Sarah, Plain and Tall Comprehension
Chapter 1 (pp3-10)
Writing Journal- Have you ever read a whole book? How do you feel about reading a book?
What can you do to be a good reader?
1. Write the names and a few adjectives that describe the human characters in ch.1
2. Write the names and a few adjectives that describe the animal characters in ch.1
3. Who is the narrator?
4. What happened to the mother? When did this happen? How do you know?
5. Why did Papa put an advertisement in the newspaper?
6. What letter did he receive?
7. What is the setting of this story? Support your answer with information from the book.
8. Would you like to be in the situation this family is in? Explain why.
Timeline
What happens in this chapter? Mark at least 3 important events on the timeline below.
Chapter 2 (pp11-15)
Writing Journal—Pretend you are going to marry someone you don’t know. What would
you tell that person about yourself?
1. Write some questions (4-5) that Anna asked Sarah.
2. Write some questions (4-5) that Caleb asked Sarah.
3. Do you think Sarah is a traditional woman of her time?
4. What do Caleb and Anna worry about?
5. Who is Seal?
6. What do Papa, Anna and Caleb agree on near the end of the chapter?
7. What questions did Papa ask Sarah?
Timeline
What happens in this chapter? Mark at least 3 important events on the timeline below.
8. Do you think Sarah will make a good wife/mother? Explain your ideas.
Predict: What will happen next?
Chapter 3 (pp16-21)
Writing Journal- Write about a gift you gave to someone? What was it? Who did you give it
to? Why did you give them that gift?
1. What season is it?
2. What do the children do in the day?
3. What does Caleb worry about?
4. Describe Sarah in a short paragraph.
5. What does Sarah bring with her?
6. How does Sarah seem to feel at the end of the chapter?
7. What does Anna wish for?
Timeline
What happens in this chapter? Mark at least 3 important events on the timeline below.
Predict: What will happen next?
Chapter 4 (pp22-27)
1. How do the children act around Sarah? How does Papa act with her?
2. Why does Sarah want to pick flowers? Why does this make Caleb happy?
3. Why did Jacob go behind the barn to toss his hair into the wind?
4. What are some clues in chapters 3 &4 that Sarah will stay?
Timeline
What happens in this chapter? Mark at least 3 important events on the timeline below.
Chapter 5 (pp28-32)
Writing Journal—Choose a person in your family, but not your parents, and describe them
in terms of personality and appearance. Also describe your relationship with them.
1. Describe Sarah’s family in Maine.
2. What is Sarah’s relationship with the animals like?
3. What is a dune? How is the dune on the farm different from the dune on the beach?
4. What were Caleb’s, Anna’s, and Sarah’s first words?
5. What do you think is missing from Sarah’s picture?
Timeline
What happens in this chapter? Mark at least 3 important events on the timeline below.
Chapter 6 (pp 33-37)
Writing Journal- What is your favorite season? Why?
1. What season is it? What season do they discuss? Why?
2. Do you agree with Caleb that Sarah is planning to stay?
3. Where does Sarah teach Caleb to swim? What else does she teach the children?
4. How are the winters different from Maine? How are they the same?
5. What does Papa teach Sarah?
6. Why do you think Sarah looks happy at the end of the chapter?
Timeline
What happens in this chapter? Mark at least 3 important events on the timeline below.
Chapter 7 (pp38-43)
Writing Journal- Write about advice someone has given you. Who gave it to you? Why?
Did you follow their advice?
1. What four people came to visit? Why?
2. What presents did they bring?
3. What do Maggie and Sarah talk about? How did it make Anna feel?
4. What chores do people do this day? Who does what?
6. What did Sarah need to learn? Who could teach her?
7. How do we know that the chickens will not be eaten?
8. What sentence do both Anna and Sarah say in this chapter?
9. What gifts does Papa give to Sarah?
Timeline
What happens in this chapter? Mark at least 3 important events on the timeline below.
Chapter 8 (pp 44-50)
Writing Journal- Do you think there are things only men should do and other things only
women should do? Or do you think men and women should do whatever they want?
Explain your opinion.
1. Why was Sarah wearing overalls? Whose overall was she wearing? What did she say to
Caleb when he said that women didn’t wear overalls?
2. What does Sarah want to learn? Why does this worry Anna and Caleb?
3. Why do Sarah and Jacob go back into the storm? What discovery does Caleb make
during the storm?
4. What does Anna call the hail?
5. Sarah says to Jacob, “It will be al right, Jacob.” What is “it?”
6. How do Anna and Caleb feel when they see Jacob put his arm around Sarah? Why?
Timeline
What happens in this chapter? Mark at least 3 important events on the timeline below.
Chapter 9 (pp51-57)
Writing Journal- Look back at your first journal entry. What did you learn about reading a
book? Did you do the things you planned to do?
1. What damage was there after the storm? What could they fix and what couldn’t they fix?
How?
2. What promise did Jacob keep to Sarah and why did it worry Caleb?
3. How do Caleb, Anna and Jacob behave when Sarah is in town? What does this tell us
about how they feel?
4. What does Anna remember when she sees the wagon leaving?
5. What is the clue that Sarah will return?
6. What does Sarah bring back from town?
7. What things can they look forward to in the future?
Timeline
What happens in this chapter? Mark at least 3 important events on the timeline below.
Writing journal- Did you like S,PT? Why or why not?