By Catherine Patterson
1978 Newbery Medal Winner
Chapter Summaries
Objective Tests
from A Teaching Guide by Margaret Whisnant
Chapter Summaries
Objective Tests,
and Answer Keys
from
A Teaching Pack
by Margaret Whisnant
Text Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Registered with US Copyright Office
All rights reserved by author.
EBook ISBN
978-1-934538-37-1
Permission to duplicate for single classroom use only.
Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only.
Not for storage or display on websites without password protection.
Cover Images:
Background: Dollar Photo Club
Knight: Graphics Factory
Table of Contents
Page(s)
Chapter Summaries
Chapter One—Chapter Thirteen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Objective Tests
Chapter Tests
One: Jesse Oliver Aarons, Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Two: Leslie Burke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13-14
Three: The Fastest Kid in the Fifth Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Four: Rulers of Terabithia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-17
Five: The Giant Killers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Six: The Coming of Prince Terrien . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Seven: The Golden Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20-21
Eight: Easter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Nine: The Evil Spell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Ten: The Perfect Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Eleven: No! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Twelve: Stranded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26-27
Thirteen: Building the Bridge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-29
Whole Book Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30-32
Keys
Objective Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
About Your Teaching Guide Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Chapter Summaries
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
Chapter Summaries
One: Jesse Oliver Aarons, Jr.
 After he hears his dad’s pickup crank, ten-year-old Jesse gets up to go running as he has done
every morning all summer. He wakes his little sister May Belle, who shares his room along with his
baby sister Joyce Anne.
 Jesse is the only boy smashed between two older sisters—Ellie and Brenda—and two younger
ones—May Belle and four-year-old Joyce Ann. May Belle worships Jesse.
 A shirtless Jesse trots across the yard on the chilly August morning past Miss Bessie, the cow. He
crouches at the northwest corner of the field and takes off running as the cow watches.
 At Lark Creek Elementary school, where Jesse will be a fifth grader, there is very little athletic
equipment, and the older students usually have control of it at recess. The lower-grades boys
have started holding running contests.
 The year before, Jesse acquires a taste for winning when he once takes the whole running event.
Instead of being the “crazy little kid that draws all the time,” Jesse is the fastest kid in third, fourth,
and fifth grades. Later in the week, a fifth grader takes the title away, but this year, with the
previous winner now a sixth grader, Jesse believes he will have a good chance to be the fastest
runner.
 Jesse thinks how happy May Belle will be when he wins. He thinks his dad will be proud and
forget about how tired he is from driving to and from Washington and digging and hauling all day.
He imagines that his dad will get on the floor and wrestle the way they used to.
 May Bell calls Jesse in for breakfast. His older sisters Ellie and Brenda make fun of his running
and complain that he stinks. His mother orders him to wash and put on a shirt.
 Ellie and Brenda plead with their mother for money to spend on a shopping trip they are planning
to make. Finally, she gives them five one-dollar bills. Jesse knows this means his sisters will not
be helping with the chores.
 Jesse’s mother calls him lazy and tells him to get off the bench and go milk Miss Bessie and pick
beans. Jesse obeys.
___________________________________________________________
 May Belle comes to the bean patch to tell Jesse that new people are moving into the old Perkins
place down on the next farm. The house is one of those places that people move
into because they have no place to go, and they move out as quickly as they can.
 Later, Jesse thinks how peculiar it is that the incident is probably the biggest thing in his life, and
he shrugs it off as nothing.
Two: Leslie Burke
 With Ellie and Brenda gone, Jess picks all the beans and helps his mother with the canning. In a
foul mood, Mrs. Aarons screams at him all afternoon. She is too tired to fix supper.
 Jess takes his little sisters outside to eat the peanut-butter sandwiches he makes for them. He
sees the U-Haul still outside the Perkins place, but he doesn’t see anybody.
 Back in his room, Jess pulls his pad and pencils from under his mattress, lies down on the bed,
and begins to draw.
 Jess loves to draw, especially crazy animals with problems. He would like to show his drawings to
his dad, but he doesn’t. When he was in first grade, Jess had told his father he wanted to be an
artist when he grew up, only to have him react with disgust.
 None of Jess’s regular teachers like his drawings, but Miss Edmunds says he is “unusually
talented,” and shouldn’t let anything discourage him.
 Jess is in love with Miss Edmunds, but he keeps his feelings and the fact that she likes him a
secret.
 Miss Edmunds has long hair, wears jeans, eye makeup, but no lipstick, plays a guitar, and sings.
Jess’s mother believes she is some sort of a hippie. Jess thinks she is probably right, but he
endures school for Miss Edmunds’ half-hour class held in the teachers’ room each Friday.
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
1
Chapter Summaries
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
 Teachers at Lark Creek Elementary School hate the racket from Miss Edmunds’s class, but the
students look forward to it. Some of them pretend they haven’t fallen under her “hippie” spell.
Jess doesn’t try to defend Miss Edmunds against such stupid behavior.
 Once she had touched his nose and told him he was the “proverbial diamond in the rough.” Jess
believes the two of them are alike, neither one belonging at Lark Creek.
 Jess’s mother reminds him that he has to milk Miss Bessie. It is nearly dark outside, and he can
see lights from all three floors of the old Perkins place.
 Jess thinks about his sisters’ shopping spree and about how much he would like to have a new
pad of art paper and a set of marking pens.
 With his sisters’ return, it occurs to Jess that his mother will forget she is tired and mad and fix
supper for her laughing daughters, but not for him. Sometimes he feels lonely among all the
females. Even on the weekends his Dad is too tired to talk to him. No one knows how he feels.
 May Belle appears in the barn to announce that Momma is throwing a fit because Ellie has bought
herself a see-through blouse. Then Jess watches his dad stop the truck and unlatch the door so
May Belle can climb in. He aches inside because Dad hugs and kisses the little girls. It seems he
has always been too old for that.
 Jess’s father comments that he is late with the milking.
___________________________________________________________
 The next morning Jess, more tired than usual, forces himself to get up and go to the pasture to run.
He stops and turns when he hears a voice advising him to climb the fence if he is afraid of the cow.
 Someone is sitting on the fence nearest the old Perkins place. He cannot tell if it is a boy or a girl.
He or she says, ”Hi” and suggests that they might as well be friends since there is nobody else
nearby. Jess decides he is speaking to a girl.
 Her name is Leslie Burke—one of those names that could be either girl or boy. Jess introduces
himself and leaves since there is no use trying to run anymore. When he comes out later with the
pail and stool to milk Miss Bessie, the girl is gone.
Three: The Fastest Kid in the Fifth Grade
 Jesse does not see Leslie Burke again except from a distance until the first day of school when Mr.
Turner brings her into Mrs. Myers’ fifth-grade basement classroom. Mrs. Myers grumbles because
she now has thirty-one students.
 Dressed as Jess had first seen her, Leslie’s appearance draws attention, but then the class
ignores her when she takes her seat next to the wall. Jess thinks it must be embarrassing to sit in
front of the class, be dressed funny on your first day of school, and not know anybody.
 Gary Fulcher asks Jess if he is going to run. Jess can hardly wait for recess.
 In between passing out books for Mrs. Myers, Jess draws and thinks about the storybook that he
would like to create.
 Gary Fulcher tries to snatch Jess’s artwork. Mrs. Myers threatens to keep Jess in at recess when
he smashes Gary’s toe with the heel of his sneaker. Jess wonders if he can stand a whole year in
the classroom.
___________________________________________________________
 The children have lunch at their desks since there is no lunchroom at Lark Creek Elementary. Two
girls discuss the fact that Leslie is eating yogurt. Jess thinks Leslie Burke should be allowed to eat
anything she pleases. He slurps his milk to annoy the two girls.
