The Witch of Blackbird Pond
by Elizabeth George Speare
Grades 6-9; Genre - Historical Fiction; GRL W; AR pts. 9.0
Puritan neighbors regard Kit Tyler with suspicion, fear, and anger when she befriends an old woman accused of witchcraft.
Comprehension Questions
Chapter 1
- Where is Kit from originally and why is coming to America so strange for her? Barbados; people don’t swim; they don’t know who she is; people are critical and judge quickly and unfairly p.6
- In whom did Kit find a friend in this chapter? Nat at the beginning; the little girl whose doll she saved; John Holbrook p.10
- Define the word “heathen”. a person who is not a Christian, Jew, or Muslim; an irreligious, uncultured, or uncivilized person p.11
- Why was John concerned for Kit at the end of the chapter? Kit is not accustomed to the culture she is entering to and he doesn’t want to see her get hurt or be judged wrongly
Chapter 2
- List one character and Kit’s interactions with them on the ship. Nat couldn’t believe she jumped in the water and became angry when finding out she had slaves in Barbados; John was always surprised and seemed to have a warning voice when learning about her background; Goodwife Cruff didn’t like Kit and didn’t want her near her child; Prudence admired Kit p.16
Chapter 3
- Describe Kit’s family. Aunt Rachel is old and thin; Uncle Matthew is old and serious; Judith is beautiful as her mother once was; Mercy has extraordinary eyes and uses a crutch p.32
- Summarize Kit’s history and how she came to live with her aunt and uncle. Her grandfather was sick and an overseer ran the plantation; the overseer finished the crop and then disappeared; when her grandfather died there were debts; Kit sold the land to settle the debts; she sold her own slave for passage to America p.37
Chapter 4
- Why was Matthew’s reaction so shocking to Kit? She grew up with fine clothing and didn’t realize her aunt’s family felt beautiful clothing was wrong p.44
- Why did Kit cry on her pillow that night? She felt useless; it would have been better if she was a boy p.49
Chapter 5
- Describe Kit’s experience at church and why she was upset at the end of the chapter. People stare and talked about her; she was uncomfortable; she had to sit still for two hours and went numb; there was a second service in the afternoon they were going to p.53
Chapter 6
- Describe the altercation between the reverend and Kit’s uncle. The reverend is a loyalist and supports the king, but Uncle Matthew doesn’t p.61
- Why did the Reverend think that Mercy is weak and why does Kit disagree? Mercy is lame and can’t walk well, but she has an inner strength the entire family relies on p.64
Chapter 7
- What helped Kit enjoy Saturday evenings? William called on her each Saturday and he didn’t expect her to be useful; the prospect of marrying him p.74
Chapter 8
- What helped Kit better understand her uncle? Knowing that he was angry and sad all the time from losing two babies, both boys p.81
Chapter 9
- What was the answer Kit received from Hannah? That though she’s like the alien flower, she can grow where she’s planted; to talk to Mr. Kimberley about her mistake and the school p.97
Chapter 10
- How does Kit’s family feel about Hannah. She’s dangerous because she’s a Quaker p.99
- Who’s Hannah’s seafaring friend? Nathaniel from the ship p.106
Chapter 11
- What secret world did Kit pull Prudence into? Learning to read; meeting Hannah; meeting with Kit secretly p.118
- Do you agree Kit should have pulled Prudence into her world? Why, or why not? Listen to your child’s answer
Chapter 12
- What awkward situation did Nat put Kit in when he walked her home? She had to tell her uncle where she was; William was jealous seeing Kit with him p.132
Chapter 13
- What tragic event happened in this chapter? Judith thought John wanted to court her, when in reality he was asking Matthew for permission to court Mercy; now he is courting Judith because he didn’t want to hurt her feelings p.142
Chapter 14
- What did Nat mean when he said, “To think I worried about that little bird. I might have known it would gobble up a nice fat partridge in no time”? The bird is Kit and he’s mocking her; he was worried about her coming to Connecticut, but she’s done well for herself in finding a wealthy young man to marry and take care of her p.151
Chapter 15
- Why was Kit proud of her uncle? For taking a stand in what he believed in p.163
Chapter 16
- What danger is Prudence in? Prudence’s mom will punish her for learning to read and for meeting with Hannah and Kit p.173
- Why is Judith so upset? John’s enlisted in the militia as a doctor p.176
Chapter 17
- Summarize this chapter. Mercy and many in the town are very sick; a crowd came wanting Matthew to help them kill Hannah, they think she’s cursing the town; Kit sneaks out, runs to Hannah and gets her away from her home; the people burn her home and look for her but can’t find her; Kit noticed the Dolphin sailing by; Nat brought Hannah and her cat to the ship; Kit returned home and Mercy’s fever broke p.177
Chapter 18
- Why is Kit locked up in a shed? She was accused of being a witch since she had gone to see Hannah p.200
Chapter 19
- What happened at the trial? Nat brought Prudence to prove that Kit wasn’t a witch p.218
- How did Prudence’s parents react when she told them she had been going to Hannah’s home and Kit had been teaching her to read? Her mom was angry, but her father was proud of her for learning to read
Chapter 20
- Describe Kit’s first winter. Harsh, cold, snowy, gray, dreary, depressing, dark p.234
- Who arrived at the end of the chapter and why was it so shocking? John Holbrook; he’d been taken captive by Indians; he looked gaunt and ragged; When coming in the house, he went straight to Mercy and not Judith p.238
Chapter 21
- Summarize the conclusion of this story. The engagement announcement of Judith and William and Mercy and John was made; Kit realized she wanted to be with Nat; Nat bought his own ship; Nat walked with Kit to get her uncle approvals to marry her
