Tag Archives: Super Edition

Comprehension Questions – A to Z Mysteries Super Edition #4 Sleepy Hollow Sleepover

Sleepy Hollow Sleepover

By Ron Roy

Grades 2-5; Genre – Fiction; GRL O; AR pts: 1.0

Third graders Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose are spending Halloween in spooky Sleepy Hollow, New York, home of the Headless Horseman. They're going to sleep in an old cabin, take a haunted hayride, and tour the old Dutch church where people claim to have seen the legendary headless horseman. But strange things start happening that don’t seem to be part of the planned Halloween fun. Is there a real Headless Horseman haunting Sleepy Hollow?

Comprehension Questions

Chapter 1

  1. What activity were the kids going to
    be doing that night? A haunted hayride and going to a party p.2
  2. Who’s the Headless Horseman? A fictional
    character from the story, “the Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” by Washington Irving;
    the story is about a teacher, Ichabod Crane. He liked a woman named Katrina. Brom
    Bones liked Katrina as well and didn’t want Ichabod to get her, so dressed up
    as the headless horseman to drive him out of town. He told people it was a
    ghost of a soldier who’d lost his head and looked for it at night p.4
  3. Who did Dink step on after watching
    the mechanical headless horseman? One man wearing cowboy boots with silver
    toes; his name was Ace p.9

Chapter 2

  1. Where were the kids sleeping? In a
    cabin Dink’s father rented called the Haunted House p.11
  2. What popped out of the chest when
    Dink opened it to get a game? A skeleton p.13
  3. Who did the kids see out the window? The
    Headless Horseman p.17

Chapter 3

  1. What was suspicious about the driver
    of the wagon? He had a hat, wouldn’t look at the kids, deep voice, he doesn’t
    talk to the kids, he smacked a tree to make the bats fly out and around the
    kids p.23
  2. What came out of the grave as the
    kids passed the cemetery? A zombie p.31
  3. Who did the zombie and wagon driver
    end up being? Police officers Klevor and Reilly p.34

Chapter 4

  1. What police officer was in charge of
    the pumpkin bowling? Officer Reilly p.41
  2. What did Dink see as he ran after his
    pumpkin? Two men wearing masks by the wagons and horses p.44
  3. What happened in the woods where the
    wagons were parked? A huge fire was started p.48

Chapter 5

  1. Why did Andy think the fire started? Another
    prank by the police p.52
  2. How did Officer Klevor know the fire
    was intentional? There were match books on the ground p.54
  3. What happened to the policeman’s car
    tires? They were flattened p.58

Chapter 6

  1. Why was Dink flustered? He was
    still bothered about the two men and the flashing shoes he saw just before the
    fire at the wagons was started p.61
  2. How many police cruisers came to
    rescue the kids? 4 p.64
  3. Who was out in the field with the
    burned wagons as Dink and his friends drove away? The police officer dressed
    up as a spaceman p.66

Chapter 7

  1. What was suspicious about the cabin
    when the kids were dropped off by Officer Sneke? Dink’s dad said he would
    wait up until the kids got there, but he wasn’t there. Ice cubes were in the lemonade,
    Dink’s dad’s book was left opened on the chair p.69
  2. Where was Dink’s dad? Hiding in the
    closet dressed as a ghost p.72
  3. What did Dink realize the other man could
    have been who was by the wagons before they were set on fire? It could have
    been Officer Klevor p.75

Chapter 8

  1. Where did the kids find Officer
    Klevor? At the bank p.81
  2. What happened to Bonnie at the bank? Two
    men came to her house, told her to get her coat and took her to the bank to
    open the vault.
    She couldn’t open it and the men took money from the
    teller drawers p.81
  3. What was inside the mechanical horse’s
    belly? The money that was stolen from the bank p.87

Chapter 9

  1. Who did Ruth Rose call when they got
    stuck in the back of the truck with the mechanical horse? The police; 911
    p.91
  2. Why did Dink want to let money out of
    the bags while they were driving? People might see it and call the police;
    the driver may stop, and they could get away p.92
  3. What did the kids feel in the dark of
    the barn hole? A body tied up p.100

