policeman passed him, and he was able to get off the track so the policeman couldn’t find him; he waited until the policeman was gone, then drove the rest of the way to the woods
51
Chapter 8
Comprehension questions
Summarize what happened to Danny’s father that night?
Page 64 — He fell into a pit and broke his ankle; the Keepers didn’t recognize him but said they would be back in the morning with Mr. Hazell
64
How did Danny and his father get back to the car?
Page 66 — Danny got a rope out of the car and his father climbed up it, then Danny helped his dad back to the car
66
What could happen with the rope being left behind?
Page 69 — Listen to your child’s answer
69
Chapter 9
Comprehension questions
Why was Danny’s father able to tell Doc Spencer what had happened to his ankle?
Page 75 — Doc Spencer was his friend and liked to go poaching and fishing too
75
How did Doc Spencer feel about Mr. Hazell?
Page 77 — He didn’t like him either, he kicked his dog without a reason
77
Chapter 10
Comprehension questions
Why did Danny’s father want to catch 200 pheasants from Mr. Hazell’s wood by October 1st?
Page 84 — To ruin the opening of hunting season and humiliate Mr. Hazell
84
If you were to pick a word to describe this action, what would it be?
Revenge, vindictiveness, vengeance.
Do you agree with this course of action? Why, or why not?
Listen to your child’s answer
Chapter 11
Comprehension questions
What’s the Sleeping Beauty?
Page 91 — The technique to capture 200 birds; soak raisins, cut them open, fill with some powder from a sleeping pill and sew back up; spread them out in the woods for the peasants to eat, then when they’ve fallen out of the trees asleep, go pick them up
91
Chapter 12
Comprehension questions
Was that a fair punishment Danny received for talking in school?
Page 106 — Listen to your child’s answer
106
How is beating up Danny’s teacher like poaching the pheasants?
Page 112 — Danny’s father wants to get back at both of them for doing wrong to him and his son
112
Chapter 13
Comprehension questions
Why did Danny feel like he had worms squirming around in his stomach?
Page 115 — He was nervous about the Sleeping Beauty operation that night
115
What did Danny learn about his mother in this chapter?
Page 116 — That she sewed well and made his father’s clothes; she enjoyed poaching with his father
116
Why is it so important Danny and his father leave on time for the woods?
Page 119 — So, they can arrive 25 minutes before sunset to spread out the raisins
119
Chapter 14
Comprehension questions
Tell me a time you’ve been scared like Danny.
Listen to your child’s answer.
What does the author mean when he wrote, “this was the moment of danger, the first thrill of all”?
Page 130 — To some people, they like the experiment when they’re in danger, it gives them a thrill
130
Chapter 15
Comprehension questions
Why wasn’t Danny’s father worried when a keeper saw them along the hedge?
Page 138 — They were on public property, so the Keeper couldn’t hurt them or tell them what to do
138
Why are Danny and his father waiting there?
Page 139 — For the Keepers to leave and for the birds to fall asleep
139
Chapter 16
Comprehension questions
Why was Danny’s father worried the plan wouldn’t work?
Page 143 — Birds’ instincts might not let them fall from the trees
143
What was Danny worried about when the birds were falling from the trees?
Page 149 — That a Keeper would be in the woods watching them
149
How were they to get the birds home?
Page 150 — His father hired a taxi
150
Chapter 1
Comprehension questions
Who is Danny’s father going to share the birds with?
Page 153 — Charlie the taxi driver, Doc Spencer, the village’s police officer
153
Why is Mrs. Clipstone going to deliver the birds?
Page 155 — So, Danny’s father doesn’t get caught
155
Do you agree with what Danny and his dad have done? Why, or why not?
Listen to your child’s answers.
Chapter 18
Comprehension questions
What kitchen appliances did Danny’s father want to purchase and why?
Page 158 — They didn’t have an oven or a deep freezer; to keep their 50 pheasants in and to roast them when they were ready to eat one
158
Chapter 19
Comprehension questions
How did Mrs. Clipstone deliver the babies to the station?
Page 164 — In the bottom of a baby carriage with her baby on top
164
What happened to the peasants on her way to the filling station?
Page 169 — They started waking up
169
Who do you think Danny sees at the station?
Page 172 — Mr. Hazell
172
Chapter 20
Comprehension questions
Who helped settle Mr. Hazell’s accusations and how did he do it?
Page 180 — Sergeant Samways; he ran around the station to scare the birds to fly around and into Mr. Hazell’s car; Mr. Hazell didn’t like the birds all over his car and found more birds inside
180
Chapter 21
Comprehension questions
How would you feel if you were Mrs. Clipstone’s baby?
Page 187 — Listen to your child’s answer
187
How many pheasants were left?
Page 189 — 6
189
How did the doctor grab them when the peasants were all flying away?
Page 189 — He didn’t; those 6 pheasants had more than one raisin, so they continued to sleep
189
Chapter 12
Comprehension questions
Explain how Danny felt about his dad.
Page 196 — He loved him and thought he was the best dad
196
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