Mysteries According to Humphrey Comprehension Questions & Reading Journal
Mysteries According to Humphrey has 15 chapters · Grades 3–5 · 169 pages
Book 8 of the According to Humphrey series
ANIMAL STORIES (CHILDREN'S / TEENAGE). When Humphrey's teacher, Mrs Brisbane, doesn't come to school, he is unsqueakably worried.
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Inside the journal: 15 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 mystery or unanswered question is Humphrey thinking about so far? Describe a detail from your reading that might help him find an answer.See all 15 questions ↓
About the book
ANIMAL STORIES (CHILDREN'S / TEENAGE). When Humphrey's teacher, Mrs Brisbane, doesn't come to school, he is unsqueakably worried. Then a supply teacher, the mysterious Mr E, arrives and everything changes. Class is fun, but are Humphrey's classmates learning anything? And what had happened to their wonderful teacher? Humphrey has his paws full as he tries to gather clues to solve the mystery, and then, on Halloween, everything is revealed... Ages 7+.
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Mysteries According to Humphrey 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 15 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 mystery or unanswered question is Humphrey thinking about so far? Describe a detail from your reading that might help him find an answer.
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Chapter 2
Which of Humphrey's actions so far shows what kind of hamster he is? Explain what that action tells you about his personality.
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Chapter 3
Based on what you have read so far, what do you predict Humphrey will discover about Mrs Brisbane's absence? Explain what makes your prediction reasonable.
Example answer: I predict Humphrey will discover that Mrs Brisbane has an ordinary reason for being away, even though it feels mysterious to him. The school has a supply teacher, so someone must know that she cannot teach right now. That makes me think the situation may be less frightening than Humphrey imagines. I would still need more clues before deciding.
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Chapter 4
What have you learned so far about why Mrs Brisbane matters to Humphrey or her students? Use a detail from your reading.
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Chapter 5
Think about the classroom scenes you have read so far. What do they suggest about the difference between having fun and learning? Explain whether those two things can happen together.
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Chapter 6
What do you like or dislike about following a school mystery through Humphrey's eyes instead of a student's eyes? Explain how his viewpoint affects the story for you.
Example answer: I like following the mystery through Humphrey's eyes because a hamster sees school differently from a student. He cares about Mrs Brisbane, but he cannot simply ask an adult where she is. That makes a question that might be easy for a person much harder for him. I think his viewpoint makes the mystery both funny and worrying.
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Chapter 7
Choose an interesting or unfamiliar word from the chapter you just read. What do you think it means, and how does it help you picture Humphrey's world?
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Chapter 8
How does the school setting help make Humphrey's mystery interesting so far? Describe something about a classroom or school day that could make finding answers easier or harder.
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Chapter 9
Choose someone besides Humphrey who appears in your reading so far. How does that character respond to something puzzling or unexpected, and what does the response reveal?
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Chapter 10
Looking at Humphrey's thinking so far, what is something he knows for sure, and what is something he only suspects? Explain why that difference matters when solving a mystery.
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Chapter 11
Which of Humphrey's feelings so far can you understand best? Connect his experience to a time when you felt something similar.
Example answer: I understand Humphrey's worry when Mrs Brisbane is not at school. Once, my regular teacher was absent, and I felt nervous because I did not know what the day would be like. Having a different teacher changed our familiar routine. That helps me understand why Humphrey wants answers instead of just ignoring the change.
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Chapter 12
What does your reading so far suggest about caring for others? Explain how Humphrey's words, thoughts, or actions support your idea.
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Chapter 13
What idea about a character or the mystery have you changed or begun to question while reading? Explain which detail made you rethink it.
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Chapter 14
Choose a moment from your reading so far that felt funny, surprising, or suspenseful. How did Betty G. Birney's writing create that feeling?
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Chapter 15
If you could help Humphrey investigate at this point in your reading, what question would you ask, and whom would you ask? Explain why the answer could be useful.
Discussion questions for after Mysteries According to Humphrey
Bigger questions for when the book is finished, each printed on its own ruled page at the end of the booklet.
- Across the whole story, how does Humphrey respond to uncertainty and change? Compare his thoughts or actions near the beginning with those near the end, and explain what his experiences help him understand.
- What do you think Mysteries According to Humphrey says about being a good teacher and being a good learner? Use examples involving Mrs Brisbane, Mr E, and Humphrey's observations to explain your thinking. Then describe how the story affected your own ideas about a successful classroom.
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How to use this Mysteries According to Humphrey 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, 15 chapters, so it doubles as the reading log for Mysteries According to Humphrey. 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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