Grade 4AR Level 4.6

The Great Gilly Hopkins

Name: ReadBuddy
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Reading Comprehension Questions

by Katherine Paterson

9 curated questions

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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

9 curated questions across multiple comprehension levels. Use after your child finishes the book.

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1Who is Gilly's new foster mother at the beginning of the story?

Comprehensioneasy

2How does Gilly try to get money to buy a bus ticket to California?

Comprehensionmedium

3Why does Gilly's grandmother, Nonnie, suddenly appear to take Gilly away?

Comprehensionhard

4When Gilly acts 'gruff' towards William Ernest, what does the word 'gruff' mean?

Vocabularyeasy

5Gilly thinks Agnes Stokes is 'gullible' because she easily believes Gilly's lies. What does 'gullible' mean?

Vocabularymedium

6Miss Harris is described as a 'formidable' opponent for Gilly. What does 'formidable' mean in this context?

Vocabularyhard

7Why does Gilly act so mean to everyone when she first arrives at Trotter's house?

Inferenceeasy

8How does Gilly's feeling about William Ernest change when she helps him learn to defend himself?

Inferencemedium

9At the end of the book, why does Trotter tell Gilly she cannot come back to live with her?

Inferencehard

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All 9 questions

Across recall, inference, theme, vocabulary, and critical thinking.

Answer keys

For parents — what a strong answer looks like at this grade.

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Key Vocabulary

Important words from The Great Gilly Hopkins to discuss with your child.

FormidableDespicableGruffGullibleDeliriousSarcasm

Discussion Prompts

Great open-ended questions for car rides, dinner, or read-alouds.

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1“What was your favorite part of The Great Gilly Hopkins? Why did it stand out to you?”

2“If you could talk to any character from The Great Gilly Hopkins, who would you choose and what would you ask them?”

3“How did The Great Gilly Hopkins make you feel? Can you describe a moment that surprised you?”

4“Would you recommend The Great Gilly Hopkins to a friend? What would you tell them about it?”

5“What lesson or message do you think Katherine Paterson wanted young readers to learn from this story?”

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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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