Gracie Under the Waves Comprehension Questions & Reading Journal
Gracie Under the Waves has 24 chapters · Grades 3–5 · 176 pages
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Inside the journal: 24 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.
What have you learned so far about why snorkeling matters to Gracie? Use details from the chapter to explain your thinking.See all 24 questions ↓
About the book
Snorkeling is the best! Gracie loves floating above underwater reefs, watching colorful fish dart in and out of the coral. She convinces her parents to let her plan a family vacation to Roatán, Honduras, where they can snorkel together. She even makes a new friend there. Now, if only her irritating little brother would leave her alone, everything would be perfect.
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Gracie Under the Waves 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 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 have you learned so far about why snorkeling matters to Gracie? Use details from the chapter to explain your thinking.
Example answer: I learned that snorkeling is not just an activity to Gracie. It seems like something that makes her feel peaceful, excited, and connected to nature. When she thinks about reefs and fish, I can tell she pays close attention to details. That makes me think the ocean is very important to who she is.
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Chapter 2
How does Gracie's relationship with her little brother affect her feelings or choices in this chapter?
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Chapter 3
How does the setting, such as home, travel planning, or Roatán, Honduras, shape what happens in this part of the story?
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Chapter 4
Choose one important word from this chapter about snorkeling, travel, family, or reefs. What do you think it means, and what clues helped you?
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Chapter 5
What problem or challenge feels most important right now? Why do you think it matters to Gracie?
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Chapter 6
How does Gracie show that she likes making plans or having some control? Give an example from what you read.
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Chapter 7
Based on what has happened so far, what do you predict might go smoothly on the family vacation, and what might become difficult?
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Chapter 8
How are Gracie's parents responding to her ideas, feelings, or problems? What does their response show about the family?
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Chapter 9
What does this chapter teach you about coral reefs, ocean animals, or being careful in nature?
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Chapter 10
Which moment in this chapter made you feel curious, worried, excited, or surprised? Explain why it affected you.
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Chapter 11
So far, what does Gracie seem to want most? What might get in the way of that goal?
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Chapter 12
How does Linda Sue Park help you picture the underwater world or the natural setting? Point to a detail or description that stood out.
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Chapter 13
When Gracie feels annoyed, disappointed, or left out, how does she handle it? What does that show about her?
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Chapter 14
What role has friendship played so far, either with a new friend, a family member, or someone Gracie meets? How is it affecting the story?
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Chapter 15
What is one way this chapter shows that people can harm or help reefs? What does that make you think about?
Example answer: This chapter made me think that reefs are beautiful but also fragile. People can hurt them if they are careless, but they can also help by learning more and making better choices. I used to think of reefs as just pretty places to visit. Now I think visitors have a responsibility to protect them.
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Chapter 16
Describe a choice Gracie makes or thinks about making. What does that choice reveal about her personality?
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Chapter 17
Find a sentence, image, or scene that stayed in your mind after reading. Why do you think the author wanted readers to notice it?
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Chapter 18
Plans do not always work out the way people expect. What plan has changed, or what could change soon, in Gracie's story?
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Chapter 19
Gracie may wonder whether one kid can make a difference. What has the story shown so far about kids solving problems or helping others?
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Chapter 20
Compare how Gracie sees the reef with how another character seems to see it. What is similar or different?
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Chapter 21
What small detail from this chapter might become important later? Explain your prediction.
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Chapter 22
How is Gracie balancing what she wants with what other people in her family or community need?
Example answer: Gracie wants the trip and snorkeling time to go the way she imagined. At the same time, she has to think about her family, including her little brother, and not only herself. I think this is hard for her because she cares a lot about her plans. She is learning that being part of a family means paying attention to other people's needs too.
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Chapter 23
What do you think the title Gracie Under the Waves means so far? Think about both snorkeling and Gracie's feelings.
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Chapter 24
At the end of this chapter, what question do you still have about Gracie, her family, Roatán, or the reef?
Discussion questions for after Gracie Under the Waves
Bigger questions for when the book is finished, each printed on its own ruled page at the end of the booklet.
- Across the whole book, how does Gracie change in the way she thinks about snorkeling, her family, and the reef? Choose a few important moments from the story and explain how they help her grow.
- What do you think Gracie Under the Waves is really about: adventure, family, nature, responsibility, or something else? Explain your answer with examples from different parts of the book, and tell who you would recommend this book to and why.
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How to use this Gracie Under the Waves 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 Gracie Under the Waves. 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.
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