Novel Study Packet
Name: ___________________________
Book Title: Alex Rider – Stormbreaker Group #: _______
Description of Assignment
Day 1
Read Chapter 1
Complete Summary #1
Day 2
Read Chapter 2
Complete Vocab #1
Day 3
Answer comprehension questions #1-6 and include page
numbers of where you found your answers.
Day 4
Complete Extension Activity #1
Day 5
Read Chapters 3 & 4
Complete Summary #2
Day 6
Read Chapters 5 & 6
Complete Vocab #2
Day 7
Answer comprehension questions #7-12 and include
page numbers of where you found your answers.
Day 8
Complete Extension Activity #2
Day 9
Read Chapters 7 & 8
Complete Summary #3
Day 10
Read Chapters 9 & 10
Complete Vocab #3
Day 11
Answer comprehension questions #13-18 and include
page numbers of where you found your answers.
Day 12
Complete Extension Activity #3
Due Date
Day 13
Read Chapters 11 & 12
Complete Summary #4
Day 14
Read Chapters 13 & 14
Complete Vocab #4
Day 15
Answer comprehension questions #19-24 and include
page numbers of where you found your answers.
Day 16
Complete Extension Activity #4
Day 17
Read Chapter 15
Complete Summary #4
Day 18
Read Chapters 17 & 18
Complete Vocab #4
Day 19
Answer comprehension questions #25-30 and include
page numbers of where you found your answers.
Day 20
Complete Extension Activity #5
Novel Study Quiz will be completed as an in-class, graded assignment on Day 21,
Tentative Date: _________________________________. Completed packets must be submitted on that day,
as well.
Summary #1: Chapter 1
Write a paragraph summarizing the main events from what you have been assigned to read today. This
should be at least 3-5 complete sentences and should be indented.
Vocabulary #1: Chapter 2
Find each word within the chapters you were assigned to read today. Fill in all missing information on the
grid.
Word
Page #
exclusive
tottering
carcasses
din
lull
Quote from text using the word
Inferred definition
Comprehension Questions Chapters 1-2
1. What did Alex get for his 12 th birthday?
2. What was odd about Mr. Blunt’s driver?
3. When he was at the auto wreckers, where exactly did he hide?
4. What two things had the same business name?
5. How did Alex get away from the armed driver?
6. Describe what each of the titles for chapters 1 and 2 mean.
Extension Activity #1:
Instagram
Directions: Imagine you could take a snapshot of a scene from this section of your book. In
the box below, draw and color what you “see” of the setting when you read. Add a clever
caption below. Optional: decorate an artsy frame around the box to go along with the scene.
Be sure to color every bit of your picture and include creative details that might be found in the
setting as it has been described so far.
Caption: _______________________________________________________________________________________
Summary #2: Chapters 3 & 4
Write a paragraph summarizing the main events from what you have been assigned to read today. This
should be at least 3-5 complete sentences and should be indented.
Vocabulary #2: Chapters 5 & 6
Find each word within the chapters you were assigned to read today. Fill in all missing information on the
grid.
Word
Page #
gash
shred
sapped
summon
acrid
Quote from text using the word
Inferred definition
Comprehension Questions for Chapters 3-6
7. What nickname did the other trainees give to Alex?
8. What did Alex steal from the sergeant?
9. Who made Alex trip the wire in the Killing House?
10. Who was Yassen Gregorovich? What was his job?
11. Describe the process Alex used to get into his uncle’s office.
12. Have you ever been “the new kid” at a school, sports team, club, neighborhood, etc.? How did the other kids act
toward you? Were they welcoming or not? How did it make you feel?
Extension Activity #2:
Directions: Imagine you are one of the main characters in this section of your book. On the journal page below, write two
separate journal entries your character could have written during their experiences during this section of your book. Try to
write with that character’s personality and opinions in mind. Each entry should be written in letter format. Make up a
realistic date for this section of your book, or use actual dates if provided in your book.
Summary #3: Chapters 7 & 8
Write a paragraph summarizing the main events from what you have been assigned to read today. This
should be at least 3-5 complete sentences and should be indented.
Vocabulary #3: Chapters 9 & 10
Find each word within the chapters you were assigned to read today. Fill in all missing information on the
grid.
