Tag Archives: Grades 5-6

Comprehension Questions – The BFG

The BFG

by Roald Dahl

Grades 5-6; Genre - Fantasy; GRL U; AR pts. 6.0

Kidsnatched from her orphange by a BFG (Big Friendly Giant), who spends his life blowing happy dreams to children, Sophie concocts a plan with him to save the world from nine other man-gobbling cannybull giants.

Comprehension Questions

Chapter 1

  1. Describe Sophie. She’s an orphan; isn’t supposed to get out of bed but she did to close the curtain; couldn’t sleep; curious and looked out the window p.9

Chapter 2

  1. Describe the thing Sophie saw. Very tall human like person that walked in the shadows, peeking in the second story windows; pale wrinkly face with huge ears, fierce and devilish eyes, wearing a black cloak and carried a thin trumpet p.14

Chapter 3

  1. Predict what will happen to Sophie. Listen to your child’s answer p.21

Chapter 4

  1. Describe the cave. The giant’s home; a gigantic rock blocks the opening; pitch black until the giant lit a light; gigantic with a high rocky roof; shelves on the walls filled with glass jars; a 12 foot table and chairs to match p.22

Chapter 5

  1. What good news did Sophie hear in this chapter? The giant who captured her doesn’t eat humans p.34

Chapter 6

  1. What did Sophie learn about giants in this chapter? They travel every night and eat humans p.40

Chapter 7

  1. What can the BFG hear with his marvelous ears? Dreams; plants, trees, spiders, butterflies, etc. p.50

Chapter 8

  1. Summarize this chapter. The BFG pulled out some food that he and Sophie thought was disgusting; giants aren’t born, they just appear and are only men; Sophie complimented the BFG and how he talks; he said he wouldn’t steal vegetables from gardens p.54

Chapter 9

  1. How is Sophie clever in this chapter? She hid from the Bloodbottler in the snozzcumber p.65

Chapter 10

  1. Describe frobscottle. A green fizzy drink; the bubbles go down instead of up; delicious; causes whizzpoppers (flatulence) p.72

Chapter 11

  1. Did the BFG have a good argument on page 91? Why, or why not? Listen to your child’s answer

Chapter 12

  1. Describe how the BFG captures dreams? He uses his net like a butterfly net, puts them in jars with lids p.94
  2. Why is the BFG so excited and then so upset in this chapter? He’d caught a wonderful dream, but then he caught a nightmare p.96

Chapter 13

  1. How did the BFG put the nightmare to good use? He gave it to Fleshlumpeater; he dreamt of Jack the Giant Killer p.107
  2. Why did Sophie smile that Fleshlumpeater thought the beanstalk killed giants? Jack used the beanstalk to climb up to the world of giants, not as a weapon to kill them p.108

Chapter 14

  1. Summarize one of the dreams the BFG has captured. P.120-131
  2. How has the BFG learned to write? He borrowed a human’s book p.131
  3. Predict how Sophie and the BFG will stop the other giants from eating children in England. Listen to your child’s answer p.133

Chapter 15

  1. Were you correct in your prediction? Listen to your child’s answer 
  2. Describe Sophie’s plan. The BFG will mix a dream for the Queen of England; Sophie will be on her windowsill and when she wakes up, she’ll tell her giants are real; Sophie’s hoping the queen will send her army to defeat the giants p.141

Chapter 16

  1. Why did the dream given to the queen need to be a nightmare? Giants eating children is nightmarish p.151

Chapter 17

  1. Summarize this chapter. Sophie rode in the BFG’s ear to London; they saw the giants as they ran home from their feast and Sophie was resolved to go forward with the plan; Sophie guided the BFG to the palace p.157

Chapter 18

  1. How did Sophie and the BFG find the queen’s room? The BFG can hear the difference between men and women breathing; when they looked in the room, it looked stately and Sophie recognized the queen p.168

Chapter 19

  1. Did Sophie’s plan go as she hoped? Explain. Yes; there was an article in the paper about the children disappearing and bones below the windows that supported her and the BFG p.174

Chapter 20

  1. What did the queen do to verify Sophie’s and the BFG’s story? Called the countries the giants had visited recently p.202

Chapter 21

  1. How did the BFG help solve the issue of finding the giants? He said the soldiers in the helicopters could follow him p.211

Chapter 22

  1. Summarize this chapter. The BFG led the helicopters to the giants’ land; they drove to the sleeping giants and tied them up only waking up one; Sophie stabbed him with her brooch from the queen and the BFG pretended the giant has been bit by a snake and tied him up; they loaded up all the dreams and the helicopters came to pick up the giants p.213

Chapter 23

  1. What did the queen prepare for the giants when the helicopters arrived in London? A large pit they couldn’t climb out of
  2. How did the BFG solve what would be fed the giants? He brought snozzcumbers and snozzcumbers plants to be planted p.237

Chapter 24

  1. What did you like about the conclusion of this story? Listen to your child’s answer p.239

Comprehension Questions – The Whipping Boy

The Whipping Boy

by Sid Fleischman

Grades 5-6; Genre - Fiction; GRL R; AR pts. 2.0

A bratty prince and his whipping boy have many adventures when they inadvertently trade places.

