Garvey's Choice Comprehension Questions & Reading Journal
Garvey's Choice has 64 chapters · 128 pages
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Inside the journal: 64 chapter pages, one question each · 3 example answers · a cover for your reader’s name
Written for this book Questions about this story, good after any chapter.
So far, what is the main conflict between Garvey and his father, and how does it affect Garvey?See all 64 questions ↓
A printable reading journal for Garvey's Choice: one question per chapter, with example answers.
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Garvey's Choice questions by chapter
We know the book, its characters, setting and story, but not what happens in each chapter. So every question is written for this book, and any of them works wherever your reader has just stopped. One question per chapter, across all 64 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
So far, what is the main conflict between Garvey and his father, and how does it affect Garvey?
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Chapter 2
After this chapter, what do you understand better about what Garvey wants for himself?
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Chapter 3
How does someone in Garvey's family respond to him in this chapter, and what does that show about their relationship?
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Chapter 4
What detail about Garvey's home or school life feels important in this chapter? Explain why it matters.
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Chapter 5
Choose one word, phrase, or image from this chapter that stands out to you. What does it help you picture or feel?
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Chapter 6
What choice does Garvey make in this chapter, and what might that choice show about him?
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Chapter 7
How does pressure from Garvey's father or other people shape Garvey's feelings in this chapter?
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Chapter 8
What does this chapter show about how Garvey feels about his body, food, or being judged by others?
Example answer: This chapter shows me that Garvey feels uncomfortable when people judge him by his size instead of who he is. I think food can feel like comfort to him when he is upset or lonely. It makes me feel sorry for him because he has thoughts and talents that people do not always notice. I think Garvey wants to be seen as more than just his body.
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Chapter 9
How does a friend, classmate, or family member help or hurt Garvey in this chapter?
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Chapter 10
Based on what you read, what do you predict might happen next in Garvey's relationship with his father?
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Chapter 11
Describe a moment in this chapter when Garvey shows courage, even if it is quiet courage.
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Chapter 12
What theme about being yourself appears in this chapter? Use a detail from the text to support your answer.
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Chapter 13
When Garvey feels misunderstood, what does he do or think in this chapter?
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Chapter 14
If you could ask Garvey one question after this chapter, what would you ask, and why?
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Chapter 15
How are Garvey's experiences at home and at school similar or different so far?
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Chapter 16
How does Garvey's interest in things like space, stories, or music help you understand who he is?
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Chapter 17
How does Nikki Grimes's poem style affect the way you read Garvey's thoughts in this chapter?
Example answer: The poem style makes Garvey's thoughts feel close and personal. Since the chapter is short, every word seems important. I noticed that the lines slow me down and make me think about his feelings. It feels almost like I am hearing Garvey speak honestly in his own mind.
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Chapter 18
What clue in this chapter helps you understand Garvey's mood? Explain how the clue works.
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Chapter 19
What might the word choice in the title, Garvey's Choice, mean based on what you have read so far?
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Chapter 20
Which character surprised you most in this chapter, and what did that character do or say?
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Chapter 21
What problem is Garvey facing that cannot be solved quickly? Why is it complicated?
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Chapter 22
How do Garvey's father's words or actions affect Garvey's confidence in this chapter?
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Chapter 23
How does Garvey's mother, sister, or another family member show care, worry, or frustration?
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Chapter 24
What challenge does Garvey face at school in this chapter, and how does he respond to it?
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Chapter 25
What strengths does Garvey show in this chapter that other characters might not notice right away?
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Chapter 26
What talent, interest, or dream might become more important for Garvey later? What makes you think so?
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Chapter 27
Pick a line or moment that felt powerful to you. What made it powerful?
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Chapter 28
Do you think the expectations placed on Garvey are fair? Explain your opinion using the chapter.
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Chapter 29
How does friendship help Garvey in this chapter, or how could friendship help him more?
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Chapter 30
What lesson about listening to others does this chapter suggest?
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Chapter 31
In what small way does Garvey's confidence change in this chapter?