Word
Page #
javelin
silhouetted
hairpin
perched
glint
Quote from text using the word
Inferred definition
Comprehension Questions for Chapters 7-10
13. What game did Alex and Sayle play before eating dinner on Alex’s first full day?
14. What was different about Mr. Grin’s appearance?
15. Which country was Fraulein Vole from?
16. Which room was Alex assigned?
17. What filled the entryway to the Sayles Enterprise house?
18. Describe the sequence of events that happened when Alex went on a walk to Port Tallon.
Extension Activity #3: Select two main characters from this section of your book and imagine they are having a
conversation about an event in this section of the book. Write what they might say in a few text messages to each other –
please include enough details that we can infer the event. Label each side of the message screen to show which character
is speaking on that side.
Text Message Conversation
Summary #4: Chapters 11 & 12
Write a paragraph summarizing the main events from what you have been assigned to read today. This
should be at least 3-5 complete sentences and should be indented.
Vocabulary #4: Chapters 13 & 14
Find each word within the chapters you were assigned to read today. Fill in all missing information on the
grid.
Word
Page #
writhing
nicked
spittle
pressing
splutter
Quote from text using the word
Inferred definition
Comprehension Questions for Chapters 11-14
19. Where did Vole put Alex?
20. What did Alex hear after getting out of the aquarium?
21. What was the virus in the Stormbreakers?
22. After he escaped from the mine, who was waiting for Alex outside his door?
23. Who did Herod Sayle hate from when he was younger?
24. Do you think Nadia Vole can be trusted? Why or why not? Use examples from the story that show her actions.
Extension Activity #4:
Directions: In the television show, Trading Spaces, people trade homes for a
weekend and redesign one room for the family. Imagine you are trading spaces with a
main character in this book and are going to create the dream bedroom for that
character. Draw your design proposal in the box below, showing a side view of the
room as if you were standing with your back against one of the walls and looking at the rest of the room. Everything in the
room must be a reflection of that character and his/her traits, beliefs, opinions, hobbies, etc. Think carefully about colors for
carpet, walls, and bedding (is the character bright and cheerful, dark and gloomy, imaginative, etc.) Include at least 5
special items that show something about that character’s traits, such as a poster on the wall of their favorite band, a DVD
case on the floor of their favorite movie, the pet they are most likely to have, etc. Be sure to color neatly.
Summary #5: Chapter 15
Write a paragraph summarizing the main events from what you have been assigned to read today. This
should be at least 3-5 complete sentences and should be indented.
Vocabulary #5: Chapters 16 & 17
Find each word within the chapters you were assigned to read today. Fill in all missing information on the
grid.
Word
Page #
halt
blossomed
jutting
hail
hitherto
Quote from text using the word
Inferred definition
Comprehension Questions for Chapters 15-17
25. What was the identity of the cab driver?
26. Mrs. Jones gave Alex an envelope – what did it contain?
27. Who was the only person programmed to release the virus, and where is that computer located?
28. What did Alex use to stop Mr. Grim from flying into him?
29. What did Alex have to destroy in order to stop the activation of the computers?
30. Re-write the meeting with Mrs. Jones and Blunt so that Alex might change his mind about spying again.
Extension Activity #5: Complete this newspaper below to show the main story from the book. Add creative touches,
such as other sections in the newspaper and a secondary story about something else that happened in the book.
Name: ______________________________________
Date: __________________________
Stormbreaker Novel Study Quiz
1. Alex saw Yassen Gregorovich emerge from a ______ .
Mercedes
Submarine
Helicopter
Laundry truck
2. Why wasn't Alex shot on the helicopter pad?
Alex leaped over the edge of the building.
Mr. Blunt shot the gunman.
Yassen didn't have instructions to do so.
An agent stopped the shooter just in time.
3. Why did Alex agree to be a spy?
He liked the idea of playing with computers.
He didn't want to leave his school or have Jack
deported.
He liked the idea of finding out who killed his
uncle.
He didn't want to disappoint Mrs. Jones.
4. Why did Nadia Vole suggest that Alex take a stroll on his
last day testing the Stormbreaker?
It was all a plan so he wouldn't see secrets.
It was all a plan to get him away to kill him.
She thought he needed fresh air.
She wanted a break from observing him.
