The Panda Puzzle
by Ron Roy
Grades 2-5; Genre - Mystery; GRL N; AR pts: 1.0
There's pandemonium in Green Lawn! The town is building a new park for a panda and her baby. But as soon as the pandas arrive, the baby is stolen! All the panda-nappers want in return is a million dollars...Can Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose collar the culprits before Green Lawn has to cough up the cash?
Comprehension Questions
Chapter 1
- What did the kids come to the petting
zoo to see? A mama panda and her baby p.1 - What strange behavior did Ping show
while the crowd was outside her cage? She ran into the fence p.6 - What’s missing from the panda cave? The
baby panda, Winnie p.8
Chapter 2
- What did the kidnappers want in
exchange for Winnie? A million dollars p.11 - What did Pal find the in the bamboo
forest? a fishing knife p.13 - Why would the kidnapper have a knife?
To cut down bamboo stalks to feed Winnie p.14
Chapter 3
- Why do the kids watch Ruth Rose’s
video at the petting zoo? It might give them ideas who stole the panda p.19 - Who does Ruth Rose think suspects are?
Irene Napper, Flip Frances, or Tom Steele; the people standing by the
microphone p.21
Chapter 4
- Why did the three kids want to
interview each of the three people that stood by the microphone? To try and
get some answers p.23 - What was Irene doing when the kids found
her in the park? Feeding the ducks p.24 - Who has a key to Ping’s gate? Only
Irene p.28
Chapter 5
- Why does Josh think Irene kidnapped Winnie?
She has large hands p.31 - Why does Josh think Tom Steele did
it? He has a cut on his hand that could have been from Winnie and has a
fishing pole p.37 & 38 - What was another clue Ruth Rose saw
on Tom’s desk? There were newspapers all cut up; the ransom note was put
together from newspaper clippings p.38
Chapter 6
- Where did the kids find Flip? At the
fitness center p.40 - What made Josh think the kidnapper
was Flip? He was great at doing flips; he would have easily been able to get
over the fence of the panda enclosure p.45 - What’s another clue Flip could have kidnapped
Winnie? He fishes p.46
Chapter 7
- What piece was missing when the twins
were completing a puzzle together? The baby grizzly bear’s face p.50 - What did Ruth Rose realize they should
be looking for? Winnie, not the person who took her p.51 - Why did the kids think the fitness
center would be a good hiding place for Winnie? It’s smelly and loud p.53
Chapter 8
- What did the kids find when they
slipped into the unmarked door? A wooden staircase p.60 - What explained the sounds of thunder
they heard? The bowling alley was on the other side of the wall p.62 - What did the kids find under the mat
they were sitting on? A trap door p.64
Chapter 9
- Who was in the room under the trap
door? Winnie p.66 - How did the kids get locked in that
room? Someone shut the door and locked it p.66 - What did the kids find that may help
them get out of the coal room? A coal chute that leads to the outside p.71
Chapter 10
- How did the kids break the wood that
blocked the chute? Dink found a shovel p.72 - Why did the boys choose Ruth Rose to
go get the police? she was the smallest to fit in the chute p.76 - How did the boys find Winnie? She crawled
up into Josh’s lap p.78
Chapter 11
- What is Flip’s consequence for kidnapping
Winnie? Community service p.83 - What did the kids suggest could be
Flip’s community service? Free gymnastics lessons for kids; do exercises with
the old people in the senior center p.83 - How did Officer Fallon treat the kids
for solving the mystery? He bought them ice cream cones p.85