Category Archives: Abby Klein

Comprehension Questions – Ready, Freddy! Thanksgiving Turkey Trouble

Thanksgiving Turkey Trouble

by Abby Klein

Grades PreK-3; Genre - Fiction; GRL N; AR pts: 1.0

Freddy's Thresher's first-grade class is doing a Thanksgiving play, and Freddy wants to have a really cool part. Will he get to be an Indian, or will Thanksgiving end up being nothing but big trouble onstage?

Comprehension Questions

Chapter 1

  1. Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving? It’s the Pilgrims first harvest in the New World in October 1621
  2. What are three things you’re thankful for? Encourage and listen to your child
  3. What was the class going to get to perform for the parents and how will they get their parts? A play; the parts will go in a hat and each person will choose p.18

Chapter 2

  1. What made Freddy so excited that he danced around the dinner table? His grandparents were coming for Thanksgiving p.20
  2. What’s the worst part Freddy could get in the play? the Thanksgiving turkey p.26
  3. What part in the play does Freddy hope to get? An Indian p.27

Chapter 3

  1. How did Freddy feel about Jessie when she stood up to Max? He thought she was brave and wanted to be like her p.32
  2. What was Max’s consequence for teasing Chloe? He was to go to time-out and have last pick for his part p.34
  3. What part in the play did Freddy get? The turkey p.38

Chapter 4

  1. Why was Freddy lucky to get to be the turkey for the play? It’s the symbol of Thanksgiving and is a very important part of the play p.40
  2. What part did Jessie get and how did she feel about it? The Indian princess; she was happy because the princess was brave p.42
  3. How was Jessie a friend to Freddy on the bus home from school? Max was making fun of Freddy for being the turkey and she told him to stop and that she knew karate p.44

Chapter 5

  1. How did Freddy’s mom know that something was wrong after school? He usually goes to the kitchen after school for a snack, but instead he went to his room and hid under his covers p.50
  2. What did Freddy decide to do so he wouldn’t have to be in the play? Run away from home until after Thanksgiving p.51
  3. How did Freddy’s mom find his packed suitcase? She tripped on the handle p.56

Chapter 6

  1. How would Suzie have felt if Freddy ran away? Really sad p.63
  2. What did Freddy give Suzie to keep his secret of taking a family picture off his mom’s dresser? his golden-dollar coin p.65

Chapter 7

  1. What advice did Papa Dave give Freddy about running away? Running away doesn’t solve anyone’s problems, people have to face them head on p.68
  2. What was Papa Dave’s reason for the turkey being the best part of the play? The turkey will be the most remembered because its different and being different is good p.70
  3. What advice did Freddy receive from his grandpa about Max bullying him? Show Max that he’s proud to be turkey and to wobble, flap his wings and gobble until Max runs away p.70

Chapter 8

  1. Where did Freddy’s mom find his hood for the play? In the bathroom laundry hamper p.74
  2. What made Freddy run out of the room and hide in the supply closet? The kids in the class were laughing at him as he put on his costume p.77
  3. How did the principal help Freddy feel better about being the turkey? He told Freddy about his part in a play in first grade. He was a piece of trash and stole the show by dancing and by being the best piece of trash anybody had ever seen p.83

Comprehension Questions – Ready, Freddy! Don’t Sit on My Lunch!

Don't Sit on My Lunch!

by Abby Klein

Grades PreK-3; Genre - Fiction; GRL L; AR pts: 1.0

Freddy Thresher knows that Max Sellars is the biggest, meanest bully in the whole first grade. The best way to get along with Max is to stay out of his way. He'll push you, he'll punch you, he'll sit on your lunch! So is Freddy crazy to think he can beat out Max and get the one open spot on the hockey team? Now Freddy's friend Jessie has to get him into shape...if it's the last thing she does!

Comprehension Questions

Chapter 1

  1. What did Jessie have that Max wanted? A jersey p.12
  2. What sport does Jessie play? Ice Hockey p.13
  3. What’s a bully? A person who seeks to harm or intimidate others p.14

Chapter 2

  1. How did Freddy’s mom react when he told her he wanted to play hockey? She screamed that no child of hers would play hockey; she was really upset p.20
  2. How did Freddy’s dad convince his mom that playing hockey would be good for Freddy? It would help his hand eye coordination; he would learn about sportsmanship; its good exercise p.23

Chapter 3

  1. Why did Jessie call Freddy? To invite him over after school to practice hockey in the parking lot p.30
  2. How did Suzie treat Freddy when he was talking to Jessie on the phone? She teased him, sang the kissing song to him p.31
  3. What did Freddy’s dad do in response to her teasing? He sent her to her room, like sending a hockey player to the penalty box p.34

Chapter 4

  1. How did Max bully Freddy at lunch? He sat on his lunch sack and smushed his lunch p.36
  2. Why didn’t Jessie think Max would be good at hockey? He wasn’t a team player p.39
  3. How did Max get sent to the time-out table? He broke Chloe’s chopstick and she called over Miss Becky the lunch helper, and explained how Max had been a bully p.44