 At recess, Gary Fulcher takes command organizing the races. He bans all but three first, second,
and third graders, and divides the twenty-eight competitors into groups for elimination runs.
 Gary easily wins the first heat. Confident, Jess looks forward to showing what he can do. He sees
Leslie coming from the upper field. He turns his back, hoping she will return to the girls’ area, but
she stays close to him.
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
2
Chapter Summaries
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
 A fight breaks out at the finish line over who won the second heat. Gary Fulcher declares a
winner, but Jess suggests that both boys should run in the finals. Gary glares at Jess and
sarcastically suggests that next he will be wanting to let some girl run.
 Recklessly, Jess turns to Leslie and asks if she wants to run. She says yes. Jess taunts Fulcher
by asking if he is afraid to let a girl race. Gary tells Leslie she can run with Jess’s group. Jess is
proud of himself for standing up to Gary Fulcher.
 With Leslie lined up beside him, Jess can almost smell Gary Fulcher’s surprise at how well he can
run. He thinks the noisy crowd is noticing, too, until he sees someone moving up behind him.
Then the runner pulls ahead. Leslie crosses the finish line a full three feet ahead of him.
 Leslie turns to face Jess with a wide smile on her face. Instead of being the best runner in the
fourth and fifth grades as he had planned, Jess hasn’t even won his heat. The other boys seem as
stunned as he is.
 Fulcher tells Leslie to go back to the upper field with the girls. Jess’s anger leads him to taunt
Fulcher about being afraid to race a girl. Fulcher wants to fight, but Jess walks away.
 Leslie beats Fulcher and comes in first. Her shining eyes fall on a bunch of mad faces. With a
quiver in her voice, Leslie thanks Jesse, but he refuses to feel sorry for her again.
 On the bus, Jess sits with May Belle to avoid Leslie. She sits across the aisle from them and calls
his name once, but he pretends not to hear.
 Jesse drags May Belle off the bus when they reach the stop. Leslie is right behind them, but she
does not try to speak to him again, nor does she follow them. She takes off running to the old
Perkins place.
 Jess watches her run, as though it was her nature. The word “beautiful” comes to his mind, but he
shakes it away and hurries home.
Four: Rulers of Terabithia
 Leslie continues to join in on the races and win every day. Jess knows now he will never be the
best runner of the fourth and fifth grades. Eventually the races stop.
 On Friday, Miss Edmunds comes back. She asks to see the drawings Jess has done during the
summer.
 Miss Edmunds sits cross-legged on the rug in the teachers’ room to conduct her music class. She
notices Leslie and asks for an introduction. They smile at each other.
 Caught up in the song the class is singing, Jess’s eyes meet Leslie’s. He smiles at her and
realizes there is no reason for him to be afraid of being her friend. Leslie understands that he has
changed his mind about her and smiles back.
 On the bus, Leslie sits with Jess and May Belle. She talks about the huge suburban school she
has left behind in Arlington along with its music room and gym. Leslie says she is pretty good at
gymnastics. She admits that she doesn’t care for Lark Creek Elementary.
 Leslie parents have moved to the country because they believe they are too hooked on money and
success. For them, money is not a problem.
 Leslie encounters a problem at school when Mrs. Myers reads her composition about scuba diving
to the class. Being the teacher’s pet is poison. Then, when Mrs. Myers assigns a television
program on Jacques Cousteau as homework, Leslie has to reveal that her family does not own a
television. At recess, Jess sees a group of girls making fun of Leslie.
 Jess is waiting for Leslie when she comes out of the girls’ room. He can tell she has been crying.
She rejects his attempts to console her.
 On the bus, Jess rescues Leslie when she sits in the long back seat that belongs to the seventh
graders. In the process, he insults Janice Avery, a large girl who picks on anyone smaller than
she. Leslie warns Jess that Janice will get him.
 Later, Leslie bribes May Belle with a pack of new paper dolls so she and Jess can do something
together for the afternoon.
___________________________________________________________
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
3
Chapter Summaries
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
 Jess and Leslie go to the empty field behind the old Perkins place where there is a dry creek bed.
At the creek bank is an old crab apple tree with a rope hanging from it. They take turns swinging
across the gully on the rope.
 Leslie suggests that she and Jess need a secret place just for themselves—a secret country where
they would be the rulers. It would be a magic place like Narnia. The way in would be by swinging
across the dry creek on the enchanted rope in the apple tree.
 The children choose a place only a few yards into the woods beyond the creek bed as the place to
build their castle. Leslie names their land “Terabithia.”
 Leslie loans Jess all her books about Narnia so he can learn how things are in a magic kingdom.
Jess is not good with the poetic language Leslie speaks as Queen of Terabithia, but he can make
stuff. Using scrap boards and other materials, they build their castle stronghold.
 Jess is unable to draw a picture of Terabithia. He cannot capture the poetry of the trees, but Leslie
says someday he will.
 In Terabithia, Jess and Leslie own the world. No enemies can defeat them.
___________________________________________________________
 Shortly after the King and Queen of Terabithia finish their castle, Janice Avery accuses Jess of
tripping her and causing her to fall down in the school bus. Jess is ordered off the bus and has to
walk the three miles home. When Jess reaches Terabithia, Leslie is extremely angry with Janice
Avery, but she is more interested in thinking of ways they can save the whales. She tells the story
of Moby Dick.
___________________________________________________________
 At first Jess and Leslie avoid each other at school, but by October they are teased about their
obvious friendship. It doesn’t bother Jess. He looks forward to sitting and talking with Leslie at
recess and during the Friday music classes.
 Leslie has a way of daydreaming and imagining Mrs. Myers in awful situations without being
caught. Jess, however, is not as good at hiding his wandering mind from Mrs. Myers.
___________________________________________________________
 During the November cold, Jess makes Leslie return the two sleeping bags she has brought to the
Terabithia stronghold. Her parents have discovered that they are missing.
 Leslie calls her parents Judy and Bill, which bothers Jess. Both of them are writers. Mrs. Burke
writes novels and Mr. Burke writes about politics.
 Mr. Burke travels back and forth to Washington because he is working on a book with someone
else. He promises Leslie he will stay home more after Christmas.
 Though Leslie’s parents do not have the appearance of being rich, Jess can tell that they are.
They are nice to him when he visits, but when their conversations turn to things he does not know
about, he is afraid to open his mouth and show how dumb he is.
 During Leslie’s visits to the Aarons household, Joyce Ann stares, Brenda and Ellie manage to refer
to her as Jess’s “girl friend,” and his mother is uncomfortable. Later she makes comments about
Leslie’s “tacky” clothes and calls her parents “hardly more than hippies.” May Belle sulks at being
pushed out of Jess and Leslie’s activities.
 Though Mr. Aarons says nothing, Jess’s mother believes her husband is fretting that his only son
does nothing but play with girls.
 Jesse is not concerned with his family’s attitude. Leslie is more than his friend. She is his other,
more exciting self—his way to Terabithia. He cannot explain their secret place and the happiness
he feels just walking down the hill toward the woods.
 Besides the castle stronghold, Leslie’s favorite place is the thick pine forest where sunshine will not
penetrate. Jess confesses that he used to think it was haunted, and Leslie assures him that it still
is, but not with evil things. It is a sacred place, where the rulers of Terabithia go only in times of
greatest sorrow or greatest joy.
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
4
Chapter Summaries
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
Five: The Giant Killers
 Leslie likes to make up stories about giants that threaten Terabithia, but the real giant is Janice
Avery who, along with her two friends, roams the playground terrorizing younger children or
stealing their milk money outside the girls’ room.
