Alice with a Why Comprehension Questions & Reading Journal
Alice with a Why has 24 chapters · Grades 3–5 · 192 pages
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Inside the journal: 24 chapter pages, one question each · 3 example answers · a cover for your reader’s name
Open-ended Thought-provoking questions for any chapter book.
What is the main event in this chapter, and how does it change the situation for the characters?See all 24 questions ↓
A printable reading journal for Alice with a Why: one question per chapter, with example answers.
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Alice with a Why questions by chapter
We don’t know this book well enough to ask about its story, so these are open-ended prompts that get a reader thinking about the chapter they just finished: what happened, who changed, what they would do. One question per chapter, across all 24 chapters, and every one is editable before you print. The example answers under 3 of the chapters are the ones printed at the front of the booklet.
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Chapter 1
What is the main event in this chapter, and how does it change the situation for the characters?
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Chapter 2
Which character wants something in this chapter? Explain what they want and what makes it difficult to get.
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Chapter 3
Choose an interesting word from this chapter. What does it mean, and why might the author have chosen it instead of a simpler word?
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Chapter 4
What do you think will happen next? Use a clue from this chapter to explain your prediction.
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Chapter 5
What lesson could a reader learn from a choice made in this chapter? Explain how that choice shows the lesson.
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Chapter 6
Do you agree with a decision a character makes in this chapter? Give a reason and a detail from the story.
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Chapter 7
How does the setting affect what happens in this chapter? Describe a detail about the place or time that matters.
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Chapter 8
Describe how a character's feelings change during this chapter. What causes that change, and what clues show it?
Example answer: If a character starts out worried and later accepts help, I might see a change from fear to hope. I would look for clues in what the character says and does. For example, hiding at first but then asking a question could show that the character feels safer. I would explain how getting help caused that change.
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Chapter 9
Find a word or phrase that helps create the mood of this chapter. What feeling does it give you, and how?
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Chapter 10
Which problem might become harder to solve as the story continues? Explain what makes you think so.
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Chapter 11
Where do you notice kindness, fairness, or a lack of either in this chapter? Explain what the scene suggests about treating others.
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Chapter 12
Which small detail in this chapter caught your attention most? Explain why you found it interesting.
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Chapter 13
Identify an action and its result in this chapter. How does one lead to the other?
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Chapter 14
What do you learn about the relationship between two characters in this chapter? Use something they say or do as evidence.
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Chapter 15
Pick a description that helped you picture something clearly. Explain which words made the image strong.
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Chapter 16
Choose an object, place, or detail from this chapter that might matter later. How could it become important, and what makes you suspect that?
Example answer: If the author describes an old key several times, I would predict that it might unlock something important later. The repeated descriptions would make me pay attention to it. I would also notice whether a character keeps the key or asks about it. Those clues would support my prediction, even though I could not be sure yet.
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Chapter 17
How might this chapter connect to the book's title? Explain a possible connection using a detail you have read.
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Chapter 18
If you could change one action in this chapter, what would you change? Explain how your change might affect the chapter.
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Chapter 19
Summarize this chapter in three important steps. Why are those steps more important than the other details?
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Chapter 20
How might a different character describe one event in this chapter? Explain what that character would notice or care about.
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Chapter 21
Locate a word you did not know well in this chapter. How did the nearby words help you work out its meaning?
Example answer: If I found the word 'reluctant' beside a description of someone hanging back, I would guess that it means unwilling or unsure. The person's actions would be my first clue. I would try replacing 'reluctant' with 'not eager' to see whether the sentence still made sense. Then I would check a dictionary to see how close my guess was.
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Chapter 22
What advice would you give a character before the next chapter? Explain what you think might happen if the character follows it.
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Chapter 23
What question about friendship, courage, honesty, or another big idea does this chapter make you think about? Explain how the chapter raises that question.
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Chapter 24
Which moment in this chapter would you most want to discuss with another reader? Explain what makes it worth talking about.
Discussion questions for after Alice with a Why
Bigger questions for when the book is finished, each printed on its own ruled page at the end of the booklet.
- Choose a character who changed during the story. Describe what the character was like near the beginning and how they were different later. Explain which experiences or relationships caused that change, using details from different parts of the book.
- What do you think this book was really about beyond its events? Explain an important message or big idea, support it with details from different parts of the story, and describe how it connects to your own life or the world around you.
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Buffalo Dreamer
How to use this Alice with a Why reading journal
At home, as a discussion guide
After each chapter your reader writes a few lines on that chapter’s question. Read the answer together at bedtime: it shows what they understood and gives you something real to talk about, without a quiz.
In class, as a novel study
Print a class set (booklets fold from plain letter paper) and use one question per chapter as the reading-response or literature-circle prompt. The example answers at the front show what a full answer looks like.
Homeschool
One booklet covers the whole book, 24 chapters, so it doubles as the reading log for Alice with a Why. Reword any question before printing to match your reader.
Printing
The booklet PDF prints on ordinary 8.5 × 11 paper: print double-sided (flip on the short edge) at 100%, fold the stack in half and staple on the fold. There is also a one-page-per-sheet PDF and A5 binder pages.
Where the questions come from
Thought-provoking questions for any chapter book. We don’t know this book well enough to ask about its story, so these are open-ended prompts that get a reader thinking about the chapter they just finished: what happened, who changed, what they would do. The questions were drafted with AI from what is known about the book and checked before publishing; every one is editable before you print.
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