Phrases

  • Mad enough to spit ink p.1
  • Puts my spine a-shiver p.23
  • Catchpenny rogues p.25
  • It’s me that’s in the soup p.39
  • Knockin’ about outside the castle walls p.49
  • Sweat and stew p.49
  • As close as a cow’s tail p.75

Comprehension Questions

Chapter 1

  1. What’s the purpose of a whipping boy? It is forbidden to whip a prince, so a boy is found on the streets and brought into the castle to be whipped when the prince is in trouble p.2

Chapter 2

  1. Why did the whipping boy learn to read, write and do sums when the prince learned nothing? Jemmy needed to be close by when the prince took his lessons p.6

Chapter 3

  1. Why was Jemmy worried to run away with the prince? He knew he’d be whipped when they were caught p.8

Chapter 4

  1. What’s happening at the end of this chapter? The boys were getting kidnapped p.11

Chapter 5

  1. Why didn’t Jemmy want the prince to tell the men who he was? They’d hold them for ransom p.13

Chapter 6

  1. Describe the kidnappers. Cutwater and Hold-Your-Nose Billy; Billy smelled of garlic, was big, thick, and loud with red hair; Cutwater was tall and thin p.18
  2. Why is Billy nicknamed, Hold-Your-Nose Billy? He smelled of garlic

Chapter 7

  1. What do you think Jemmy’s plan is? Listen to your child’s answer

Chapter 8

  1. What was untrue in the letter Jemmy wrote? He signed it, “your obedient son”; the prince isn’t obedient p.26

Chapter 9

  1. Who’s the whipping boy now? The prince p.28
  2. How’s Jemmy going to free the prince? Sending the “whipping boy” to the castle with the note p.29

Chapter 10

  1. What decision did the prince make to fowl up Jemmy’s plan? He refused to go to the castle p.32

Chapter 11

  1. Who was to deliver the note since Prince Brat won’t? The horse p.38

Chapter 12

  1. Describe the prince. Selfish, not very clever or smart; won’t learn to read or write p.40

Chapter 13

  1. How did the boys escape? Jemmy ran with Cutwater chasing him; a bear distracted Cutwater so Jemmy could hide; the prince found Jemmy p.41 

Chapter 14

  1. Why didn’t the prince want to go back to the castle? His dad doesn’t notice him; he doesn’t want to get in trouble; he likes the freedom p.49

Chapter 15

  1. Who did the boys run into again? Hold-Your-Nose Billy and Cutwater p.54

Chapter 16

  1. Why didn’t Jemmy get satisfaction when the prince was whipped? The prince became his friend p.58

Chapter 17

  1. How is the prince’s character growing and developing? He took a whipping and didn’t cry out; he’s being called brave; he’s not being selfish; he didn’t turn in Jemmy p.61

Chapter 18

  1. What did the prince learn at the fair? That his subjects didn’t like him and dreaded the day he’d become king p.69
  2. What did Jemmy learn? The king blamed him for the prince’s disappearance and has a reward for whoever brings him in, dead or alive p.73

Chapter 19

  1. How has the relationship between the two boys changed from when they first ran away? At first, they didn’t care what happened to each other, now they are becoming friends and respect and trust each other p.77

Chapter 20

  1. How does this story end? Betsy and captain Nips get the reward, the prince promises to do his lessons, behave himself and blow out his night candle; Jemmy stays in the castle and gets acknowledged for helping the prince; Billy and Cutwater get put on a ship to go to an island for prisoners p.87

Comprehension Questions – Number the Stars

Number the Stars

by Lois Lowry

Grades 5-6; Genre - Fiction; GRL U; AR pts: 4.0

As German troops begin their campaign to "relocate" all the Jews of Denmark, 10-year-old Annemarie Johansen's family takes in Annemarie's best friend, Ellen Rosen, and conceals her by pretending she's part of the family. Then, through Annemarie's eyes, readers watch as the Danish Resistance smuggles almost the entire Jewish population of Denmark — nearly 7,000 people — across the sea to Sweden.

