Danny, the Champion of the World

by Roald Dahl

Grades 4-6; Genre - Fiction; GRL T; AR pts: 6.0

A young English boy describes his relationship with his father and the special adventure they share together.

Comprehension Questions

Chapter 1 

1. What’s the setting of this story? Danny’s home in England at a gas station p.3

Chapter 2

1. Describe Danny’s father. Funny, hard worker, eyes would smile, loving, storyteller p.8
2. Describe the BFG. Big friendly giant; made up character in father’s stories; 3x’s as tall as an ordinary man; hands as large as wheelbarrows; lived in a vast underground cavern; only comes outside when it’s dark; powder factory where he would make magic powder out of children’s dreams; great sense of hearing; catches good and bad dreams; makes dreams turn real p.9

Chapter 3

1. Use examples from the story to describe how Danny feels about his father. He loves him and loves spending time with him; his dad walked to and from school; he helped him make a kite, fire cannon, playhouse, stilts, etc p.16
2. What do you like to do together with your father, or father figure? Listen to your child’s answers. 

Chapter 4

1. What’s Danny’s father’s deep dark secret? He likes to go poaching p.28
2. What’s poaching and why is it wrong? the illegal practice of trespassing on another's property to hunt or steal game without the landowner's permission p.28
3. Where did Danny’s father learn to love the challenge of poaching? From his father p.28

Chapter 5

1. List two methods Danny’s grandfather used to catch pheasants. The Horsehair Stopper and the Sticky Hat p.34
2. Why doesn’t Danny’s dad want to take him poaching yet? His dad’s out of practice and he doesn’t want to get Danny hurt p.40

Chapter 6

1. Why doesn’t Danny’s father like Mr. Hazell? He threatened Danny with a gun for no reason when he came to the filler station last year p.42
2. Why is it important for Danny’s father to leave right at 6pm? He wants to get to the woods at twilight so it’s easy for him to hide in the shadows and the pheasants haven’t roosted in the tops of the trees p.46

Chapter 7

1. Why was Danny so worried when his dad didn’t return from poaching on time? He might have gotten hurt by the Keepers p.49
2. Describe Danny’s adventure as he drove to Hazell’s wood. He took the car he and his dad had been fixing and started out slowly but drove faster and faster; a policeman passed him, and he was able to get off the track so the policeman couldn’t find him; he waited until the policeman was gone, then drove the rest of the way to the woods p.51

Chapter 8

1. Summarize what happened to Danny’s father that night? He fell into a pit and broke his ankle; the Keepers didn’t recognize him but said they would be back in the morning with Mr. Hazell p.64
2. How did Danny and his father get back to the car? Danny got a rope out of the car and his father climbed up it, then Danny helped his dad back to the car p.66
3. What could happen with the rope being left behind? Listen to your child’s answer p.69

Chapter 9

1. Why was Danny’s father able to tell Doc Spencer what had happened to his ankle? Doc Spencer was his friend and liked to go poaching and fishing too p.75
2. How did Doc Spencer feel about Mr. Hazell? He didn’t like him either, he kicked his dog without a reason p.77

Chapter 10

1. Why did Danny’s father want to catch 200 pheasants from Mr. Hazell’s wood by October 1st? To ruin the opening of hunting season and humiliate Mr. Hazell p.84
2. If you were to pick a word to describe this action, what would it be? Revenge, vindictiveness, vengeance.
3. Do you agree with this course of action? Why, or why not? Listen to your child’s answer

Chapter 11

1. What’s the Sleeping Beauty? The technique to capture 200 birds; soak raisins, cut them open, fill with some powder from a sleeping pill and sew back up; spread them out in the woods for the peasants to eat, then when they’ve fallen out of the trees asleep, go pick them up p.91

Chapter 12

1. Was that a fair punishment Danny received for talking in school? Listen to your child’s answer p.106
2. How is beating up Danny’s teacher like poaching the pheasants? Danny’s father wants to get back at both of them for doing wrong to him and his son p.112

Chapter 13

1. Why did Danny feel like he had worms squirming around in his stomach? He was nervous about the Sleeping Beauty operation that night p.115
2. What did Danny learn about his mother in this chapter? That she sewed well and made his father’s clothes; she enjoyed poaching with his father p.116
3. Why is it so important Danny and his father leave on time for the woods? So, they can arrive 25 minutes before sunset to spread out the raisins p.119

Chapter 14

1. Tell me a time you’ve been scared like Danny. Listen to your child’s answer. 
2. What does the author mean when he wrote, “this was the moment of danger, the first thrill of all”? To some people, they like the experiment when they’re in danger, it gives them a thrill p.130

Chapter 15

1. Why wasn’t Danny’s father worried when a keeper saw them along the hedge? They were on public property, so the Keeper couldn’t hurt them or tell them what to do p.138
2. Why are Danny and his father waiting there? For the Keepers to leave and for the birds to fall asleep p.139

Chapter 16

1. Why was Danny’s father worried the plan wouldn’t work? Birds’ instincts might not let them fall from the trees p.143
2. What was Danny worried about when the birds were falling from the trees? That a Keeper would be in the woods watching them p.149
3. How were they to get the birds home? His father hired a taxi p.150

Chapter 1 

1. Who is Danny’s father going to share the birds with? Charlie the taxi driver, Doc Spencer, the village’s police officer p.153
2. Why is Mrs. Clipstone going to deliver the birds? So, Danny’s father doesn’t get caught p.155
3. Do you agree with what Danny and his dad have done? Why, or why not? Listen to your child’s answers. 

Chapter 18

1. What kitchen appliances did Danny’s father want to purchase and why? They didn’t have an oven or a deep freezer; to keep their 50 pheasants in and to roast them when they were ready to eat one p.158

Chapter 19

1. How did Mrs. Clipstone deliver the babies to the station? In the bottom of a baby carriage with her baby on top p.164
2. What happened to the peasants on her way to the filling station? They started waking up p.169
3. Who do you think Danny sees at the station? Mr. Hazell p.172

Chapter 20

1. Who helped settle Mr. Hazell’s accusations and how did he do it? Sergeant Samways; he ran around the station to scare the birds to fly around and into Mr. Hazell’s car; Mr. Hazell didn’t like the birds all over his car and found more birds inside p.180

Chapter 21

1. How would you feel if you were Mrs. Clipstone’s baby? Listen to your child’s answer p.187
2. How many pheasants were left? 6 p.189
3. How did the doctor grab them when the peasants were all flying away? He didn’t; those 6 pheasants had more than one raisin, so they continued to sleep p.189

Chapter 12

1. Explain how Danny felt about his dad. He loved him and thought he was the best dad p.196