 Jess and Leslie know May Belle is asking for trouble when she brags about the Twinkies she has
for lunch and Janice is listening from the back seat. They are not surprised when May Belle comes
crying to them at recess because Janice has taken her Twinkies.
 May Belle demands that Jess kill Janice, or at least beat her up. Leslie explains that Jess will be
kicked out of school for doing such a thing. She promises they will find a way to pay Janice back
for what she has done.
___________________________________________________________
 In their stronghold of Terabithia, Jess and Leslie formulate an idea for making a fool of Janice
Avery. Under Leslie’s direction, Jess writes a fake love note from Willard Hughes to Janice. He
professes his love and asks her to meet him behind the school so they can walk home together.
To make sure that Janice will blab to somebody, they end the note by asking her not to tell.
 After the note is finished, Leslie tells Jess the story of Hamlet. He thinks of how well he could
illustrate the story if Leslie would let him use her paints.
___________________________________________________________
 To plant the note, Leslie waits outside in the hall while Jess is inside the seventh-grade classroom
looking for Janice’s desk. When the teacher arrives, Leslie diverts her attention with a story about
identifying an interesting nest she has spotted on the south side of the building.
 Jess locates Janice’s desk and deposits the note.
 At recess, Janice and her friends stand in a tight huddle. When the bus pulls out in the evening,
Janice is not on board. Her friends brag to the other passengers about her date with Willard
Hughes. One of the boys points out that Willard has just left on another bus.
 Later in the castle, Jess is contrite about what they have done, but he agrees with Leslie that they
had to do it.
 The next day, an angry Janice stomps onto the bus. May Belle knows that Leslie and Jess have
kept their promise.
Six: The Coming of Prince Terrien
 A month before Christmas, there is turmoil in Jess’s family over finances. Brenda and Ellie, who
now have boyfriends, tease Jess about a gift for his girl friend.
 Jess is furious when Brenda, his blood sister, makes fun of Leslie. He imagines that he is a
foundling, pulled from the creek.
 In his quest to find something good enough for Leslie’s Christmas gift, Jess rejects the book of
drawings he tries to create. He has no one to go to for help or advice.
 Mr. Aarons gives Jess a dollar for each member of the family. He contributes more than he
planned to help buy a Barbie doll for May Belle. He does not mind, as May Belle is always moping
around because he and Leslie cannot include her in their activities. She needs something special.
 Jess calls himself stupid for even wishing he had the money to buy Leslie a TV for her room. He
wonders why she gives someone as dumb as he is the time of day. Then, one evening he leaves
the school bus when he sees a sign advertising free puppies.
___________________________________________________________
 The afternoon of Christmas Eve, while the rest of the family is shopping, Jess tucks the brown-andblack puppy under his arm and swings across the creek into Terabithia. At the castle stronghold,
he presents his gift to Leslie. Delighted, she names him Prince Terrien and makes him the
guardian of Terabithia. Because it is a time of greatest joy, they go to the grove of pines.
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
5
Chapter Summaries
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
 Later in the day, Leslie gives Jess a box of watercolors with brushes and art paper. She
comments that it isn’t a great present like his. He wants to tell her how proud and good she makes
him feel. The rest of Christmas doesn’t matter.
 Jess is happy the rest of the afternoon, though his older sisters squabble, May Belle needs his help
to wrap her gifts, and Joyce Ann cries because they have no fireplace for Santa. With May Belle’s
help, he comforts her. Jess thinks May Belle is a good kid, and he really likes her.
 Christmas morning, Jess helps May Belle dress and undress her Barbie. He tries to make the
racing-car set his father has given him work properly, but to no avail. His dad loses his temper and
curses at the cheap toy he has put more money into than he should have.
 Ellie is causing trouble and making a big show of helping Momma prepare dinner. Jess jumps at
the chance when his mother orders him to stop playing with the cars and go milk the cow. She
complains that Ellie is the only one of her kids who cares whether she lives or dies.
 Outside, Jess watches Leslie running out of the old Perkins place with the puppy chasing her.
They meet at Miss Bessie’s shed. She holds the rowdy puppy so Jess can milk, proudly calling
him a “Dumb dog.” To Jess, it feels like Christmas again.
Seven: The Golden Room
 After Christmas, Mr. Burke begins repairing the old Perkins place. Mrs. Burke is busy writing, so
Leslie helps her dad after school and on weekends, leaving Jess alone.
 Jess tries going to Terabithia by himself, but there is no magic without Leslie. At home, his mother
assigns chores, May Belle wants him to play Barbie, and Joyce Ann interrupts his work.
 Jess sneaks down to the old Perkins place occasionally to take Prince Terrien off the porch for a
romp in the upper field.
 Leslie is crazy about working on the house and learning to understand her father. It has never
occurred to Jess that parents are meant to be understood. He begins to resent Mr. Burke for
getting in his way.
 Finally, Leslie notices that Jess is lonely. One day at recess, she invites him to come over and join
them.
 Jess actually is a help, and Mr. Burke praises his work.
 The three of them listen to Bill’s records or sing. Sometimes Bill talks about things that are going
on in the world. One day, Judy reads poetry aloud. Jess realizes that all the Burkes are smart, not
about fixing things or growing things, but in a way that is new to him.
 They paint the living room gold and strip the black paint off the floor. When they finish, Jess
declares the golden room to be worthy of a palace. For a moment he is afraid he has given away
the secret kingdom, but a wink from Leslie tells him Terabithia is still just for the two of them.
 After an absence of more than a month, Jess and Leslie return to Terabithia with P.T. Leslie
pretends they have been away conquering hostile savages on the northern borders and enemies
have invaded their kingdom in their absence. In a game, they rid Terabithia of their foes. When
the battle is won, Leslie insists they go to the grove of the pines to give thanks to the Spirits for
their victory.
___________________________________________________________
 A few days later at recess, Leslie hears Janice Avery crying in the girls’ room. Jess prods her to
help, since her family helps predators and she is always telling him to care. Besides, if Janice is
crying, there is something really wrong.
 Leslie gives in and goes into the bathroom. Jess waits outside in the hall listening to talking, a
string of cuss words, and more loud sobbing. The bell forces him to return to the classroom.
Finally, an unharmed Leslie, looking pleased with herself, returns to class.
___________________________________________________________
 It isn’t until they are in the stronghold of Terabithia that Leslie tells Janice’s story.
 Janice’s father beats her all the time, but she does not cry about it at school. In anger, she tells
Wilma and Bobby Sue what is happening to her. They blab the news all over seventh grade.
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
6
Chapter Summaries
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
 It is an important rule that troubles at home are never mixed with life at Lark Creek School. It’s up
to kids to uphold the rule and protect their families. Now the problem Janice has with her dad will
be all over school by the next day.
 Leslie sympathizes with Janice and advises her to pretend that she doesn’t know where Wilma and
Bobby Sue got such a wild story.
 Leslie thanks Jess for the fact that she now has one and one-half friends at Lark Creek School.
 Jess is glad to be Leslie’s one whole friend in the world, just as she is for him.
 Later at home, May Belle tells Jess she knows where he and Leslie go to hide because she has
followed them. He makes her swear on the Bible to keep quiet and never to follow them again.
 Jess feels that his life is as delicate as a dandelion that can be blown to bits by one little puff.
Eight: Easter
 It rains all of March, and the creek bed holds water for the first time in many years. With the
rushing water below, swinging across is a little scary for the rulers of Terabithia.
 Since Momma has been mad at the preacher for three years, the Aarons attend church only at
Easter. This year, Jess’s dad is laid off from his job, and the shopping trip for new clothes is
cancelled. Brenda and Ellie’s attitudes cause a squabble.
