About
While attending a strict academy for potential princesses with the other girls from her mountain village, fourteen-year-old Miri discovers unexpected talents and connections to her homeland.
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 14 — High in the mountains; Mount Eskel; at a rock quarry; in autumn
14
What message did the king’s messenger give the village?
Page 22 — The next princess is to come from Mount Eskel and the prince will come and choose a bride; a princess academy will be created to prepare all girls ages 12-17
22
Chapter 2
Comprehension questions
Why did the announcement upset the village?
Page 25 — Work in the quarry will be limited with the girls gone; the mood is heavy at the thought of sending their girls
25
Chapter 3
Comprehension questions
Why does Miri wonder if her papa misses her?
Page 47 — He doesn’t use words to express himself; he allowed her to go to the princess academy and didn’t fight to keep her home
47
Why are the girls nervous to speak during dinner?
Page 47 — Olana might punish them
47
Chapter 4
Comprehension questions
What changed Miri’s attitude about the academy and why did she want to be the academy princess?
Page 61 — The silver dress; She was tired of being belittled and wanted to prove that she was just as good as any lowlander
61
Chapter 5
Comprehension questions
Why do the other girls hate Miri?
Page 67 — She was sassy to Olana and made everyone miss the last opportunity to go home before winter; she has risen to the top of the class and the girls are jealous
67
Chapter 6
Comprehension questions
How did Gerti know Miri was in the closet?
Page 76 — The communication of quarry-speech; Miri sang a quarry song
76
Chapter 7
Comprehension questions
What did Miri work on in this chapter?
Page 75 — Quarry-speech
75
Describe Britta’s reaction when Miri asked her to go for a walk?
Page 83 — Surprised, thankful, happy
83
What incentive did Olana give the girls to work harder?
Page 87 — She showed them a picture of a beautiful home the family of the princess would move into
87
Chapter 8
Comprehension questions
What did Miri learn in this chapter?
Page 102 — That one block of linder, only found on her mountain, was worth 1 gold; now when the village traded, they’d know how much to trade for
102
Chapter 9
Comprehension questions
What did Miri realize she needed to do with the other girls?
Page 111 — Find common ground to build friendships
111
What was quarry-speech built on?
Page 112 — Memories
112
Why would these two things go hand in hand?
Page 112 — As you build friendships, you make memories
112
Chapter 10
Comprehension questions
What was the outcome of the test?
Page 115 — Everyone failed but Miri and Katar
115
Then why were all the girls walking home for the spring festival?
Page 118 — Miri used quarry-speech to tell all the girls to get up and run out
118
Chapter 11
Comprehension questions
What are the poems at the beginning of each chapter?
Page 123 — Quarry-speech phrases
123
Why were the villagers uncertain about Miri’s idea?
Page 139 — It was new to them; they didn’t have a knowledge about trading gold and silver
139
Chapter 12
Comprehension questions
Predict what Olana will do when the girls return to the academy.
Listen to your child’s answer
Predict what Miri will do to help her sister.
Listen to your child’s answer
Chapter 13
Comprehension questions
Were you correct in your prediction? How did the girls get Olana to take them back?
Page 153 — They used the rules of Diplomacy
153
Chapter 14
Comprehension questions
Summarize how Miri’s mother died and how learning this helped her.
Page 174 — She was pregnant with Miri and was breaking a stone in the quarry; the stone slipped and knocked her down a steep side of the mountain; Miri was born that night, but her mother wouldn’t stop bleeding and died; she understood why her father wouldn’t let her in to the quarry; she now knew that her father thought of her mother every time he looked at her
174
Chapter 15
Comprehension questions
How had the academy changed the entire village?
Page 180 — With the knowledge of the value of linder blocks, they now had gold; they were able to purchase more food and other necessities; other traders came to the village
180
Chapter 16
Comprehension questions
Do you think it was right for Miri and the other girls to quarry-speech the answers to each other? Why, or why not?
Page 187 — Listen to your child’s answer
187
Who won the academy princess title?
Page 193 — Miri
193
What did Miri learn about Katar?
Page 195 — She also felt alone and unloved; doesn’t like herself; they’re very similar
195
Chapter 17
Comprehension questions
What idea did Esa have?
Page 202 — That everyone be happy for whoever is chosen by the prince
202
Why wasn’t Britta at the ball?
Page 202 — She came down with an illness
202
Describe the interaction between the prince and Miri.
Page 217 — They danced and later he asked her to walk with him; she asked him why he was there; he relaxed and told her that he felt a lot of pressure; they joked with each other and laughed; he complimented her
217
Chapter 19
Comprehension questions
Why did Pedar turn and run home?
Page 228 — He was angry at Miri for wanting to be chosen as the princess
228
Predict why Esa spoke with quarry-speech and told Miri to run.
Listen to your child’s answer
Chapter 20
Comprehension questions
Summarize this chapter.
Page 231 — Bandits captured the girls, Olana and Knut; they were asking who the new princess is and they all said they had been chosen; the bandits were perplexed and decided to take them all for ransom
231
Chapter 21
Comprehension questions
Do you think Peder got the message? Why, or why not?
Listen to your child’s answer
Chapter 22
Comprehension questions
Did Miri’s plan to escape work?
Page 265 — No, as the girls ran to the villagers outside the building, the bandits captured them
265
Chapter 23
Comprehension questions
How did Miri escape Dan the bandit?
Page 275 — She used quarry-speech to communicate with Peder to veer Dan toward the cliff; she used the hawk in her pocket to stab Dan’s hand and he let her go; she dropped off the cliff and landed on the ledge, but Dan grabbed her foot; Miri’s dad hit Dan in the head with his mallet, making him let go and fall to his death
275
Chapter 24
Comprehension questions
What would you choose if you were Miri? Becoming a princess or staying in the village? Why?
Listen to your child’s answer
Chapter 25
Comprehension questions
Summarize the conclusion of this story.
Page 294 — Britta was chosen by the Prince, they were childhood friends and loved each other; Miri purchased some books from Olana and was given the painting of the cottage; Peder and Miri walked home holding hands
294
What did you enjoy about this book?
Listen to your child’s answer
Downloads
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Worksheets
Practice sheets with space to write your answers.
Download one reading section
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