Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls

The questions inside

One per chapter, across all 15 chapters — every question is editable before you print.

1. Chapter 1 introduces Claudia and the Baby-sitters Club. What do you learn about Claudia’s personality, family, and role in the club?
2. In Chapter 2, the news about the Phantom Caller makes the girls feel nervous. What details make the situation seem scary or mysterious?
3. In Chapter 3, the club members talk about what to do if they feel unsafe while babysitting. How do their different personalities show in the way they handle the problem?
4. In Chapter 4, Claudia has to pay close attention to strange phone calls. What clues does she notice, and what questions do those clues make you ask?
5. In Chapter 5, Claudia thinks about friends, crushes, and being herself. How does Claudia’s voice as the narrator help you understand her feelings?
6. In Chapter 6, the girls use plans and signals to try to stay safe. Do you think their plan is a good one? Why or why not?
7. In Chapter 7, a babysitting job becomes more suspenseful because of the Phantom Caller. How does the author build suspense in this chapter?
8. In Chapter 8, choose one character who acts brave, nervous, or silly. What does that character do, and what does it show about them?
9. In Chapter 9, the mystery keeps growing. What prediction can you make about who is making the phone calls, and what evidence supports your idea?
10. In Chapter 10, misunderstandings and worries affect the characters. How can fear make people jump to conclusions? Use an example from the chapter.
11. In Chapter 11, Claudia’s relationships with people at school and at home are important. How does she act differently around different people, and why might she do that?
12. In Chapter 12, the club members have to decide whom they can trust. What makes a person seem trustworthy or untrustworthy in this part of the story?
13. In Chapter 13, the mystery gets closer to being solved. What new information changes how the girls understand the phone calls?
14. In Chapter 14, the truth about some of the phone calls is revealed. How do the characters react, and what does their reaction tell you about them?
15. By the end of Chapter 15, what lesson do you think the story teaches about fear, friendship, or communication? Explain your thinking.

Example answers

Printed at the front of the booklet, so your reader can see what a strong answer looks like.

In Chapter 3, the club members talk about what to do if they feel unsafe while babysitting. How do their different personalities show in the way they handle the problem?

I think their personalities show because they all react in different ways. Kristy wants to make a plan right away, which shows she likes being in charge. Mary Anne seems more worried, but she still wants everyone to be safe. Claudia tries to take the problem seriously even though she also has other things on her mind.

In Chapter 9, the mystery keeps growing. What prediction can you make about who is making the phone calls, and what evidence supports your idea?

I predict that the person making some of the calls might be someone the girls already know. The calls seem scary, but they also feel like they could be a prank because the caller does not always do anything afterward. I would look closely at characters who act strange or who know the girls’ babysitting schedules. My prediction might change if the next chapter gives stronger clues.

By the end of Chapter 15, what lesson do you think the story teaches about fear, friendship, or communication? Explain your thinking.

I think the story teaches that fear can feel bigger when you keep it inside or only imagine the worst. The girls help each other by talking, making plans, and watching out for one another. I also think the book shows that communication matters because some problems happen when people do not say what they really mean. Friends can help you be braver, even when something is scary.