 Leslie joins Jess in the barn when he goes to escape the ruckus in the house. In the conversation,
Leslie confesses that she has never been to church, and she would like to go with Jess and his
family. She offers to wear a dress.
 Jess’s father comes to the barn to coldly suggest that Jess finish milking and get back to the
house. He does not speak to Leslie when she leaves.
_________________________________________________
 Brenda and Ellie reach a compromise about what they will wear to church. Jess’s mother agrees
to allow Leslie to accompany them if she will dress so that she looks decent.
___________________________________________________________
 On Easter morning, Leslie wears a blouse, a jumper, and a pair of brown leather shoes. Her
manner is toned down and respectful. She rides in the back of the family pickup with Jess and the
little girls. They sing songs the whole way.
 At church, Jess tunes out the proceedings the same way he tunes out school. He can hear Leslie
singing, but he wonders why she bothers.
 Back in the pickup Leslie tells Jess she is glad she came. She thinks the whole Jesus thing is
interesting, a beautiful story like Abraham Lincoln or Socrates or Aslan, with people wanting to kill
him when he hasn’t done anything to them.
 May Belle thinks the story is scary, not beautiful. Jess adds that God made Jesus die because
people are vile sinners. When Leslie asks him if he really believes what he just said, he replies
that it’s in the Bible.
 Leslie thinks it’s crazy that Jess has to believe the story and hates it, while she doesn’t have to
believe and thinks it’s beautiful.
 May Belle tells Leslie she has to believe in the Bible or God will damn her to hell when she dies.
Leslie turns to Jess for support, but he half-heartedly agrees with his little sister.
 Leslie stands by her belief that God doesn’t damn people to hell, and she doubts that Jess has
read the Bible. Jess jokes that he has read most of it since it’s about the only book his family has.
 Jess and Leslie smile at each other trying to ignore May Belle’s words, “But Leslie. . . what’s going
to happen to you if you die?”
Nine: The Evil Spell
 On Easter Monday the rain begins again. Jess and Leslie decide to go to Terabithia regardless of
the weather. They talk briefly to Judy before they leave. At the creek bed, they find an eight-footwide roaring sea. Tree branches, logs, and trash are rushing and swirling in the water.
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
7
Chapter Summaries
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
 Jess suggests that they forget going to Terabithia, but Leslie insists that they can make it. Holding
P.T. inside her coat, she swings across and lands gracefully on the far side. Jess swings across
and falls on his bottom.
 They go to Terabithia the next two days though the rain continues. By Wednesday, the creek has
swollen to reach the trunk of the apple tree. They run through ankle-deep water to swing across.
Jess’s fear of crossing the rising creek increases with each trip, but Leslie never seems to hesitate.
 When water comes through the top of the castle on Wednesday, Leslie announces that she thinks
some evil being has put a curse on their kingdom. She takes Jess to the sacred grove to ask the
Spirits to identify the evil and tell them how to banish it.
 In the dark pines, where even the rain cannot penetrate, Jess has a sense of dread. Leslie lifts her
arms and speaks to the Spirits. She nudges Jess with her elbow, encouraging him to take part in
the game.
 Jess speaks a few words but finds that he is shivering. He wonders if he is worthy to be the king of
Terabithia. Kings should not be afraid of tall trees and a little water.
 Jess is disgusted when he swings back across the creek. He sticks out his tongue at the roaring
water. He is relieved when Leslie suggests they go to his house to watch T.V. Watching her take
off for the old Perkins place, he again admires her beautiful, graceful run that neither mud nor
water can defeat.
___________________________________________________________
 In the night Jess awakens to hear more falling rain. He decides that he will have to tell Leslie he
will not go to Terabithia. He minds the fact that he is afraid more than he minds telling Leslie that
he is afraid to go. He hates that he has no guts. He hardly sleeps the rest of the night because of
the rain.
 He knows that no matter how high the creek is, Leslie will still want to cross it.
Ten: The Perfect Day
 It is still raining the next morning when Jess goes out to milk Miss Bessie. His father has left in the
pickup to look for work or hang around the unemployment office.
 Jess worries about his fear of the gushing creek bed. He decides that, if there is still water in it
come summer, he will ask Leslie to teach him how to swim. Though he has not been born with
guts, he thinks he does not have to die without them.
 Jess is thinking there is no need to explain his fear to Leslie when May Belle arrives with news that
he has a phone call from a lady.
 It is Miss Edmunds, calling to invite him along on a drive to Washington to go to the Smithsonian or
the National Gallery.
 Jess goes to his sleeping mother, careful not to wake her fully, and explains that a teacher wants
him to go with her to Washington. He uses his Mother’s “Umm” as permission to go.
 Twenty minutes later, he rides away with Miss Edmunds, leaving it to May Belle to explain the
details to his mother.
 After they pass Millsburg, it occurs to Jess that he might have asked Miss Edmunds if Leslie could
have come, but he takes pleasure in being alone with Miss Edmunds and remains silent. It is his
first trip to Washington and Miss Edmunds is happy to be with him.
 Jess takes in the Washington sites—the things Leslie has seen a million times. When he enters
the art gallery, it is like stepping inside the pine grove. To him, it is a sacred place.
 Miss Edmunds’ presence and the sights he takes in enthrall Jess. He allows Miss Edmunds to
spend three dollars for his lunch. He decides he will check with Leslie the next day to see how he
should have handled the situation.
 When they leave the Smithsonian, the sun is shining. On the way home, Miss Edmunds tells
stories about going to college one year in Japan. Jess has so much to tell Leslie and questions to
ask. This one perfect day of his life has been worth anything he has to pay.
 When she lets him out at the road, Miss Edmunds thanks Jess for a beautiful day. He returns the
thanks and tells her he will see her next Friday.
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
8
Chapter Summaries
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
 Jess is in the kitchen when he realizes something is wrong. His dad’s pickup is outside the door
and his whole family is sitting there. No one is eating or watching TV. They all stare at him.
 Jess’s mother begins sobbing, “O my God.” over and over. His father awkwardly puts his arm
around his wife.
 Seeing Jess’s confusion, Brenda says “Your girl friend’s dead, and Momma thought you was dead,
too.”
Eleven: No!
 Jess looks from one face to another for help. His father speaks, saying Leslie was found in the
creek. Jess argues that Leslie would not drown because she is a good swimmer.
 Jess’s father is relentless. The rope on the apple tree broke. It is thought that Leslie hit her head
on something when she fell.
 Jesse yells that his father is lying to him. May Belle’s eyes are wide with terror. But, Leslie, what if
you die?
 Jess runs from the house and to the main road. Running is the only thing that can keep Leslie
from being dead. The pickup drives up and stops just ahead of Jess. His father picks him up like a
baby and carries him back to the truck.
 As they ride, Mr. Aaron does not speak. Jess goes into the house and lies down on his bed.
___________________________________________________________
 Jess is fully dressed when he awakens in the night. In the dream that he can’t remember,
someone has told him Leslie is dead.
 He thinks about getting up and going to the old Perkins place so he and Leslie and P.T. can swing
themselves into Terabithia. They have never been there in the dark.
 Once they were in the castle, he would tell Leslie about his day in Washington and apologize for
being so dumb and not inviting her. He would tell her that he had been scared to go to Terabithia.
 He decides to stop thinking about Leslie and go see her first thing in the morning. He puts his
mind to remembering all the things that he will share with Leslie about his day in Washington.
 When he awakes, the sun is streaming through the window. He runs to the kitchen. He has
forgotten Miss Bessie, even last night. His mother says his daddy has done the milking.
 The mention of breakfast makes Jess wonder if hunger is why his stomach feels so odd. His
mother puts a plateful of pancakes before him. They taste marvelous.