5. Where did Vole put Alex?
In the mine shaft
In a fishing boat
In the aquarium
In the ocean
6. What did Alex use to escape the jellyfish?
Penknife
Poison
Zit cream
String
7. How did Alex get his equipment to explore the mine
8. What was the name of Ian's last mission?
shaft?
Banker 007
He traded the quad bike for the items with a local
Stormbreaker
teen.
Cloudy Day
He found an abandoned boat with the equipment
Shakespeare
in it.
He found the items hidden by Ian in the old
building.
He bought the items at a maritime store.
9. What had been Ian Rider's job?
Banker
Terrorist
International supervisor
Spy
10. Who killed Herod Sayle?
Mrs. Jones
Yassen Gregorovich
Alex
Mr. Blunt
Teacher KEY: Alex Rider - Storm Breaker Novel Study
Summary #1: Chapter 1
The police come to Alex's house to notify them that Alex’s uncle, Ian Rider, has died in a car
accident. (Alex lived with his uncle after the tragic deaths of his parents in a plane crash shortly after he
was born.) At the funeral, Alex meets Alan Blunt and is surprised that one of the guys with Mr. Blunt is
armed. Alex struggles with how his uncle died. When they all get back from the funeral they find that all his
uncle’s belongings are gone and see a truck with the name Stryker & Son.
Vocabulary #1: Chapter 2
Word
exclusive
Page #
p. 11
tottering
p. 17
carcasses
p. 17
din
p. 18
lull
p. 20
Quote from text using the word
“He could have gone to any of the
exclusive private schools around
Chelsea…”
“…Alex could see a shed with a
security window and beyond it the
tottering piles of dead and broken
cars.”
“Everything of any value had been
stripped away and only the rusting
carcasses remained…”
“With the din from the machines, there
was no chance that anyone would
hear him…”
“If there hadn’t been a sudden lull,
Alex would never have heard the men
coming.”
Inferred definition
Not everyone is allowed in, difficult
to get accepted into that school; the
“in” place to be
Leaning, looks as if they could fall
over
Metal frames of the car, lacking
panels
Loud noise
A break in all the noise; sudden
quietness
Comprehension Questions for Chapters 1 & 2
1. What did Alex get for his 12th birthday? bike
2. What was odd about Mr. Blunt’s driver? He had a gun
3. When he was at the auto wreckers, where exactly did he hide? In his uncle’s car
4. What two things had the same business name? the moving van and the autor wreckers
5. How did Alex get away from the armed driver? He used karate on the man and rode his bike away
6. Describe what each of the titles for chapters 1 and 2 mean. Answers may vary.
Extension Activity #1: No key, as responses can vary.
Summary #2: Chapters 3 & 4
Alex is invited to his uncle’s bank- when he arrives he notices multiple cameras. When John
Crawley calls him into his office, Alex asks to visit his uncle's office but is denied. When Crawley leaves
the room, Alex jumps out the window, goes into his uncle's office, and is shot while searching through the
drawers. Alex wakes to find himself alive in a large room. There Mr. Blunt and Mrs. Jones tell him the
truth about his uncle's death, that his uncle was a spy for MI6, and he was killed in the Stormbreaker
mission. Mission Stormbreaker is focused around evil Egyptian named Herod Sayle. He is buliding
computers named Stormbreaker with suspicious ties to China and the Soviet Union (enemies). Alex is
recruited to be a spy.
Vocabulary #2: Chapters 5 & 6
Word
gash
Page #
p. 57
shred
p. 65
sapped
p. 67
summon
p. 76
acrid
p. 79
Quote from text using the word
“His shoulder was bruised and there
was a gash along the side of his
neck.”
“Alex hadn’t expected to see a shred
of concern in the man’s face and he
wasn’t disappointed.”
“Seeing him there brought back the
same and the anger of the day before
and at the same time sapped the last
of his strength.”
“Alex could see his shoulders rising
and falling as he tried to summon up
the courage to go.”
“Then a wisp of acrid smoke twisted
upward in the air, the metal sizzled,
and a jagged hole appeared.”