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Chapter 32
How is food connected to comfort, stress, or feelings in this chapter?
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Chapter 33
What advice would you give Garvey's father at this point in the story?
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Chapter 34
What misunderstanding happens or continues in this chapter, and why does it matter?
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Chapter 35
What does this chapter suggest about family love, even when family members do not agree?
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Chapter 36
What sensory details help you see, hear, or feel what Garvey is experiencing?
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Chapter 37
Do you agree with the way Garvey handles the situation in this chapter? Why or why not?
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Chapter 38
How does Garvey respond to teasing, pressure, or uncomfortable attention in this chapter?
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Chapter 39
What does this chapter teach about labels people put on others?
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Chapter 40
Would you want to be Garvey's friend after reading this chapter? What would you say or do?
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Chapter 41
How does the short poem form make this chapter feel different from a regular prose chapter?
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Chapter 42
What connection can you make between Garvey's feelings and a time when someone felt left out or not understood?
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Chapter 43
What does Garvey seem to fear in this chapter, and what evidence shows that fear?
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Chapter 44
What small victory, hope, or positive moment appears in this chapter?
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Chapter 45
What motivates Garvey's father in this chapter? Try to explain his point of view without excusing hurtful behavior.
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Chapter 46
What choice do you think Garvey may need to make next, and why?
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Chapter 47
What is one inner conflict Garvey has, and how is it different from an outside conflict with another person?
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Chapter 48
If this chapter were a scene in a movie, what would the most important shot or image be? Explain your choice.
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Chapter 49
What is one detail from this chapter that might be easy to miss but is actually important?
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Chapter 50
What message about talents and interests does this chapter seem to share?
Example answer: I think this chapter shows that a person's talents might not be the ones other people expect. Garvey may not fit what his father wants, but he still has interests that matter. The message is that everyone deserves a chance to discover what they are good at. I think that is important because people can shine in different ways.
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Chapter 51
How would you describe Garvey's voice as a narrator in this chapter?
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Chapter 52
What pattern do you notice in the way Garvey or another character acts across the story so far?
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Chapter 53
How does the setting, such as Garvey's home or school, influence what happens in this chapter?
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Chapter 54
What does this chapter show about the harm of judging people by how they look?
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Chapter 55
Does this chapter feel like a turning point for Garvey? Explain your thinking.
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Chapter 56
How might this chapter seem different if it were told by Garvey's father, mother, sister, or friend?
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Chapter 57
How do Garvey's interests, such as music, reading, or space, show his inner life?
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Chapter 58
Which emotion seems most important in this chapter: sadness, anger, hope, embarrassment, pride, or another feeling? Why?
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Chapter 59
What does Garvey need to say, hear, or understand after this chapter?
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Chapter 60
How does this chapter connect to the idea of making a choice?
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Chapter 61
What challenge in this chapter helps Garvey learn something about himself or others?
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Chapter 62
What object, image, or repeated idea in this chapter could be a symbol? What might it stand for?
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Chapter 63
Looking back over the chapters so far, how has your opinion of Garvey changed or grown?
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Chapter 64
What are you still wondering about Garvey, his family, or his next choice after this chapter?
Discussion questions for after Garvey's Choice
Bigger questions for when the book is finished, each printed on its own ruled page at the end of the booklet.
- How does Garvey change from the beginning to the end of the book? Write about the people, problems, interests, and choices that help shape him along the way.
- What do you think Garvey's Choice is really about? In your answer, discuss at least two big ideas from the book, such as family expectations, self-acceptance, friendship, courage, or finding your own voice.
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How to use this Garvey's Choice 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, 64 chapters, so it doubles as the reading log for Garvey's Choice. 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
Questions about this story, good after any chapter. We know the book, its characters, setting and story, but not what happens in each chapter. So every question is written for this book, and any of them works wherever your reader has just stopped. The questions were drafted with AI from what is known about the book and checked before publishing; every one is editable before you print.
Browse: All books by Nikki Grimes