Comprehension Questions

Chapter 1

  1. What’s the setting of this story? Copenhagen, Denmark during WWII p.1
  2. How long has Denmark been occupied by the Germans? 3 years p.3
  3. Why did the encounter with the soldiers scare Annemarie and Ellen? The soldiers had guns and spoke harshly p.5

Chapter 2

  1. Who are the king’s bodyguards? All of Denmark p.14
  2. Why didn’t King Christian want to fight the Nazis? He knew his army would have been crushed p.15
  3. Who is Peter and what’s his relation to Annemarie? Her sister’s fiancé before she passed away; he had been like a brother to her, but is always in a hurry now and only talks to her mama and papa p.17

Chapter 3

  1. Why were the girls puzzled when they saw the Hirsch’s button shop closed?  The store was usually open and they had seen Mrs. Hirsch recently p.20
  2. What did Peter bring the two girls? seashells p.23
  3. Why was Annemarie worried about Ellen’s family? They were Jewish and the soldiers p.24

Chapter 4

  1. Why are Kirsti’s new shoes made out of fish skin? With the Germans occupying their country, they can’t get leather p.28
  2. Why do the Rosens need to go into hiding? The Nazis were arresting all the Jews p.36
  3. How were the Johansen’s going to hide Ellen? They will pretend that Ellen is Annemarie’s sister p.37

Chapter 5

  1. What was Ellen wearing that would have given her away to the soldier? a Star of David necklace p.45
  2. Why did the officer suspect Ellen? She had dark hair and Annemarie and her sister have blond p.47
  3. How did Papa prove to the soldiers that Ellen was a part of their family? Lise had dark hair as a baby and he showed them her photograph p.47

Chapter 6

  1. Why did Mrs. Johansen want to take the girls to her brothers by herself? It would look suspicious if they left the apartment together p.51
  2. Why were Annemarie and her mother nervous when Kirsti spoke to the soldier on the train? They thought she would give them all away p.55
  3. How did the soldier try and trick them? He asked if they were celebrating the New Year p.55

Chapter 7

  1. Why didn’t Annemarie’s mom want the girls talking to anyone? It would be hard to explain who Ellen is p.63
  2. Why did Annemarie take Ellen to the ocean? Ellen had never seen it before p.63
  3. When listening to her mother and uncle, what did Annemarie notice was different? There was no laughter p.66

Chapter 8

  1. Why did Annemarie’s mom say her Uncle Henrik needed a wife? He needed someone to take care of him and clean his house p.70
  2. Who had died? Great-aunt Birte p.72
  3. Why was her death puzzling to Annemarie? She didn’t have a Great-aunt Birte p.72

Chapter 9

  1. Why did Annemarie’s mother and uncle lie to her? To help her be brave by not telling her everything p.76
  2. Why did Annemarie decide not to tell Ellen? So Ellen could be brave by not knowing everything p.78
  3. Who did Peter bring with him to Uncle Henrik’s for the funeral? Ellen’s parents p.81

Chapter 10

  1. Who came during the funeral? Soldiers p.83
  2. Why didn’t the soldiers want Mama to open the casket? Annemarie’s mama said their aunt died of Typhus p.85
  3. Where does the title of this book come from and what does it mean? The Book of Psalms; God numbers each of his children as the stars in the sky and knows them all p.87

Chapter 11

  1. What was inside the casket? Blankets and clothes p.88
  2. Why did the people need clothes and blankets? to keep warm while they traveled across the sea to Sweden p.89
  3. Why did Peter give the baby medicine? To make her sleepy to she wouldn’t cry p.90

Chapter 12

  1. How long did Annemarie think her mother would be gone? 1 hour p.97
  2. Why was Annemarie worried when she woke up? Her mother hadn’t returned and it was getting light outside p.98
  3. What did Annemarie see on the trail outside? Her mother in a heap p.100

Chapter 13

  1. What happened to Annemarie’s mother on the way back from the harbor? She broke her ankle p.102
  2. What had fallen out of Mr. Rosen’s pocket? The packet Peter had given him to give to Uncle Henrik p.104
  3. Why did Annemarie hide the packet under food in a basket? In case she ran into soldiers, and it would be hidden p.105

Chapter 14

  1. Why did Annemarie need to hurry to the harbor? She needed to get the packet to her uncle before he left p.106
  2. What story did Annemarie think of while she was running to the boat? Little Red Riding-Hood p.107
  3. What was in front of Annemarie at the end of this chapter? Four armed soldiers and two large dogs p.112

Chapter 15

  1. Who did Annemarie mimic when she was conversing with the soldiers? Kirsti p.113
  2. What was in the package? A handkerchief p.117
  3. Why did Henrik reassure Annemarie when she looked in the cabin of the boat? She couldn’t see any of the people that were trying to escape p.119

Chapter 16

  1. What’s Uncle Henrik’s definition of brave? Not thinking about the dangers, but what you must do p.123
  2. What’s the resistance? A group of people who are fighting against the Germans (in this situation) p.123
  3. Why was the handkerchief important? It made the dogs lose their sense of smell so they couldn’t find the people hiding on the boat p.125

Chapter 17

  1. How did Peter die? The Germans caught him and he was executed p.129
  2. How did Lise die? She was run over by the Nazis p.130
  3. Where did Annemarie hide Ellen’s necklace? In her sister’s trunk p.131