About
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?
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 activity were the kids going to be doing that night?
Page 2 — A haunted hayride and going to a party
2
Who’s the Headless Horseman?
Page 4 — 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
4
Who did Dink step on after watching the mechanical headless horseman?
Page 9 — One man wearing cowboy boots with silver toes; his name was Ace
9
Chapter 2
Comprehension questions
Where were the kids sleeping?
Page 11 — In a cabin Dink’s father rented called the Haunted House
11
What popped out of the chest when Dink opened it to get a game?
Page 13 — A skeleton
13
Who did the kids see out the window?
Page 17 — The Headless Horseman
17
Chapter 3
Comprehension questions
What was suspicious about the driver of the wagon?
Page 23 — 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
23
What came out of the grave as the kids passed the cemetery?
Page 31 — A zombie
31
Who did the zombie and wagon driver end up being?
Page 34 — Police officers Klevor and Reilly
34
Chapter 4
Comprehension questions
What police officer was in charge of the pumpkin bowling?
Page 41 — Officer Reilly
41
What did Dink see as he ran after his pumpkin?
Page 44 — Two men wearing masks by the wagons and horses
44
What happened in the woods where the wagons were parked?
Page 48 — A huge fire was started
48
Chapter 5
Comprehension questions
Why did Andy think the fire started?
Page 52 — Another prank by the police
52
How did Officer Klevor know the fire was intentional?
Page 54 — There were match books on the ground
54
What happened to the policeman’s car tires?
Page 58 — They were flattened
58
Chapter 6
Comprehension questions
Why was Dink flustered?
Page 61 — He was still bothered about the two men and the flashing shoes he saw just before the fire at the wagons was started
61
How many police cruisers came to rescue the kids?
Page 64 — 4
64
Who was out in the field with the burned wagons as Dink and his friends drove away?
Page 66 — The police officer dressed up as a spaceman
66
Chapter 7
Comprehension questions
What was suspicious about the cabin when the kids were dropped off by Officer Sneke?
Page 69 — 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
69
Where was Dink’s dad?
Page 72 — Hiding in the closet dressed as a ghost
72
What did Dink realize the other man could have been who was by the wagons before they were set on fire?
Page 75 — It could have been Officer Klevor
75
Chapter 8
Comprehension questions
Where did the kids find Officer Klevor?
Page 81 — At the bank
81
What happened to Bonnie at the bank?
Page 81 — 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
81
What was inside the mechanical horse’s belly?
Page 87 — The money that was stolen from the bank
87
Chapter 9
Comprehension questions
Who did Ruth Rose call when they got stuck in the back of the truck with the mechanical horse?
Page 91 — The police; 911
91
Why did Dink want to let money out of the bags while they were driving?
Page 92 — People might see it and call the police; the driver may stop, and they could get away
92
What did the kids feel in the dark of the barn hole?
Page 100 — A body tied up
100
Chapter 10
Comprehension questions
Who did the children free while in the hole?
Page 102 — The man who was originally supposed to go pick up the mechanical horse
102
Why did Dink think his dad would call the police and come find them?
Page 104 — 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
104
Why did the kids think Bonnie was in on the bank job?
Page 107 — 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
107
Chapter 11
Comprehension questions
How did Dink reach up and lift the slat that covers the hole?
Page 112 — He stood on Hank’s shoulders
112
Why did Dink want a tin can?
Page 116 — To prop open the piece of wood
116
Why did Dink want Ruth Rose’s knife?
Page 116 — To make the tire flat
116
Chapter 12
Comprehension questions
How did Josh, Ruth Rose and Hank get out of the hole?
Page 120 — 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
120
Who came to the rescue and helped Dink out of the hole?
Page 123 — The police; Officer Klevor
123
Who ended up being the Headless Horseman the night the kids went to the party?
Page 128 — They don’t know; it’s a mystery
128
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