Top Story Comprehension Questions & Reading Journal
Top Story has 58 chapters · Grades 3–5 · 304 pages
Book 5 of the Front Desk series
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Inside the journal: 58 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.
So far, what seems most important to Mia about attending the newspaper's writing camp? Explain what helps you understand her goal.See all 58 questions ↓
About the book
Mia Tang and her best friend Lupe are spending their winter break in San Francisco so that Mia can attend a writing camp run by the newspaper and Lupe can go to a math camp and compete in a Math Cup tournament with Mrs. Tang at the university.
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Top Story 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 58 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
So far, what seems most important to Mia about attending the newspaper's writing camp? Explain what helps you understand her goal.
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Chapter 2
What have you learned about Lupe's interests or goals so far? Describe a detail that helps you understand her.
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Chapter 3
How does being in San Francisco shape the story so far? Explain what the setting adds to Mia and Lupe's winter break.
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Chapter 4
Based on your reading so far, how might Mrs. Tang's interests or goals connect with Lupe's? Use a detail to explain your thinking.
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Chapter 5
Looking ahead from where you stopped, what do you think Mia might learn about writing? Explain what makes your prediction reasonable.
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Chapter 6
Which word would you use to describe Mia's attitude so far? Explain its meaning and support your choice with a detail.
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Chapter 7
What do you appreciate about Mia and Lupe's friendship at this point? Explain why that quality matters.
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Chapter 8
Which challenge facing Mia or Lupe seems most important right now? Explain what makes it challenging.
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Chapter 9
Choose a decision Mia has made in your reading so far. What does that decision help you understand about her?
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Chapter 10
What does the story suggest so far about getting better at something? Connect your thinking to Mia's or Lupe's interests.
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Chapter 11
In what ways are Mia's interest in writing and Lupe's interest in math alike and different? Use what you know so far.
Example answer: I think Mia and Lupe are alike because they both have an interest they want to develop. Mia's camp focuses on writing, while Lupe's camp focuses on math and includes a competition. Both subjects take practice and careful thinking. Their plans remind me that friends can enjoy different things and still understand each other's goals.
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Chapter 12
How do you predict Mia and Lupe could support each other during their winter break? Connect your prediction to what you know about them.
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Chapter 13
Which feeling best describes Mia at your stopping point? Explain the clues that helped you decide.
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Chapter 14
Find a word you did not know well in your reading. How do the words around it help you understand its meaning in Mia's story?
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Chapter 15
If you could ask Kelly Yang one question about Mia's winter break so far, what would you ask, and why?
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Chapter 16
How would you summarize the story so far for someone who knows only that Mia and Lupe are visiting San Francisco? Choose the details that matter most.
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Chapter 17
Where do you notice a question about fairness in Mia's story so far? Explain what seems fair or unfair and why.
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Chapter 18
What might courage look like for Mia at this point in the book? Use something you know about her to explain.
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Chapter 19
How does Mia's interest in a newspaper make you think about the job of sharing information? Explain one responsibility you think a writer has.
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Chapter 20
Choose something Mia or Lupe has said in your reading so far. What do the words reveal about the speaker?
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Chapter 21
Which part of the San Francisco setting do you think could matter more as the story continues? Explain your prediction without reading ahead.
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Chapter 22
What advice would you give Mia at this point? Explain how your advice fits her situation.
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Chapter 23
Pick a descriptive word or phrase from your reading. How does it help you picture Mia's surroundings or experiences?
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Chapter 24
How do Mia and Lupe seem different in the way they approach their goals? Explain using what you have read so far.
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Chapter 25
What has Mia's story made you think about learning outside a regular classroom? Connect your idea to her winter-break plans or experiences.
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Chapter 26
What question about Lupe are you still hoping the book will answer? Explain why that question interests you.
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Chapter 27
How does seeing events through Mia's point of view affect your understanding of the story? Describe something you understand especially well because of her viewpoint.
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Chapter 28
What role do you think Mrs. Tang might play as the story continues? Base your prediction on what you know about her so far.
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Chapter 29
Choose one thing Mia wants at this point. How do her actions show how much she wants it?
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Chapter 30
Would you rather attend Mia's writing camp or Lupe's math camp? Explain your choice and what you would hope to learn.
