Tears of a Tiger Comprehension Questions & Reading Journal
62 readers
Tears of a Tiger has 40 chapters
Andy Jackson was driving the car that crashed one night after a game, killing Robert Washington, his best friend and the captain of the Hazelwood High Tigers.
Free, no sign-up. Customise to reword questions or add your reader’s name.
Inside the journal: 40 chapter pages, one question each · 3 example answers · a cover for your reader’s name
Chapter by chapter Each question is about its own chapter.
What important facts do you learn from the news report about the car crash, and what questions do you still have?See all 40 questions ↓
About the book
Andy Jackson was driving the car that crashed one night after a game, killing Robert Washington, his best friend and the captain of the Hazelwood High Tigers. It was late, and they'd been drinking, and now, months later, Andy can't stop blaming himself. As he turns away from family, friends, and even his girlfriend, he finds he's losing the most precious thing of all: his ability to face the future.
Buy the book on Amazon ↗ (affiliate link)
Tears of a Tiger questions by chapter
We know this book well. Every question asks about something that happens in its chapter, a moment, a choice or a character, without giving away what comes next. One question per chapter, across all 40 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
What important facts do you learn from the news report about the car crash, and what questions do you still have?
-
Chapter 2
How do the boys’ words and actions before the accident show that they feel grown-up, excited, or careless?
-
Chapter 3
Why is Rob’s death especially hard for Andy to understand and accept?
-
Chapter 4
How do students and adults at school show their grief in different ways?
-
Chapter 5
What does Andy say about the crash, and what do his words reveal about how he sees himself?
-
Chapter 6
How does B.J.’s choice not to drink affect the way he thinks about the accident afterward?
-
Chapter 7
What do Tyrone’s comments help you understand about friendship, fear, and guilt?
Example answer: I think Tyrone’s comments show that friends can be scared even when they try to act tough. He cares about Andy and Rob, but he does not always know the right words to say. His guilt seems heavy because he was part of that night, even though he did not mean for anyone to get hurt. This helps me see that guilt can stay with people after a bad choice.
-
Chapter 8
At Rob’s funeral or memorial, what details show that Rob mattered to many people?
-
Chapter 9
How does Keisha try to help Andy, and what does this show about her character?
-
Chapter 10
Why might talking to Dr. Carrothers be hard for Andy at first?
-
Chapter 11
What does Andy’s writing or letter reveal that he may not be able to say out loud?
-
Chapter 12
How do Andy’s parents react to him, and what does Andy seem to need from them?
-
Chapter 13
What words or phrases in this chapter show that Andy feels responsible for what happened?
-
Chapter 14
What do you predict Andy will need in order to begin healing? Explain your thinking.
-
Chapter 15
How can joking with friends help the characters, and how can it also keep them from talking about serious feelings?
-
Chapter 16
Compare the ways Andy, B.J., and Tyrone are coping with Rob’s death. How are they alike and different?
-
Chapter 17
How does Hazelwood High influence what the characters do, say, or hide?
-
Chapter 18
In this chapter, what does the word “guilt” mean, and how is it different from being legally at fault?
-
Chapter 19
How does Keisha change as she deals with Andy’s sadness and her own feelings?
-
Chapter 20
What lesson about drinking and driving is becoming clear in the story?
-
Chapter 21
Why is Andy’s basketball talent no longer enough to make him feel happy or proud?
-
Chapter 22
How do teachers, counselors, or other adults notice Andy’s pain, and how might they miss it?
-
Chapter 23
What signs show that Andy’s sadness is getting more serious?
-
Chapter 24
If you were Andy’s friend, what would you say or do to help him in this chapter?
Example answer: If I were Andy’s friend, I would tell him that he does not have to handle everything alone. I would sit with him and listen instead of making jokes or changing the subject. I would also tell a trusted adult, like a counselor or teacher, because Andy needs more help than a friend can give by himself. I think helping someone means taking their pain seriously.
-
Chapter 25
How does Andy’s talk with a coach, teacher, or adult show the pressure he feels?
-
Chapter 26
What does Andy seem to wish adults understood about him?
-
Chapter 27
How do Rob’s parents and friends keep Rob’s memory alive?
-
Chapter 28
What image or symbol stands out in this chapter, and what do you think it means?
-
Chapter 29
How does Sharon Draper’s format, such as letters, articles, and dialogue, change the way you understand the characters?
-
Chapter 30
Why is Keisha’s decision to set limits important, even though she cares about Andy?
-
Chapter 31
What do you think Andy means when he says he is tired or cannot go on, and how should listeners respond?
-
Chapter 32
How do phone calls, messages, or missed connections in this part create worry or suspense?
-
Chapter 33
What choices do Andy’s friends make when they sense danger, and what else could they do?
-
Chapter 34
Why is it important to take talk about self-harm seriously, even if someone says it in a quiet or joking way?
-
Chapter 35
How does Andy’s death affect the people around him?
-
Chapter 36
What feelings do the characters show after Andy’s death, and how do they show them?
-
Chapter 37
How do the letters, poems, or memories from classmates show different kinds of grief?
-
Chapter 38
What theme about asking for help can readers learn from this story?
Example answer: I think the story teaches that asking for help is brave, not weak. Andy keeps a lot of pain inside, and it becomes too much for him. Readers can learn that talking to a trusted adult, counselor, friend, or family member can be very important. The book reminds me that serious sadness should not be ignored.
-
Chapter 39
Which character do you think changes the most by the end of the book, and what events cause that change?
-
Chapter 40
After finishing the book, what message do you think Sharon Draper wants young readers to remember?
More ready-made journals
-
The Lost Heir
-
The Lost Hero
-
The Lost Library
-
The Lottery
-
The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks
-
The Magical Monarch of Mo
How to use this Tears of a Tiger 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, 40 chapters, so it doubles as the reading log for Tears of a Tiger. 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
Each question is about its own chapter. We know this book well. Every question asks about something that happens in its chapter, a moment, a choice or a character, without giving away what comes next. The questions were drafted with AI from what is known about the book and checked before publishing; every one is editable before you print.