The Hate U Give Comprehension Questions & Reading Journal
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The Hate U Give has 26 chapters · 448 pages
It is Thomas's debut novel, expanded from a short story she wrote in college in reaction to the police shooting of Oscar Grant.
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Inside the journal: 26 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 event seems most important to Starr so far? Explain what happened and why it matters to her.See all 26 questions ↓
About the book
It is Thomas's debut novel, expanded from a short story she wrote in college in reaction to the police shooting of Oscar Grant. The book is narrated by Starr Carter, a 16-year-old black girl from a poor neighborhood who attends an elite private school in a predominantly white, affluent part of the city. Starr becomes entangled in a national news story after she witnesses a white police officer shoot and kill her childhood friend, Khalil.
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The Hate U Give 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 26 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 event seems most important to Starr so far? Explain what happened and why it matters to her.
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Chapter 2
How does Starr act in Garden Heights compared with how she acts at Williamson Prep? Use what you have learned so far, and explain what might cause any differences.
Example answer: I notice that Starr watches how she talks at Williamson Prep. She worries that people there will judge her because she is Black and comes from Garden Heights. In her neighborhood, she knows the people and their shared history, but she can still feel out of place. I think changing how she acts takes a lot of energy because she wants to fit in without hiding who she is.
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Chapter 3
Based on your reading so far, what difficult choice might Starr face next? What detail supports your prediction?
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Chapter 4
Choose a word from your reading that helps describe Starr’s feelings. What does it mean in that sentence, and what clues helped you understand it?
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Chapter 5
Where have you noticed fair or unfair treatment in Starr’s world so far? Explain how that treatment affects someone.
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Chapter 6
Which choice made by Starr or another character do you agree or disagree with so far? Give a reason for your opinion.
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Chapter 7
What have you learned so far about Starr’s family? Explain how one family relationship helps you understand her.
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Chapter 8
What do Starr’s thoughts or memories about Khalil show about their friendship so far?
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Chapter 9
What does the story suggest so far about judging people before getting to know them? Support your idea with a detail.
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Chapter 10
Which unanswered question about Starr’s situation do you most want the story to explain? What do you think the answer might be?
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Chapter 11
Find a phrase in your reading that creates a strong picture in your mind. What do you picture, and how does the phrase help you understand Starr’s world?
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Chapter 12
Which character seems most trustworthy to you at this point? Explain what the character has said or done to earn your trust.
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Chapter 13
How has Garden Heights shaped what you understand about Starr’s life so far? Use a detail about the neighborhood.
Example answer: I see Garden Heights as more than just the place where Starr lives. Her family’s store shows that her family is connected to the neighborhood. There are dangers there, but there are also people who know and care about one another. These details help me understand why the neighborhood matters to Starr.
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Chapter 14
When has Starr shared her true thoughts, and when has she kept them to herself so far? Explain what might make speaking honestly difficult for her.
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Chapter 15
What kind of support does Starr seem to need at this point? Explain whether someone in the story is giving her that support.
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Chapter 16
What do you predict might test one of Starr’s friendships? Base your answer on something you have read, rather than on a guess alone.
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Chapter 17
Choose a word or expression from a conversation you have read. How does it help you hear the speaker’s mood or personality?
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Chapter 18
Which adult’s actions would you most want to discuss with that adult so far? Explain what you would ask and why.
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Chapter 19
Describe a cause-and-effect link in your reading so far: how does one event lead to a character’s action or feeling?
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Chapter 20
What does courage look like for Starr at this point? Explain whether it involves acting, speaking, listening, or something else.
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Chapter 21
How do the things people say about Khalil compare with what Starr knows about him so far? What does that difference teach you about whose story gets heard?
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Chapter 22
If Starr spends more time in either Garden Heights or Williamson Prep, how might that affect her next choices? Use what you know about that place to make a prediction.
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Chapter 23
Looking only at what you have read so far, what ideas does the title The Hate U Give bring to mind? Connect one word in the title to the story.
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Chapter 24
Who most needs to listen carefully to Starr at this point? Explain what that person could learn from her.
Example answer: I think Starr’s friends at Williamson Prep need to listen carefully to her. They may know her at school without understanding her life in Garden Heights. By listening, they could learn why she sometimes feels pulled between two places. I think good friends should try to understand her instead of expecting her to hide parts of herself.
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Chapter 25
If you were catching up a reader who had stopped earlier, which three details from your reading so far would you include to explain Starr’s situation? Tell why those details matter.
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Chapter 26
What has the story shown so far about being yourself when different people expect different things from you? Connect your answer to Starr.
Discussion questions for after The Hate U Give
Bigger questions for when the book is finished, each printed on its own ruled page at the end of the booklet.
- How does Starr change from the beginning of The Hate U Give to the end? Write a paragraph or two about how she understands herself and uses her voice. Choose moments from different parts of the book, and explain which people or experiences helped her change.
- What do you think The Hate U Give is really teaching readers about fairness, family, and community? In a paragraph or two, explain how these ideas connect through Starr’s experiences. Use examples from across the book and describe one lesson you will remember.
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How to use this The Hate U Give 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, 26 chapters, so it doubles as the reading log for The Hate U Give. 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.