Example answer: I would choose Mia's writing camp because I like asking questions and sharing ideas. I would want to learn how newspaper writers decide which details are important. Math camp sounds interesting too, but writing is something I especially want to practice. I would hope to leave camp knowing how to make my writing clearer.
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Chapter 31
Find a word or phrase that helps show a character's feelings. What does it suggest about that character's experience in Mia's story?
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Chapter 32
What mood did your latest reading leave you with? Explain how a detail involving Mia, Lupe, or their surroundings helped create it.
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Chapter 33
Why might listening carefully be useful to Mia as a writer? Connect your answer to something you have noticed in the story so far.
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Chapter 34
How would Mia or Lupe describe success at this point? Explain whether success might mean more than winning or being praised.
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Chapter 35
What does Mia seem to need from a friend right now? Explain how you reached that idea.
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Chapter 36
If Mia faced a setback next, how do you think she would respond? Use her behavior so far to support your prediction.
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Chapter 37
Which small detail from your reading seems worth remembering? Explain how it might help you understand Mia's story.
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Chapter 38
Select a sentence that gives you a strong sense of Mia's personality. Explain what her words or thoughts reveal.
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Chapter 39
Do you think writing for a newspaper would suit Mia? Support your opinion with what you know about her so far.
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Chapter 40
Look for an expression that means more than its exact words. What does it mean, and how does it fit the moment in Mia's story? If you cannot find one, explain a vivid phrase instead.
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Chapter 41
What have you learned about Mrs. Tang as a person with her own interests? Explain how that adds to your understanding of her.
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Chapter 42
How might Mia and Lupe balance their own goals with being good friends? Connect your thinking to their situation so far.
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Chapter 43
When have you felt something like a feeling Mia or Lupe has shown? Explain both the connection and one way your situations differ.
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Chapter 44
Which skill do you predict will be especially useful to Mia during her writing experience? Explain why that skill could matter.
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Chapter 45
Identify something that has affected Mia's thoughts or actions so far. Explain the connection between what happened and her response.
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Chapter 46
Which words in your reading help make San Francisco or another setting feel real? Explain what those words help you imagine.
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Chapter 47
What connections can you make between the title Top Story and what you know about Mia so far? Explain more than one possible meaning.
Example answer: I connect the title to Mia's newspaper writing camp because a top story could be an important piece of news. I also think the title could make readers ask whose stories deserve attention. To me, an important story does not have to be about a famous person. I will watch for how Mia learns to notice stories that matter.
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Chapter 48
Which goal in the story would be hardest for you to work toward? Explain your choice by comparing yourself with Mia or Lupe.
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Chapter 49
What strength do you notice in Lupe so far? Explain how that strength could help her in math or in friendship.
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Chapter 50
What can Mia and Lupe's different interests teach readers about talent? Support your idea with what you know about both characters.
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Chapter 51
Whose point of view would you like to hear besides Mia's at this point? Explain what Lupe, Mrs. Tang, or another character might help you understand.
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Chapter 52
Make a prediction about a question Mia may need to answer for herself. Explain how that question connects to her goals so far.
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Chapter 53
Choose a word connected to writing, math, or learning from your reading. Explain its meaning in your own words and why it matters in that part of the story.
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Chapter 54
Compare the beginning and ending of the chapter you just read. What changed in your understanding of Mia's situation, even if the change was small?
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Chapter 55
Which detail about Mia or Lupe feels especially believable to you? Explain why it reminds you of how real people think, feel, or act.
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Chapter 56
How has your first impression of Mia been strengthened or changed by your reading so far? Give a detail that shaped your thinking.
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Chapter 57
What lesson about following an interest seems to be developing in Mia and Lupe's story? Explain how the book is helping you think about that lesson.
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Chapter 58
If you could choose the next scene in Mia's story, what would you want to see? Explain how that scene could build on what you have already read.
Discussion questions for after Top Story
Bigger questions for when the book is finished, each printed on its own ruled page at the end of the booklet.
- How does Mia change from the beginning of Top Story to the end? Explain which experiences and relationships help her grow, using details from different parts of the book. Then describe what you think she learns about writing and about herself.
- Mia and Lupe spend their winter break following different interests. What does their whole story suggest about friendship and working toward a goal? Use examples from both characters' experiences, and explain which message you would most want another reader to remember.
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How to use this Top Story 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, 58 chapters, so it doubles as the reading log for Top Story. 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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