Inferred definition
A large cut
A small amount
Drained
To call upon, to gather the courage
from within
Harsh, bad-smelling, unpleasant
Comprehension Questions for Chapters 3-6
7. What nickname did the other trainees give to Alex? Double o Nothing
8. What did Alex steal from the sergeant? matches
9. Who made Alex trip the wire in the Killing House? Wolf
10. Who was Yassen Gregorovich? What was his job? Ian’s killer, a contract killer
11. Describe the process Alex used to get into his uncle’s office. He jumped from the window ledge, using the flat to
hoist himself onto the new window ledge.
12. Have you ever been “the new kid” at a school, sports team, club, neighborhood, etc.? How did the other kids act
toward you? Were they welcoming or not? How did it make you feel? Answers will vary.
Extension Activity #2: No key, as responses can vary.
Summary #3: Chapters 7 & 8
Alex is starting his mission and is heading to Sayle enterprises. Enroute, he notices abandoned tin
mines and a lot of security. Upon arriving, he meets Herod Sayle and Mr. Grin. He is assigned the same
room as his uncle did and ends up falling asleep. Alex wakes up to find a note written by his uncle, and
sends it to Blunt. Alex meets Nadia Vole and tries Stormbreaker. Later, Alex goes exploring, finds a
secret room, and Vole catches him.
Vocabulary #3: Chapters 9 & 10
Word
javelin
Page #
p. 117
silhouetted
p. 123
hairpin
p. 125
perched
p. 134
glint
p. 137
Quote from text using the word
“He threw his billiard cue over to Mr.
Grin, hurling it almost like a javelin.”
He was tall and gangly, silhouetted
against the lights, a black cutout.”
“He was lying on a wooden floor, about
ten feet across, with nothing to hold on
to as the truck sped around hairpin
bends.”
“…and suddenly Alex found himself
perched over a clear, blue, and
sparkling English Channel, following a
track that zigzagged precariously
along the edge of a cliff.”
“It was only the glint of the sun and the
sight of the grass slicing itself in half
that revealed the horrible truth.”
Inferred definition
A projectile – something thrown
that is like a spear
When you see the outline of an
object, but not the colors, etc.
Sharp turns, angular
Suspended, hanging over the edge,
might fall
Twinkle of light
Comprehension Questions for Chapters 7-10
13. What game did Alex and Sayle play before eating dinner on Alex’s first full day? Snooker
14. What was different about Mr. Grin’s appearance? He was lacking a tongue and had large scars making him look
like he was constantly grinning
15. Which country was Fraulein Vole from? Germany
16. Which room was Alex assigned? His dead uncle’s old room
17. What filled the entryway to the Sayles Enterprise house? artwork
18. Describe the sequence of events that happened when Alex went on a walk to Port Tallon. Answers will vary.
Extension Activity #3: No key, as responses can vary.
Summary #4: Chapters 11 & 12
Alex goes to the Port Tallon library, where the librarian tells him that his uncle had been searching
for a book on computer viruses and Cornwall history. When he looks through the book he realizes that
diagram matched the map his uncle had left: it was a mine underneath Sayle Enterprises. Alex goes to the
store, buys supplies, and heads to the mine to explore. There, he goes through many tunnels, finds that
he has to swim, and that his uncle had been there previously. Alex makes it to the end and fears that he
followed a trail of a dead man, which could lead him to a grave. At the end of the tunnel, Alex discovers a
light under the lab door. Alex gets in but sees Yassin. Then, Alex realizes they are stocking a bio- virus
into every Stormbreaker. There, Alex is caught by guards, where he tries to fight them with a karate kick.
Alex tries to get out of the lab, with the alarm sounding, and eventually manages to escape. Alex goes to
retrieve weapons from his bedroom but Grin is waiting just outside his door. They start to argue, but Alex
loses and drops to the floor.
Vocabulary #4: Chapters 13 & 14
Word
writhing
Page #
p. 179
nicked
p. 181
spittle
p. 184
pressing
p. 188
splutter
p. 200
Quote from text using the word
“Alex look at the figures, writing in
agony on the canvas.”
“The edge of the blade had actually
nicked the skin of his neck.”
“He was breathing heavily and there
was spittle on his lower lip.”
“Unfortunately, I have a pressing
engagement in London.”
“…Alex heard another sound. The
splutter and roar of a propeller.”
