The Fort
About
The morning after Hurricane Leo rips through the town of Canaan, friends exploring the widespread destruction discover an underground bomb shelter. Text has violence, physical abuse, criminal activity, bullying & references to substance abuse. Themes include ableism.
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
Describe Evan Donnelly.
Page 1 — He has an older brother and they live with his grandparents because their parents went to drug rehab; his brother has a friend who is not a good influence; Evan’s in 8th grade and his town was just hit with a hurricane; he and his friends are checking to see if the fort made it through the storm
1
Who’s Ricky?
Another boy who’s house was hit with a tree during the storm and is staying at Evan’s for the day while it gets fixed.
Chapter 2
Comprehension questions
Who is telling the story in this chapter?
Page 9 — Mitchell Worth
9
How do you know?
Page 9 — the chapter is named after him
9
Predict what Ricky and Evan found.
Page 15 — Listen to your child’s answer
15
Chapter 3
Comprehension questions
What is clever about the author’s writing style?
Page 16 — Each chapter is told through a different character’s eyes
16
Were you correct in your prediction from Chapter 2?
Listen to your child’s answer
Why do the boys feel they can claim the bomb shelter as their own?
Page 23 — The guy who built it is dead; no one else knows about it
23
Chapter 4
Comprehension questions
Why does C.J. purposely crash and hurt himself on his bike?
Page 28 — He needed a stunt to cover up how he really got hurt, which was on his skateboard on a railing at the library and crashing after trying not to hit an older woman
28
Chapter 5
Comprehension questions
How is Jason different from the other boys he is friends with?
Page 32 — He has a girlfriend
32
Why is everyone worried to eat the food at the fort?
Page 38 — It’s 40 years old
38
Would you eat it?
Listen to your child’s answer
Chapter 6
Comprehension questions
How was Ricky a good friend to Evan today?
Page 46 — Evan’s brother Luke and his friend Jaeger wanted Evan to steal money from a business owner; as Evan got near the cash register, Ricky came in the door and gave Evan a reason to leave
46
Why is Evan worried about his brother?
Page 50 — He makes bad choices when he’s around Jaeger and begins to act like their parents
50
Chapter 7
Comprehension questions
What does Ricky realize about his new friend group?
Page 56 — They don’t need him to have fun or really care if he’s part of their group
56
Chapter 8
Comprehension questions
What did C.J. and Mitchell learn in this chapter?
Page 63 — That the utensils from the fort are real silver
63
Why are the utensils black?
Page 63 — As silver ages over time, it turns black
63
Chapter 9
Comprehension questions
How is Ricky proving himself to his new friends?
Page 67 — He is quick to think, got them $85 for the fork at the pawn shop and helped Mitchell when he was in trouble; he is showing them that he is a good friend
67
Chapter 10
Comprehension questions
What heavy responsibility does Jason need to worry about that is too much for an eighth grader?
Page 74 — His divorced parents put him in difficult situations where he has to explain his family situation to police
74
Chapter 11
Comprehension questions
Why doesn’t Marcus and C.J.’s mom want the police to be called?
Page 80 — Marcus hurts C.J., that’s why C.J. is hurt all the time
80
Chapter 12
Comprehension questions
Do you agree with Ricky’s response to Luke and Jaeger’s question about the woods? Why, or why not?
Page 89 — Listen to your child’s answer
89
What should Ricky tell them about the Fort, the money and the snacks?
Listen to your child’s answer
Chapter 13
Comprehension questions
Explain why Evan covered for Jaeger when grandma asked about the broken ceramic doll?
Page 101 — He didn’t know what Jaeger would do if Grandma called the police; he’s worried something bad will happen to her
101
Chapter 14
Comprehension questions
Describe what happened in this chapter.
Page 101 — C.J. and his parents go to a hockey game. Marcus, his stepdad, gets angry and hurts his mom and C.J. They get in the car and Marcus is upset, ashamed and apologizes, promising to never do it again
101
Does C.J. believe Marcus’s promise? Why, or why not?
Page 108 — No. Because this is a cycle that repeats itself because Marcus won’t get help
108
Chapter 15
Comprehension questions
How is Mitchell watering his ex-therapist’s herb garden and why?
Page 117 — Peeing on it because he is angry at him. He can’t receive help because his mom lost their insurance when she was laid off
117
Do you agree that Mitchell should be doing this? Why, or why not?
Listen to your child’s answer
Chapter 16
Comprehension questions
Why does C.J. feel stuck in his home situation?
Page 122 — He can’t call the police because his mom will deny what Marcus is doing and she will defend him
122
Explain why this is unhealthy for her and C.J. to stay in this situation?
Page 122 — It’s protecting a man who deserves to be in jail and shows her son that her abusing husband is more important than him and her
122
Chapter 17
Comprehension questions
Why does Luke think Jaeger is good for him to be around?