Chapter 10

  1. Who did the children free while in
    the hole? The man who was originally supposed to go pick up the mechanical
    horse p.102
  2. Why did Dink think his dad would call
    the police and come find them? When the bad guys found the kids in the back
    of the truck, Dink had pushed the green button to the cell phone which would
    automatically call his dad. Then his dad would have heard the conversation and
    know the kids were in danger p.104
  3. Why did the kids think Bonnie was in
    on the bank job? She led the police to think the robbers left at midnight
    and had an 8 hour lead and she could get the money out after the vault opened
    at 8 am p.107

Chapter 11

  1. How did Dink reach up and lift the slat
    that covers the hole? He stood on Hank’s shoulders p.112
  2. Why did Dink want a tin can? To prop
    open the piece of wood p.116
  3. Why did Dink want Ruth Rose’s knife? To
    make the tire flat p.116

Chapter 12

  1. How did Josh, Ruth Rose and Hank get
    out of the hole? Dink had seen a rope when he was on Hank’s shoulders and
    tied it to the bumper of the truck. Hank climbed out, then he pulled the kids
    out one by one p.120
  2. Who came to the rescue and helped
    Dink out of the hole? The police; Officer Klevor p.123
  3. Who ended up being the Headless Horseman the night the kids went to the
    party? They don’t know; it’s a mystery p.128

Comprehension Questions – Magic Tree House Super Edition #1 Danger in the Darkest Hour

Danger in the Darkest Hour

By Mary Pope Osborne

Grades 2-5; Genre – Historical Fiction with Fantastical Elements; GRL T; AR 3.0

The Magic Tree House has taken Jack and Annie back in time to England in 1944. England is fighting for its life in World War II. Before long, Jack and Annie find themselves parachuting into Normandy, France, behind enemy lines. The date is June 5. Will the brave brother and sister team be able to make a difference during one of the darkest times in history? They don't know, but they have to try!

Vocabulary

Writing Prompts

Comprehension Questions

Chapter 1

  1. How did Jack feel when Annie interrupted his reading? He was frustrated; impatient; mad p.5
  2. What was so interesting about the pigeon Annie found? It had a canister to carry messages; it was a carrier pigeon p.7
  3. Who sent the message for Jack and Annie? Teddy p.10

Chapter 2

  1. Describe the setting of the area Annie and Jack traveled to. Hazy; ducks on the pond; sheep grazing in the field; broken down buildings, stone pillars and crumbling archways; Glastonbury, England; 1944 p.14
  2. Why is Teddy concerned about Kathleen? She went on a mission, but hasn’t returned and sent a carrier pigeon with a message in a secret code, but Teddy can’t figure it out p.21
  3. Explain why the times Jack and Annie traveled to were dark. Teddy is limited in his magic; Kathleen is missing; the war is going on and many people are affected p.22
  4. How were Jack and Annie going to travel to Normandy? By jumping out of a plane with parachutes p.26

Chapter 3

  1. Who would Jack and Annie need to find to help send a message to Teddy? Someone from the French Resistance p.30
  2. Demonstrate the ways Jack and Annie can make the Victory sign. Holding up two fingers that make a V; drawing it on a piece of paper; scratching it in the dirt; or any other way you can think of p.30
  3. Tell me three of the supplies Teddy gave Jack and Annie for their mission? Old fashioned pack; Flashlight; clothes; boots; parachutes; goggles; helmet; identity cards with French names p.31

Chapter 4

  1. What was Annie’s attitude when she found out they didn’t have the magic wand? Positive; determined; looking on the bright side; but then she got scared and Jack had to encourage her p.44
  2. Why did Jack and Annie hide in the barn? They heard dogs and men searching for them p.50
  3. Why did the German shepherd barking at them calm down? Annie used her “making friends with animals” skills p.51

Chapter 5

  1. Who are Gaston and Suzette? A married couple a part of the French Resistance p.53
  2. Describe where Jack and Annie stayed the night. Gaston and Suzette’s home in the cellar that had hundreds of wine bottles and smelled dank and musty p.58
  3. What happened to Gaston and Suzette’s twin boys? They were couriers and got caught by the Nazi’s when they were putting up a message of hope p.60