Inferred definition
Squirming from pain; thrashing,
twisting
cut
A drip of spit
Important
Sound of air pockets as the
propeller churns quickly through
the water
Comprehension Questions for Chapters 11-14
19. Where did Vole put Alex? A tank with Portuguese Man-o-War (jellyfish)
20. What did Alex hear after getting out of the aquarium? Cargo plane getting ready for take off
21. What was the virus in the Stormbreakers? smallpox
22. After he escaped from the mine, who was waiting for Alex outside his door? Mr. Grin
23. Who did Herod Sayle hate from when he was younger? The prime minister
24. Do you think Nadia Vole can be trusted? Why or why not? Use examples from the story that show her actions.
Answers will vary.
Extension Activity #4: No key, as responses can vary.
Summary #5: Chapter 15
Alex attempts to find the fastest way to get on the plane. He takes a harpoon gun from the
aquarium, as well as steals a gun and Jeep from the guard. Alex then is chased by two guards, but he
ducks as they shoot at each other. Alex harpoons the plane and boards. Once he was on the plane, he
discovers Grin is the pilot. Alex instructs him to take the plane to the Science Museum.
Vocabulary #5: Chapters 16 & 17
Word
halt
Page #
p. 211
blossomed
p. 213
jutting
p. 218
hail
p. 221
hitherto
p. 224
Quote from text using the word
“By the time they reached the airport,
touched down, and coasted to a halt,
it would be far too late.”
“The parachute blossomed open
above him and he was jerked back
upward, the harness cutting into his
armpits and sides.”
“How small it looked compared to the
other landmarks, a rectangular building
jutting in from the main road with a flat
gray roof and…”
“He could almost imagine the hail of
bullets tearing into him.”
“The story we’ve put out is that Sayle
was attacked by a hitherto unknown
terrorist organization and that he’s
gone into hiding.”
Inferred definition
Stop
Inflated, opened up
Sticking out, protruding
Hard pelting rain of bullets – many
hitting at once
Previously unknown
Comprehension Questions for Chapters 15-17
25. What was the identity of the cab driver? Herod Sayle
26. Mrs. Jones gave Alex an envelope – what did it contain? Doctor’s excuse for school
27. Who was the only person programmed to release the virus, and where is that computer located? Prime Minister at
the Science Museum
28. What did Alex use to stop Mr. Grim from flying into him? smoke bomb
29. What did Alex have to destroy in order to stop the activation of the computers? He shot a gun at the scene
destroying the mouse.
30. Re-write the meeting with Mrs. Jones and Blunt so that Alex might change his mind about spying again.
Extension Activity #5: No Key as responses may vary.
Name: ____________________________________
Date: Administer on Day 21
Alex Rider - Stormbreaker Novel Study Quiz – KEY
1. Alex saw Yassen Gregorovich emerge from a
______ .
Mercedes
Submarine
Helicopter
Laundry truck
2. Why wasn't Alex shot on the helicopter pad?
Alex leaped over the edge of the building.
Mr. Blunt shot the gunman.
Yassen didn't have instructions to do so.
An agent stopped the shooter just in time.
3. Why did Alex agree to be a spy?
4. Why did Nadia Vole suggest that Alex take a
He liked the idea of playing with
stroll on his last day testing the Stormbreaker?
computers.
It was all a plan so he wouldn't see
He didn't want to leave his school or have
secrets.
Jack deported.
It was all a plan to get him away to kill
He liked the idea of finding out who killed
him.
his uncle.
She thought he needed fresh air.
He didn't want to disappoint Mrs. Jones.
She wanted a break from observing him.
5. Where did Vole put Alex?
In the mine shaft
In a fishing boat
In the aquarium
In the ocean
6. What did Alex use to escape the jellyfish?
Penknife
Poison
Zit cream
String
7. How did Alex get his equipment to explore the 8. What was the name of Ian's last mission?
mine shaft?
Banker 007
He traded the quad bike for the items with
Stormbreaker
a local teen.
Cloudy Day
He found an abandoned boat with the
Shakespeare
equipment in it.
He found the items hidden by Ian in the
old building.
He bought the items at a maritime store.
9. What had been Ian Rider's job?
Banker
Terrorist
International supervisor
Spy
10. Who killed Herod Sayle?
Mrs. Jones
Yassen Gregorovich
Alex
Mr. Blunt