 Brenda taunts that Jess doesn’t care, otherwise he would be crying instead of eating. Jess’s
insides go cold. Momma tells Brenda to shut her mouth.
 The conversation is far away, and Jess eats more pancakes.
 Mr. Aarons comes in from milking and puts his hand lightly on Jess’s shoulder. He says that he
and Jess’s mother think they ought to go down to the neighbors and pay their respects. Jess
should go as well since he is the one who really knew the little girl. Ellie and Brenda gasp when
Jess says, “What little girl?”
 With his hand over Jess’s, Mr. Aarons again tells him that Leslie is dead.
 When Jess’s parents are ready to leave, May Belle wants to go, but Mrs. Aarons says no.
Twelve: Stranded
 P.T. leaps upon Jess when a stranger opens the door to the old Perkins place. Jess and his
parents are taken to the golden room where there are other strangers, some of them speaking in
whispers.
 An older woman introduces herself to Jess as Leslie’s grandmother. She breaks down in tears and
is led away by the man who opened the door.
 It does not make sense to Jess that everyone was acting so weird and he was not crying. He was
the one who had lost his best friend.
 Jess has a sudden desire to see Leslie. He hopes she is dressed in her Easter clothes instead of
blue jeans. He does not want anyone snickering at her when she is dead.
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
9
Chapter Summaries
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
 Bill comes and puts his arms around Jess, holding him close. Bill is crying. Jess feels like the
house is smothering him, and he wants to get out. Not sounding like himself, Bill thanks Jess for
being such a wonderful friend to Leslie.
 Jess hears Bill tell his father that Leslie’s body is to be cremated and the ashes taken to the family
home in Pennsylvania. Jess will never see her again. Not even dead.
 Jess begins thinking he is the only one who really cares about Leslie. The others are not crying for
her. They are crying for themselves. If they had cared, they would not have brought her to this
rotten place. He has to hold his hands for fear he might sock Bill in the face.
 Leslie made Jess leave his old self and come into her world. Now, before he is ready, she dies
and leaves him stranded. He is alone.
___________________________________________________________
 The next thing Jess remembers is running up the hill toward his house with angry tears streaming
down his face. He bangs through the door, only to hear May Belle ask if he had seen Leslie laid
out. He hits his little sister in the face.
 Ignoring his two older sisters, Jess goes into his bedroom and gathers the paper and paints that
Leslie has given him for Christmas. He runs to the stream, where he sees the frayed end of the
rope swinging from the apple tree. He flings the papers and paints into the dirty water and watches
them disappear.
 There is nowhere to go.
 Jess’s father sits down beside him, saying that he has just done a damn fool thing. Jess is crying
and doesn’t care. Jess says he hates Leslie and wishes he had never met her.
 When he is calmer, Jess asks his dad if he believes people go to hell as May Belle says. Mr.
Aaron assures Jess that God is not going to send any little girls to hell.
 Jess has never thought of Leslie Burke as a little girl, but God is sure to think of her in that way.
He tells his dad that he really does not hate her.
 Jess’s family is gentle to him. He wants to tell May Belle he is sorry, but he cannot.
 In the evening, Bill comes by to ask if Jess will take care of P.T. while they are in Pennsylvania.
Though his mother has never allowed him to have a dog, P.T. comes into the house and sleeps all
night curled up against Jess.
Thirteen: Building the Bridge
 On Saturday, Jess awakes to do the milking and make things normal again. He decides to go
down to the creek to see if he can find his paints. P.T. goes along.
 Jess lays a large branch across the narrowest place to form a bridge. Using the smaller branches
to keep his balance, he makes his way across the creek. There is no sign of his paints. P.T.
swims across.
 He wonders if Terabithia will still exist since he has entered a different way. At the castle
stronghold, he feels the need to do something fitting, but Leslie is not there to tell him what to do.
The anger flares up again.
 He makes a funeral wreath of a pine bough and spring flowers for the dead queen. A cardinal flies
down and seems to stare at it. Jess believes this is a sign from the Spirits that he has made a
worthy offering. He carries the queen’s wreath to the sacred grove and places it upon the carpet of
golden needles.
 Jess knows Leslie would have liked his words—“Father, into Thy hands I commend her spirit.” A
tiny peace enters his body.
 Jess hears May Belle crying for help and finds her halfway across the tree bridge, too terrified to
move in either direction. He works his way out to her. Though she is frightened, she holds on to
his hand and follows his instructions, inching her way back to shore.
 May Belle says she had wanted to find Jesse so he wouldn’t be so lonesome, but she got scared
on the tree branch. Jess explains that everybody gets scared sometimes.
___________________________________________________________
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
10
Chapter Summaries
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
 At school, Jess sees that Mrs. Myers has already removed Leslie’s desk. He wonders why they
were all in such a rush to be rid of her. He puts his head down on his desk and thinks about how
they had all hated Leslie, except maybe Janice.
 He refuses to stand for the allegiance as Mrs. Myers commands. She asks him to step out into the
hall. When she joins him, her voice is softer than he has ever heard it. She offers her sympathy
with tears in her eyes and tells him how people kept trying to make her forget when her husband
died, but she did not want to forget.
 Someone else, not she, has taken Leslie’s desk from the classroom. She has never had such a
student and she will always be grateful. . .
 Jess wants to comfort her. He thinks that when he is grown, he will write her a letter and say that
Leslie thought she was a great teacher. By understanding that he will never forget Leslie, she has
helped him.
 Jess sees that Leslie has taken him from the cow pasture into Terabithia, where he turned into a
king and grew strong. Now it is time to move on and pay back the things Leslie had loaned to him.
As to the terrors ahead, he knows he will have to stand up to them.
___________________________________________________________
 Bill and Judy return from Pennsylvania with a U-Haul truck to pack their belongings. There is no
reason to stay since they had come to the country for Leslie’s sake. They give Jess all of Leslie’s
books and her paint set. Jess and his dad help the Burkes pack, and Mrs. Aarons brings
sandwiches and coffee.
 Mr. Burke agrees that Jess can have some of the lumber they are leaving on the back porch. Bill
decides to keep P.T. Jess thinks Leslie would have wanted him to.
___________________________________________________________
 The next day after school, Jess carries the lumber to the creek a couple of boards at a time. He
anchors the two longest pieces across a narrow place and then nails on the crosspieces.
 May Belle follows him and asks what he is doing. He says it’s a secret, but he will tell her when he
finishes. Later she might want to tell Joyce Ann their secret, thought she probably will not be a
queen right away.
 When he is finished, Jess puts flowers in May Belle’s hair and leads her across the great bridge
into Terabithia. He asks if she can see all the Terabithians, anticipating the arrival of the beautiful
girl who might be the queen they have been waiting for.
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
11
Assessment
Objective Tests
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
One: Jesse Oliver Aarons, Jr.
Pages 1-8
Write the letter of the correct answer in the blank before each question.
______1. Jess got up every day during the summer and went running because (A) it was a way to
avoid farm chores, (B) he wanted to be the fastest runner in fifth grade, (C) he was tired
of being weak and thin.
______2. Jess had (A) two sisters and two brothers, (B) two sisters, (C) four sisters.
______3. May Belle was going on seven, and she (A) worshipped Jess, (B) tattled on Jess all the
time, (C) couldn't wait to go to school.
______4. How old was Jess? (A) fourteen, (B) eight, (C) ten.
______5. Jess got a taste for winning the year before when (A) he won a spelling contest, (B) he
won a running contest, (C) his teacher awarded him a prize for art.
______6. Jess hoped that, if he became the fastest runner, (A) his dad would be proud of him,
(B) May Belle would tell everybody, (C) the older kids would respect him.