Chapter 6

  1. Why was is so important that Gaston and Suzette had a wireless? That was how Jack and Annie were supposed to communicate with Teddy once they found Kathleen p.65
  2. What were the code phrases the French Resistance used and what did they mean? Code Purple: destroy communication lines so the Nazi’s don’t find out what’s happening; Code Green: Resistance Fighters need to blow bridges and train tracks to keep enemy troops from traveling to that area p.66
  3. Why did Gaston want the children to leave France? An invasion was happening the next day p.70
  4. What did Suzette and Gaston give to the children to help them on their journey? A compass; hats; bikes and advice p.74

Chapter 7

  1. What did Jack do that made people chase them? Made the V signal to a horse and buggy that passed them p.80
  2. How did Jack and Annie escape? A milk man told them to get into his truck and he took them to Caen p.83
  3. Describe the busy town square Jack and Annie were in. Women with children buying food, cloth and lace; cobblestone streets; quaint buildings; church covered with ivy; small train depot; sidewalk café p.84

Chapter 8

  1. Who did Annie mean when she said, “I hate them.”? The Nazi’s p.90
  2. Why did she so strongly dislike the Nazi’s? they were cruel p.90
  3. Why were the Nazi officers going to arrest Jack? They found Resistance papers in the pack p.92
  4. When Jack held up the flyers in the bistro, who did the waitress go get and why? Her mom; she wanted to know how Jack and Annie knew the twins p.100

Chapter 9

  1. What good news did Sylvie give the children? That Tom and Theo escaped from jail and are safe to the south of France p.102
  2. What did Kathleen mean when she wrote knights and small, round cows? They were types of apples p.106
  3. Who do you think was singing the song, Twinkle, Twinkle, Little StarListen to your child’s ideas p.110

Chapter 10

  1. Who did Jack and Annie find in the cave? Kathleen and refugee children p.112
  2. Explain how Kathleen has taken care of the children day and night? In the day the stay in the cave and at night they sneak into the chateau’s attic and sleep while Kathleen goes and looks for food p.114
  3. Why do you think the Nazis arrested Sophie and Sarah’s parents for being scientists and Jewish?  The Nazis were sending the Jews to concentration camps. This is a good opportunity to have a discussion with your child about the Holocaust if they’re ready for it. P.115
  4. Describe Annie’s plan to get them all to the drop zone? Sneak the kids out at night, get in a delivery truck, Jack will drive it to the drop zone and Teddy will pick them up in a bigger plane p.119

Chapter 11

  1. Describe how Jack began to feel as he talked with Kathleen and felt her hope? Began to have courage and feel like he could drive the truck p.125
  2. Why did Kathleen write a note for the baker? Because they were taking his truck without asking permission and told him where he could find it p.126
  3. On the last page of this chapter, it commented on Jack’s throat getting tight. What does that mean? He was feeling emotional/ like crying because he really wanted to help the kids find freedom p.132

Chapter 12

  1. Why was Jack so nervous they were going to get caught by the Nazis? They had to go through a checkpoint p.134
  2. How did they make it through the checkpoint safely? Kathleen tricked Jack into thinking she had cast an invisibility spell p.140
  3. How did Jack feel about being tricked? He was confused at whether to be angry at Kathleen or amazed at himself, but just laughed in the end p.141
  4. Why did Kathleen sing songs with the young children? To help them be happy and calm p.143

Chapter 13

  1. What was in the field next to the church as the searchlights scanned the sky overhead? A large plane with Teddy inside p.147
  2. How did Teddy feel when he realized he forgot to send the wand with Jack and Annie? Terrible; guilty p.149
  3. How did the children respond to being in the plane? Excited p.151
  4. Why was Jack confused about the plane? It was silent taking off; you could open the window; it got passed the searchlights; he didn’t know if spy planes were made during WWII p.152

Chapter 14

  1. Now that the children were all safe, what was going to happen to them? Relatives and friends would be located and would come get them p.160
  2. Who was the pilot and what kind of plane did he have? It was Merlin and he had a magical plane p.163
  3. Tell me two things Jack and Annie learned and saw on this mission? How it feels to live in terror all of the time; how it feels to speak or move about freely; seen cruel people hunt down the innocent p.164
  4. How did Jack and Annie feel as they got back to Frog Creek? Safe p.167