Chapter 5

  1. Who watches Jessie after school while her mother is at work? Her grandmother p.46
  2. What snack did Jessie and Freddy have after school? Tamales p.47
  3. What did Jessie teach Freddy, as she helped him prepare for the hockey tryouts? He needed to get used to people coming at him; how to hold the stick; how to hit the puck to shoot, pass and make a goal p.51

Chapter 6

  1. Why did Freddy need to apologize to Suzie? He was showing his dad how to shoot a puck using a knife and mashed potatoes and flicked mashed potatoes into Suzie’s face p.56
  2. Why was Freddy so upset that his family thought Jessie was his girlfriend? It was embarrassing to him; she wasn’t his girlfriend and just a friend p.64
  3. What was Freddy’s nickname and why is it a good hockey name? Mouse; because mice move quickly, they can move easily in and out of tight spots, and they almost never get caught p.66

Chapter 7

  1. Define what bragging means and how does it make you feel when someone else is bragging? To talk boastfully; it can make you feel bad p.67
  2. What did Chloe’s mom teach her to do when Max was bullying her? Ignore him p.69
  3. What did Freddy bet Max? His snack and dessert for a week p.68

Chapter 8

  1. Name Freddy’s two good luck charms? His shark tooth and great white shark underwear p.73
  2. How did Suzie help Freddy the morning of the tryouts? She made a pinky swear that she wouldn’t tell their mom about Freddy wearing his lucky underwear when they were dirty and let Freddy use her lucky penny p.78

Chapter 9

  1. Whose team was Freddy on during tryouts? Max’s p.80
  2. Why was it important for Freddy to skate down to the goal when Max had the puck? If the puck didn’t go into the goal, he could pick up the rebound; he picked up the rebound and when Max passed the puck to him, he made a goal and they won the game p.83
  3. Who made the hockey team? Freddy and Max p.88

Comprehension Questions – Ready, Freddy! Halloween Fraidy-Cat

Halloween Fraidy-Cat

By Abby Klein

Grades PreK-3; Genre – Fiction; GRL N; AR pts: 1.0

Join Freddy and his friends for another 1st grade adventure! The eighth in the popular series by an elementary school teacher who's seen it all.

Since Freddy is in the first grade, he should be old enough to go to a Halloween party without his parents. When a ghostly howl terrifies Freddy and all of his friends at the party, can Freddy find the courage to save the day?

Comprehension Questions

Chapter 1

What did Chloe invite everyone in the class to? A Halloween party p.9 

What does Freddy like to dress up as for Halloween? Different kinds of sharks p.14

How does Freddy feel about scary stuff? He doesn’t like it; he’s worried he’ll get nightmares for months if he sees something scary p.19

Chapter 2

What does it mean to be a “fraidy-cat”? someone who is easily scared p.22

Where does Freddy’s shark costume come from every year? His mom makes it p.29

How did Freddy behave so his family would support him going to the party? Pretended to not be scared p.30

Chapter 3

What did Suzie want to be for Halloween? Frankenstein’s bride p.34

What was on the wall that scared Freddy? Scary masks p.36

What did Freddy decide to be after going to the costume store? A shark p.40

Chapter 4

What type of figurative language is “scare the pants off you” and what does it really mean? Idiom; you frightened me very badly p.43

What game did Max love? Bobbing for apples p.46

Why did Max threaten Freddy? Freddy made a comment about Max’s mouth being big, so Max told Freddy he’d be sorry for saying that and to wait until the party p.48

Chapter 5

What always helped Freddy feel better? Rubbing his lucky shark tooth p.50

How was Suzie a good sister in this chapter? She helped Freddy find his lucky shark tooth p.52

How did Freddy whisper to himself when looking at himself in the mirror with the costume on? That he was a big, tough shark p.57

Chapter 6

What characteristic did Freddy have as he went to the party even though he was scared? Courage p.59

Who did he hold hands with and why? Jesse because she wasn’t scared of anything p.61

Describe the Halloween party. Dracula and Frankenstein were there; Dracula let the children into a room with skeletons and ghosts floating around; another room full of coffins with zombies coming out and screaming; a room full of jars the children had to put their hands in that felt that eyeballs, brains and worms; a room with bats flying around; games p.62

Chapter 7

What game did Max challenge Freddy at? Bobbing for apples p.70

What helped Freddy not be afraid during the contest? Max calling him a fraidy-cat; pretending he was a shark p.75

Who won the contest? Freddy p.76

Chapter 8

What noise did the children hear coming from the basement? An eerie noise p.80

Who went downstairs to check it out? Max and Freddy p.81

Summarize what happened when Max and Freddy went downstairs? Max was so scared he couldn’t move and Freddy went to go check out what the noise was and found a kitten p.84

What was Freddy’s response to Max being a fraidy-cat? Freddy was very kind and didn’t tell any of the other kids and in fact told them that Max and he saved the cat together p.86