______7. Jess's mother was from (A) Connecticut, (B) New York, (C) Georgia.
______8. Instead of helping Jess with the chores, Ellie and Brenda talked their mother into
allowing them to (A) visit their new school, (B) go shopping, (C) have their hair done.
______9. Miss Bessie was (A) Jess' neighbor, (B) a cat, (C) a cow.
_____10. Jess wasn't excited when someone moved into the Perkins place because (A) the house
was ratty and people moved out as quickly as they could, (B) he could tell the family had
no boys, (C) their furniture and other things looked like junk.
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
12
Assessment
Objective Tests
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
Two: Leslie Burke
Pages 9-18
Write either True or False in the blank before each statement.
___________1. Jess’s mother was too tired to fix supper because she had spent the whole day in
a hot kitchen canning beans.
___________2. Though he had been helping her with the canning, Jess’s mother had screamed at
him all afternoon.
___________3. Jess loved to draw.
___________4. Jess’s drawings were of realistic, regular farm animals.
___________5. Mr. Aarons encouraged Jess to be an artist.
___________6. Miss Edmunds, the music teacher, said Jess was “unusually talented.”
___________7. In both appearance and behavior, Miss Edmunds was like all the other teachers at
Lark Creek Elementary.
___________8. Jess’s mother and most of the people at school thought of Miss Edmunds as a
"hippie."
___________9. The students liked Miss Edmunds, but pretended they did not.
__________10. Jess was in love with Miss Edmunds.
__________11. Mr. Aarons was gone from sunup until well past dark.
__________12. The work was equally shared in Jess’s family.
__________13. Sometimes Jess felt lonely among all the females in his family.
__________14. Mr. Aarons was affectionate with his younger daughters but not with Jess.
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
13
Assessment
Objective Tests
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
Two: Leslie Burke--continued
__________15. Jess hated his sisters because they got all of his father's attention.
__________16. Jess was always full of energy when he got up to run in the morning.
__________17. When he first saw Leslie, Jess couldn't tell if she was a boy or a girl.
__________18. Leslie introduced herself to Jess as she ran along beside him.
__________19. Jess thought Leslie's name was dumb because it could belong to either a girl or a
boy.
__________20. Jess and Leslie chatted for half an hour before he went back home to do the
milking.
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
14
Assessment
Objective Tests
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
Three: The Fastest Kid in the Fifth Grade
Pages 19-28
Write either Yes or No in the blank before each question.
______1. On the first day of school, was Leslie dressed like her classmates?
______2. Was Jess and Leslie's classroom large, open, and modern?
______3. Did Jess join in when some of the students made fun of the yogurt Leslie brought for
lunch?
______4. Did Gary Fulcher take charge organizing and directing the races?
______5. Was Jess comfortable when Leslie came to the area where the boys were running?
______6. Did Jess invite Leslie to run in the race because he wanted to stand up to Gary Fulcher?
______7. Did Jess expect to win his heat easily?
______8. Did Leslie beat Jess by only a few inches?
______9. Was it because of Jess that Leslie was allowed to continue in the racing competition?
_____10. Did Jess avoid Leslie the rest of the day, including on the bus ride home?
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
15
Assessment
Objective Tests
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
Four: Rulers of Terabithia
Pages 29-47
Write the letter of the correct answer in the blank before each question.
______1. The races came to an end because (A) Leslie always won, (B) Gary Fulcher wouldn’t
allow some of the boys to enter, (C) the weather got too cold.
______2. On Friday (A) there was no recess, (B) Leslie didn't race, (C) Miss Edmunds came back.
______3. Caught up in the song Miss Edmunds and the class were singing, Jessie (A) started to
cry, (B) smiled at Leslie, (C) smiled at Miss Edmunds.
______4. Leslie admitted that (A) she had liked Jess from the beginning, (B) she missed her old
friends and school, (C) Miss Edmunds was not as good as her former music teacher.
______5. Leslie's parents moved from Arlington because (A) they wanted better jobs, (B) they felt
Leslie's friends were not good for her, (C) they felt they were too hooked on money and
success.
______6. For Leslie's parents, money was (A) not a problem, (B) in short supply, (C) a primary
goal.
______7. Why didn’t Jess choose drawing as the topic for his composition about his favorite
hobby? He (A) actually liked football better, (B) knew everyone would laugh at him,
(C) thought Mrs. Myers would give him a bad grade because she didn’t like his art.
______8. Jess enjoyed hearing Leslie's composition on her hobby of (A) sky diving, (B) racing,
(C) scuba diving.
______9. Leslie was embarrassed when the class found out her family had no (A) car,
(B) television, (C) telephone.
_____10. After the girls upset Leslie, Jess (A) tried to comfort her, (B) told Mrs. Myers,
(C) threatened them.
_____11. So they could have time together, Jess and Leslie bribed May Belle with (A) money,
(B) a book, (C) paper dolls.
_____12. It was Leslie's idea that she and Jess needed (A) parents who spent time with them,
(B) a secret place just for them, (C) a better place to practice running.
_____13. The only way to get over the gully to Terabithia was by (A) walking a quarter of a mile to
a lower crossing, (B) a small bridge, (C) swinging across on a rope.
_____14. Leslie based her magic kingdom on (A) Narnia, (B) Disneyland, (C) Oz.
_____15. Jess felt he could not (A) keep Terabithia a secret, (B) find the time to come to
Terabithia, (C) draw a picture of Terabithia.
_____16. In their secret place, Leslie and Jess built a (A) stone wall, (B) castle, (C) small cabin.
_____17. What lie did Janice Avery tell? that (A) Leslie was calling her names, (B) Jess tripped
her, (C) Leslie cheated on a test.
_____18. Leslie said they had to stop people like Janice or they would (A) turn into tyrants and
dictators, (B) become criminals, (C) bully everyone.
_____19. By October, Jess and Leslie did not try to hide (A) Terabithia, (B) their dislike for Gary
Fulcher, (C) their friendship.
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
16
Assessment
Objective Tests
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
Four: Rulers of Terabithia—Continued
_____20. What was Leslie able to do without Mrs. Myers catching on? (A) cheat on tests, (B) pass
notes, (C) daydream and use her imagination.
_____21. What did Leslie call her parents? (A) Mom and Dad, (B) Judy and Bill, (C) Sir and
Mommie.
_____22. Both of Leslie's parents were (A) writers, (B) professors, (C) actors.
_____23. Jess was afraid Leslie's parents would find out (A) how dumb he was, (B) his family was
really poor, (C) how uneducated he was.
_____24. How did Jess’s family accept Leslie? (A) They welcomed her. (B) The girls liked her.
(C) They gave her a cool reception.
_____25. Leslie and Jess agreed that the pine forest was (A) better than Terabithia, (B) haunted,
but not with evil spirits, (C) dangerous.
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
17
Assessment
Objective Tests
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
Five: The Giant Killers
Pages 48-56
Write either True or False in the blank before each statement.
___________1. The real giant in Leslie and Jess’s lives was Janice Avery.
___________2. Janice and her two friends terrorized smaller children and stole their milk money.
___________3. May Belle didn't tell Leslie and Jess when Janice stole her Twinkies.
___________4. Jess really wanted to fight with Janice, but Leslie stopped him.
___________5. Leslie thought the best way to get Janice was to make a fool of her.
___________6. Leslie and Jess wrote a fake love letter to Janice from Willard Hughes.
___________7. Leslie distracted Janice's teacher by telling her there was a fight on the playground.
___________8. Jess put the note in Janice's desk.
___________9. Janice told her friends about the note and then did exactly as it instructed.
__________10. May Belle was not satisfied with the way Leslie and Jess got revenge.
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
18
Assessment
Objective Tests
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
Six: The Coming of Prince Terrien
Page 57-64
Write either Yes or No in the blank before each question.
