Skeleton man Comprehension Questions & Reading Journal
Skeleton man has 16 chapters · 114 pages
Free, no sign-up. Customise to reword questions or add your reader’s name.
Inside the journal: 16 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.
After this chapter, what do you know so far about Molly's life and the mystery around her parents? Use details from the chapter to explain.See all 16 questions ↓
About the book
Ever since the morning Molly woke up to find that her parents hadvanished, her life has become filled with terrible questions. Where have her parents gone? Who is this spooky old man who's taken her to live with him, claiming to be her great-uncle? Why does he never eat, and why does he lock her in her room at night? What are her dreams of the Skeleton Man trying to tell her? There's one thing Molly does know. She needs to find some answers before it's too late.
Buy the book on Amazon ↗ (affiliate link)
Skeleton man 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 16 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.
-
Chapter 1
After this chapter, what do you know so far about Molly's life and the mystery around her parents? Use details from the chapter to explain.
-
Chapter 2
Which detail in this chapter makes the man who says he is Molly's uncle seem trustworthy or untrustworthy? Explain your thinking.
-
Chapter 3
How do Molly's thoughts, dreams, or memories connect to the old stories about Skeleton Man so far?
-
Chapter 4
If you could ask Molly one question after reading this chapter, what would you ask, and why would that question matter?
-
Chapter 5
Choose one word or phrase from this chapter that helps create a creepy or tense mood. What does it make you picture or feel?
Example answer: A phrase that helped create a creepy mood was a description of things being very quiet. It made me picture Molly feeling alone, even when she should have felt safe. Quiet can be peaceful, but in this book it feels scary because Molly senses that something is wrong. That makes me want to keep reading to find out what is really happening.
-
Chapter 6
So far, how is Molly showing courage when the adults around her may not understand what is happening?
-
Chapter 7
What clues has Joseph Bruchac given in this chapter that something is not right? Put the clues together in your own words.
-
Chapter 8
How does Molly's Mohawk heritage or family storytelling seem important in this part of the book?
-
Chapter 9
If you were one of Molly's classmates, what might you notice about her in this chapter, and how could you try to help?
-
Chapter 10
What prediction can you make about the man who says he is Molly's uncle? Support your prediction with evidence from what you have read so far.
Example answer: I predict that the man who says he is Molly's uncle is hiding something important. My evidence is that he appears in Molly's life after her parents are gone, and Molly does not fully trust him. The way the story connects him with fear and the Skeleton Man legend makes me suspicious. I think Molly will need to be very careful around him.
-
Chapter 11
Describe one important setting in this chapter, such as Molly's home, school, or a dream place. How does that setting affect the mood?
-
Chapter 12
How does Molly react when she feels scared, confused, or unsure in this chapter? What does her reaction show about her character?
-
Chapter 13
What is one choice an adult makes in this part of the story, and how does that choice affect Molly?
-
Chapter 14
What lesson about listening to your instincts might the author be developing so far? Use Molly's experiences to explain.
Example answer: I think the author is showing that your instincts can help protect you. Molly notices when something feels wrong, even if other people might not believe her right away. She pays attention to her fear instead of pretending everything is fine. That seems important because the story is about danger that is not always easy to prove.
-
Chapter 15
Compare Molly's ordinary world, such as school or family life, with the frightening parts of the story. How does that contrast make the book more interesting?
-
Chapter 16
At the end of this chapter, what is the most important thing for the reader to remember, and why do you think it will matter later?
Discussion questions for after Skeleton man
Bigger questions for when the book is finished, each printed on its own ruled page at the end of the booklet.
- After finishing Skeleton Man, how does Molly change in the way she understands fear, family, and the stories from her Mohawk heritage? Use examples from the beginning, middle, and end of the book.
- What do you think Skeleton Man is really about beneath the scary events? In your answer, discuss how Joseph Bruchac uses mystery, traditional storytelling, and Molly's bravery to build the meaning of the whole book.
More ready-made journals
-
Flight of the sparrow
-
Focus On Reading: The Outsiders:grades 4-6 (Focus on Reading)
-
Fourth Grade Rats
-
Freak the Mighty
-
Freddy Goes To Florida
-
Freedom Walkers
How to use this Skeleton man 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, 16 chapters, so it doubles as the reading log for Skeleton man. 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.