Warriors Don't Cry Comprehension Questions & Reading Journal
112 readers
Warriors Don't Cry has 18 chapters · 269 pages
The landmark 1954 Supreme Court ruling, Brown v. Board of Education, brought the promise of integration to Little Rock, Arkansas, but it was hard-won for the nine black teenagers chosen to integrate Central High School in 1957.
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Inside the journal: 18 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 do you learn about Melba, her family, and the world she is born into in Chapter 1? How do these details help you understand her story?See all 18 questions ↓
About the book
The landmark 1954 Supreme Court ruling, Brown v. Board of Education, brought the promise of integration to Little Rock, Arkansas, but it was hard-won for the nine black teenagers chosen to integrate Central High School in 1957. They ran a gauntlet flanked by a rampaging mob and a heavily armed Arkansas National Guard--opposition so intense that soldiers from the elite 101st Airborne Division were called in to restore order.
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Warriors Don't Cry 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 18 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 do you learn about Melba, her family, and the world she is born into in Chapter 1? How do these details help you understand her story?
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Chapter 2
Grandma India tells Melba that warriors do not cry. What do you think she means by this, and how does her advice help Melba?
Example answer: I think Grandma India means that a warrior keeps going even when life is painful and unfair. She is not saying Melba can never feel sad. She is teaching her to stay strong and not let cruel people control her. This advice helps Melba remember that she has courage inside her.
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Chapter 3
In this chapter, Melba begins to think about what it might mean to attend Central High School. What are her hopes, and what worries might she have?
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Chapter 4
How do Melba’s family members react to the idea of her helping to integrate Central High? What does this show about the risks they understand?
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Chapter 5
When Melba and the other Black students try to enter Central High, what keeps them from going in? How does this moment show unfairness?
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Chapter 6
How do crowds, newspapers, and leaders affect what happens to Melba and the other students in this chapter?
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Chapter 7
What changes when federal soldiers come to Little Rock? How do the soldiers help Melba, and what problems still remain?
Example answer: When the federal soldiers come, Melba is finally able to enter Central High more safely. The soldiers protect her from some of the angry people who want to hurt her. Still, they cannot make all the students treat her kindly. Melba is inside the school, but she still has to face bullying and fear every day.
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Chapter 8
Describe Danny, the soldier who protects Melba. What kind of person does he seem to be, and why is he important to her?
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Chapter 9
Melba has to keep learning while other students mistreat her. What does this show about her strength and her goals?
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Chapter 10
How does Melba’s experience at Central High affect her life at home with her family? Give examples of changes or sacrifices.
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Chapter 11
Choose one difficult event Melba faces in this chapter. How does she respond, and what does her response reveal about her character?
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Chapter 12
Minnijean faces unfair treatment at school. How does her experience help you understand the larger injustice faced by the Little Rock Nine?
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Chapter 13
Melba sometimes feels angry and tired of being hurt. Do you think it is harder to be brave when you are angry? Explain your thinking.
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Chapter 14
What does Melba lose from her normal teenage life because of integration? Why are these losses important to notice?
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Chapter 15
Find a strong word or phrase from this chapter that shows fear, courage, or unfairness. What does it mean, and why did the author choose it?
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Chapter 16
How does Link’s choice to help Melba challenge what others expect from him? What might his actions teach readers about doing the right thing?
Example answer: Link is a white student, so many people might expect him to follow the crowd and stay against Melba. Instead, he chooses to warn her and help her. I think this shows that people can decide for themselves what is right, even when their friends or family disagree. His actions teach me that doing the right thing can be scary but important.
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Chapter 17
By the end of the school year, how have Melba and the other students changed? What have they proved to themselves and to others?
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Chapter 18
After reading the final chapter, what do you think is the main message of Warriors Don't Cry? How can that message matter to readers today?
More ready-made journals
How to use this Warriors Don't Cry 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, 18 chapters, so it doubles as the reading log for Warriors Don't Cry. 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.