_______1.
Did Jess’s older sisters understand how he felt about Leslie?
_______2.
_______3.
Did Jess give an extra part of his Christmas money to help buy May Belle a Barbie
doll?
Did Jess try to do a book of drawings for Leslie's Christmas present?
_______4.
Did Jess get off the school bus when he saw the sign for the free puppies?
_______5.
Did Jess give Leslie the puppy on Christmas day?
_______6.
Did Leslie declare the puppy to be the guardian of Terabithia?
_______7.
Was Leslie's present to Jess a box of watercolors, brushes, and art paper?
_______8.
Was Jess's father proud of the racing-car set he had bought for his son?
_______9.
Did Jess’s mother tell him how much she appreciated the things he did to help the
family?
______10.
Was Jess’s family Christmas as happy as his Christmas with Leslie?
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
19
Assessment
Objective Tests
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
Seven: The Golden Room
Pages 65-77
Write the letter of the correct answer in the blank before each question.
______1. Leslie couldn't spend as much time at Terabithia because (A) her grandmother was
visiting, (B) she was helping her father fix up their place, (C) the weather was too cold
and wet.
______2. Without Leslie, Terabithia (A) had no magic, (B) was a private place for Jess, (C) was too
quiet.
______3. At home, Jess (A) was happy entertaining May Belle, (B) had no free time or privacy,
(C) stayed in his room and drew picture after picture.
______4. Sometimes Jess went to the old Perkins place and (A) secretly talked to Leslie, (B) read
books, (C) took Prince Terrien out for a romp in the field.
______5. Leslie was happy because (A) winter was almost over, (B) she liked being with her father,
(C) Jesse was finally meeting her father.
______6. Leslie suggested that Jess should (A) come help work on the house, (B) try to understand
his parents a little better, (C) make improvements on their Terabithia castle.
______7. Jess found that he (A) didn't know much about repairing houses, (B) was really useful to
Bill, (C) just couldn’t make sense of Bill’s words when he talked about world affairs.
______8. Sometimes as they worked, Bill, Leslie, and Jess (A) listened to Bill's records or sang,
(B) enjoyed the refreshments Judy made, (C) read stories out loud.
______9. Jess realized that all the Burkes were (A) hippies like everybody thought, (B) conceited,
(C) smart in a way that he had never known before.
_____10. The living room was painted (A) gold, (B) blue, (C) white.
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
20
Assessment
Objective Tests
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
The Golden Room—continued
_____11. How long had it been since Leslie and Jess’s last visit to Terabithia? (A) a week,
(B) more than a month, (C) almost two weeks.
_____12. Jess and Leslie pretended to (A) drive invaders from Terabithia, (B) have a welcoming
banquet, (C) attend a dress ball.
_____13. Leslie heard Janice Avery in the bathroom (A) threatening May Belle, (B) crying,
(C) plotting to get even with Jess and her.
_____14. Leslie went into the girls' room to talk to Janice because (A) she felt sorry for her,
(B) Jess wanted her to, (C) Janice had no friends to comfort her.
_____15. Leslie came back into the classroom (A) looking pleased with herself, (B) pale and
shaking, (C) with a black eye.
_____16. Janice's father (A) was dead, (B) was an alcoholic, (C) beat her.
_____17. Janice was crying because (A) she was in pain, (B) her friends had told the secret about
her father, (C) her teachers didn't like her.
_____18. What experience did Leslie share with Janice? (A) being laughed at for not having a
T.V., (B) the truth about the love letter, (C) Terabithia.
_____19. Janice asked Leslie for (A) a tissue, (B) an excuse for being late for class, (C) advice.
_____20. Who besides Leslie and Jess knew about Terabithia? (A) Janice, (B) Bill (C) May Belle.
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
21
Assessment
Objective Tests
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
Eight: Easter
Pages 78-86
Write either True or False in the blank before each statement.
___________1. It rained a lot in March.
___________2. Easter was the only time of year Jess’s family went to church.
___________3. Just before Easter, Jess's father was laid off from his job in Washington.
___________4. Leslie confessed to Jess that she had never been to church.
___________5. Mr. Aarons was friendly to Leslie when he saw her in the barn with Jess.
___________6. Mrs. Aarons agreed immediately when Jess asked if Leslie could go to church with
them.
___________7. On the way to church, Leslie, Jess, and his little sisters rode in the back of the pickup
and sang songs.
___________8. Jess always enjoyed church.
___________9. May Belle told Leslie she had to believe in the Bible or she would go to hell when
she died.
__________10. Leslie didn't believe God condemned people as May Belle said.
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
22
Assessment
Objective Tests
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
Nine: The Evil Spell
Pages 86-93
Write either Yes or No in the blank before each question.
______1. Did the rain seem determined to ruin Jess and Leslie's week of Easter vacation?
______2. Did Judy ask Jess and Leslie not to go out in the rain?
______3. Had the rain transformed the gully into a roaring eight-foot-wide sea that carried large pieces
of debris?
______4. Was Jess completely confident when Leslie swung across the gully?
______5. Was Jess's swing across the gully as well done as Leslie's?
______6. Was the way into Terabithia flooded by Wednesday?
______7. Did Leslie seem to be afraid of crossing the gully?
______8. Did Leslie say the rain was a sign of a curse on Terabithia by some evil being?
______9. By Wednesday night, with the rain still falling, did Jess decide to tell Leslie he would not go
to Terabithia?
_____10. Did Jess know that Leslie would still want to cross the creek no matter how high the water
came?
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
23
Assessment
Objective Tests
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
Ten: The Perfect Day
Page 94-102
Write either True or False in the blank before each statement.
___________1. There was no job to go to, but Jesse’s father left to look for work every morning.
___________2. If there was still water in the creek come summer, Jess thought he might
overcome some of his fear by asking Leslie to teach him how to swim.
___________3. Jess felt anxious about explaining to Leslie why he didn't want to go to Terabithia
until the creek went down.
___________4. Leslie didn't call Jess on the phone because his sisters teased him about it.
___________5. Miss Edmunds invited Jess to go to Washington to visit museums.
___________6. Jess made certain his mother knew the details of his trip with Miss Edmunds before
he left.
___________7. Jess was so happy to be alone with Miss Edmunds, the thought of asking if Leslie
could come along never entered his mind.
___________8. Jess had never been to Washington or an art gallery.
___________9. Jess thought that the one perfect day he had experienced with Miss Edmunds
was worth anything he had to pay.
__________10. When Jess got home, Leslie was dead; and his mother thought he was dead, too.
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
24
Assessment
Objective Tests
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
Eleven: No!
Pages 103-110
Write the letter of the correct answer in the blank before each question.
_____1. Leslie drowned when the rope across the creek broke and (A) she was carried away in the
current, (B) she couldn't swim to the bank, (C) she probably hit her head on something.
_____2. Jess’s reaction to hearing of Leslie's death was to (A) cry, (B) run, (C) go to the Perkins
place.
_____3. Who went after Jess and brought him back home? (A) his father, (B) Bill, (C) his mother.
_____4. When he awoke in the night, Jess thought Leslie's death (A) had been a dream, (B) was
his imagination and a guilty conscience for going with Miss Edmunds, (C) was a cruel joke
someone was playing.
_____5. Jess wanted to apologize to Leslie for (A) not telling her where he had gone, (B) not asking
her to go along on the trip, (C) not telling her how scared he was of the crossing to
Terabithia.
_____6. When Jess began eating his breakfast pancakes, Brenda (A) left the room, (B) began to
cry, (C) accused him of not caring.
