The Great Gilly Hopkins Reading Comprehension Questions
by Katherine Paterson
Book Summary
Eleven-year-old Gilly Hopkins is a brilliant, angry, and unmanageable foster child who has bounced from home to home. When she is placed with the large, loving Maime Trotter, she plots to escape to her biological mother in California. However, as she slowly learns to love Trotter, William Ernest, and Mr. Randolph, her past actions catch up with her, forcing her to learn hard truths about family, love, and growing up.
Reading Comprehension Questions
Use these 9 questions to check understanding and spark deeper thinking about The Great Gilly Hopkins.
1.Who is Gilly's new foster mother at the beginning of the story?
2.How does Gilly try to get money to buy a bus ticket to California?
3.Why does Gilly's grandmother, Nonnie, suddenly appear to take Gilly away?
4.When Gilly acts 'gruff' towards William Ernest, what does the word 'gruff' mean?
5.Gilly thinks Agnes Stokes is 'gullible' because she easily believes Gilly's lies. What does 'gullible' mean?
6.Miss Harris is described as a 'formidable' opponent for Gilly. What does 'formidable' mean in this context?
7.Why does Gilly act so mean to everyone when she first arrives at Trotter's house?
8.How does Gilly's feeling about William Ernest change when she helps him learn to defend himself?
9.At the end of the book, why does Trotter tell Gilly she cannot come back to live with her?
Key Vocabulary
Important words from The Great Gilly Hopkins to discuss with your child.
Discussion Prompts
Great conversation starters for parents and teachers reading The Great Gilly Hopkins with children.
What was your favorite part of The Great Gilly Hopkins? Why did it stand out to you?
If you could talk to any character from The Great Gilly Hopkins, who would you choose and what would you ask them?
How did The Great Gilly Hopkins make you feel? Can you describe a moment that surprised you?
Would you recommend The Great Gilly Hopkins to a friend? What would you tell them about it?
What lesson or message do you think Katherine Paterson wanted young readers to learn from this story?
Frequently Asked Questions
What reading level is The Great Gilly Hopkins?
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson is recommended for grades 3-5 readers with an AR level of 4.6. It's an excellent choice for building reading comprehension skills at this level.
What are good comprehension questions for The Great Gilly Hopkins?
ReadBuddy provides 9 carefully crafted comprehension questions for The Great Gilly Hopkins, covering literal comprehension, vocabulary, and inference skills. These questions help students engage deeply with the story.
How can I use The Great Gilly Hopkins for reading practice?
Read the book together or independently, then use ReadBuddy's comprehension questions to check understanding. Focus on vocabulary words, discuss character motivations, and encourage your child to make connections to their own experiences.
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