Page 125 — Makes him tough and Luke thinks Jaeger has good ideas; he feels rejected by his grandma
125
How did Luke and Jaeger manipulate Mitchell and why?
Page 129 — They told him they would tell the police how he peed on the therapist’s garden and that his mom would need to pay attorney fees to keep him out of juvenile detention; to get him to tell them where they are getting the money from
129
Chapter 18
Comprehension questions
Jason finds himself in real trouble with his girlfriend and possibly the police. Do you agree that he should talk?
Page 137 — Listen to your child’s answer
137
Chapter 19
Comprehension questions
Name one characteristic C.J.
Page 138 — showed in this chapter and explain. Courage for standing up to his mom; sadness because he misses her and he’s sad about the situation they’re in; determination to not put up with an unhealthy and abusive situation; irritation because Ricky is watching him very closely etc.
138
Chapter 20
Comprehension questions
What is Mitchell avoiding and why?
Page 150 — His friends and the Fort; He doesn’t want to tell his friends that Luke and Jaeger are blackmailing him; he also doesn’t want the Luke and Jaeger to follow him to the Fort
150
Chapter 21
Comprehension questions
What is one of the perks to Janelle knowing about the Fort?
Page 157 — She will help it get cleaned
157
Chapter 22
Comprehension questions
How did Ricky figure out what is happening with C.J.?
Page 160 — He saw Marcus at Home Depot and how he behaved to an employee he supervised; he also connected the other details he’s observed about C.J.’s behavior
160
Chapter 23
Comprehension questions
How did the friends support C.J.?
Page 173 — They believed Ricky when he told them his suspicions and they caught him staying at the Fort and didn’t let him be alone. They showed him know they were there for him
173
Chapter 24
Comprehension questions
Summarize this chapter.
Page 175 — C.J.’s friends are helping him out and as he heads back to the Fort to sleep one night, he sees Luke and Jaeger; they follow him, but he loses them when he gets knocked down by a branch. He hears their car leave and he is able to go to the Fort
175
Chapter 25
Comprehension questions
How did Ricky help Mitchell feel better in this chapter?
Page 191 — They helped him understand that Luke and Jaeger can’t black mail him because Jaeger won’t go to the police
191
Chapter 26
Comprehension questions
C.J.’s mom did a very courageous thing in this chapter. What is it and what could be the negative consequences of it.
Page 196 — She packed her bag and decided to leave Marcus. Marcus could kill her and C.J.
196
Chapter 27
Comprehension questions
Explain Ricky’s status with the four friends and if he is being accepted by them.
Page 203 — He’s able to hang around them since he found the Fort. It’s taken time, but he’s slowly gaining each person’s respect through his good ideas, his loyalty, and the initiative he’s shown
203
List one characteristic Ricky has shown to gain their respect.
Page 204 — Ingenuity; courage; initiative; respectful; stands up for himself; confidence
204
Chapter 28
Comprehension questions
Have you been in a situation you didn’t want anyone to know about? Explain. Can you relate to Evan and C.J.?
Page 206 — Listen to your child’s answer
206
Chapter 29
Comprehension questions
How does Janelle handle Luke and Jaeger?
Page 212 — She threatens to call her dad who’s a policeman
212
Why does that stop the older boys?
Page 212 — They don’t want to get any attention from a police officer because they are consistently breaking the law
212
Chapter 30
Comprehension questions
What is the consequence of C.J.’s mom not turning off the location finder on her phone?
Page 216 — Marcus finds them in the bunker
216
Are you surprised that Marcus would lose his cool in front of C.J.’s friends?
Listen to your child’s answer
Chapter 31
Comprehension questions
Summarize this chapter.
Page 218 — As Jason and Janelle get to the Fort the hatch is open; Luke and Jaeger pounce on them and go into the Fort with Jason; Janelle finds her phone and calls 9-1-1; Marcus grabs Jaeger by the throat and Jaeger pulls out his pocket knife and stabs Marcus; Marcus lets him go and drops to the ground but Jaeger won’t let anyone call an ambulance; the police arrive and arrest Jaeger and take Marcus to the hospital
218
Chapter 32
Comprehension questions
What does Mitchell come clean with in this chapter?
Page 231 — That he peed on the herbs the spaghetti is made with
231
Chapter 33
Comprehension questions
Why is the white flower blooming in the cactus symbolic at the end of this story?
Page 238 — It shows that hard things can be beautiful; these friends have struggled to accept each other, stand by each other and have grown together. What a beautiful way to end the story. As their friendship strengthens and blooms, so did this flower. It can also symbolize that times in life can be difficult, but by working together and supporting each other, they can be overcome
238
What did you like about this story?
Listen to your child’s answer
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Worksheets
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