_____7. Who did the milking for Jess? (A) his mother, (B) May Belle, (C) his father.
_____8. What unusual thing did Mr. Aarons do as he walked past his son? He (A) put his hand
on Jess’s shoulder, (B) refused to go to work, (C) yelled at May Belle.
_____9. What was Jess’s statement when his father said they should go pay respects to the little
girl's family? (A) "May Belle can't go." (B) "What little girl?" (C) "I'II go alone."
____10. Jess behaved as though (A) nothing bad happened to Leslie, (B) he didn't want his father
to go to the Perkins place, (C) he was extremely angry with his sisters.
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
25
Assessment
Objective Tests
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
Twelve : Stranded
Pages 111-117
Write the letter of the correct answer in the blank before each question.
______1. When he went with his parents went to visit Leslie's family, Jess was greeted at the door
by (A) P.T., (B) Leslie's father, (C) Leslie's grandmother.
______2. Inside the house, Jess and his parents were taken to (A) the kitchen, (B) the back porch,
(C) the golden room.
______3. The lady with the white hair who knew that Jess and Leslie had been friends was
(A) Leslie's aunt, (B) Leslie's former teacher from Arlington, (C) Leslie's grandmother.
______4. Because his best friend had died, Jess felt that (A) he should be the only one crying,
(B) it would make him important and he would receive special treatment at home and school,
(C) he didn’t want to have anymore best friends.
______5. Jess hoped Leslie wouldn't be buried in her blue jeans because (A) people might snicker at
her, (B) she looked good in the jumper and blouse she had worn to church (C) he wanted
her to look like a girl.
______6. Jess was afraid to look up at Bill because (A) he thought Bill might be angry with him, (B) he
still felt guilty about leaving Leslie and going with Miss Edmunds, (C) he didn't want to see
Bill crying, too.
______7. Jess wanted to get out of Leslie's house because (A) he never liked the way it looked,
(B) it was smothering him, (C) there were too many people there he didn't know.
______8. When Bill thanked him for being Leslie's friend, Jess thought (A) he and Leslie would
probably have made fun of the way he sounded, (B) he probably didn't mean it, (C) he
didn't deserve to be thanked.
______9. When Jess heard that Leslie's parents were having her cremated, he got angry because
(A) he knew Leslie wouldn't have wanted it, (B) it meant he would never see her again,
not even dead, (C) they had no right to do that.
_____10. Jess wanted to sock Bill in the face for (A) letting Leslie go out alone, (B) not paying
attention to what Leslie was doing, (C) bringing Leslie to such a rotten place to live.
_____11. Jess thought Leslie had failed him because (A) she had died when he needed her the
most, (B) she had gone to Terabithia without him, (C) she hadn't helped him make more
friends.
_____12. Jess felt that Leslie had led him into a new world and then (A) laughed at him, (B) left him
stranded before he felt at home, (C) didn't show him how to get back to his old self.
_____13. Jess was crying on the way home because (A) he was scared, (B) he didn't want to see
Leslie dead, (C) he was angry.
_____14. When May Belle asked if he had seen Leslie laid out, Jess (A) hit her, (B) ran passed her
without answering, (C) told her about the cremation.
_____15. When Jess saw the broken rope at the stream, he thought (A) he should take the rope
down, (B) he was now the fastest runner in fifth grade, (C) what a coward he had been.
_____16. What did Jess throw into the stream? (A) the paper and paints Leslie had given him,
(B) Leslie's picture, (C) the piece of broken rope.
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
26
Assessment
Objective Tests
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
Twelve: Stranded—continued
_____17. Who had followed Jess to the stream? (A) May Belle, (B) his father, (C) Bill.
_____18. Jess’s father (A) told him not to be foolish, (B) begged him to come back to the house,
(C) held Jess on his lap like he was Joyce Ann.
_____19. Through his sobs, Jess said (A) he hated Leslie, (B) he hated being the only boy in the
family, (C) he hated Bill and Judy.
_____20. Jess confessed that he was afraid (A) Leslie would go to hell, (B) he might die, too,
(C) Leslie would haunt him because he had left her alone.
_____21. Jess's father comforted him by saying (A) he would talk to the preacher, (B) Leslie was
really a good little girl, (C) God wouldn't send any little girls to hell.
_____22. Jess had never thought of Leslie as (A) someone else's friend, (B) a little girl, (C) being
an angel.
_____23. Jess did not apologize to May Belle because (A) he was still angry with her, (B) his
mother made him stay away from her, (C) he was just too tired.
_____24. Before they left for Pennsylvania, Leslie's parents, (A) brought P.T. to stay with Jess,
(B) came to say good-by, (C) came to thank Jess’s parents.
_____25. P.T. slept, (A) on the porch, (B) in Jess’s bed, (C) on a blanket in the living
room.
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
27
Assessment
Objective Tests
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
Thirteen: Building the Bridge
Pages 118-128
Write the letter of the correct answer in the blank before each question.
______1. On Saturday morning Jess did the milking because (A) his father told him to, (B) it would
make things normal again, (C) he wanted to be alone and think about Leslie.
______2. Jess went back to the creek (A) to look for his paints, (B) to check the water level, (C) to
let P.T. swim.
______3. Jess made the first bridge over the creek with (A) an old door, (B) a large branch that had
washed up, (C) some new rope.
______4. Alone in Terabithia, Jess again became angry at Leslie because (A) she tried to come to
Terabithia in the rain, (B) he wanted to honor the dead queen, but he didn’t know how,
(C) he was afraid.
______5. Jess wondered if Leslie (A) was scared when she died, (B) could see him, (C) would want
a funeral.
______6. Jess made a wreath for Leslie from (A) pine needles and twigs, (B) a pine bough and
wildflowers, (C) leaves and a piece of rope.
______7. When a cardinal took interest in the wreath, Jess considered it (A) a message from
(B) a good sign from the Spirits, (C) a curse.
Leslie,
______8. Where did Jess hold the ceremony for Leslie? (A) in the castle at Terabithia, (B) at the
creek, (C) deep in the sacred pine grove.
______9. What words did Jess say for Leslie during the ceremony? (A) "This is for my friend, the
queen of Terabithia." (B) "Her spirit will be with us always." (C) "Father, into Thy hands I
commend her spirit."
_____10. After the ceremony, Jess (A) cried for the last time, (B) decided to destroy Terabithia,
(C) felt a tiny peace in his body.
_____11. Jess found May Belle (A) terrified and stuck halfway across the tree bridge, (B) in the creek,
(C) waiting for him in the castle.
_____12. In order to get May Belle off the limb, Jess (A) waded into the water and pulled her down,
(B) went out on the limb to get her, (C) moved the branch.
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
28
Assessment
Objective Tests
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
Thirteen: Building the Bridge—Continued
_____13. May Belle had followed Jess because she (A) wanted to see Terabithia, (B) woke up when
she heard him leave, (C) didn't want him to be lonely.
_____14. Jess told May Belle she didn't have to be ashamed because (A) he got stuck on the limb,
too, (B) everybody gets scared, (C) she could wash the mud from her clothes.
_____15. When Jess arrived at school on Monday, (A) no one talked to him, (B) Janice asked where
Leslie was, (C) Leslie's desk had been removed from the classroom.
_____16. Mrs. Myers asked Jess to go out into the hall when (A) he didn't stand for the allegiance,
(B) he wouldn't talk to anyone, (C) he wouldn't leave Leslie's desk.
_____17. When Mrs. Myers talked to Jess about Leslie, she (A) was stiff and formal as usual,
(B) showed she really hadn't understood Leslie, (C) cried and said she was grateful Leslie
had been her student
_____18. Jess thought that, when he was grown, he (A) would write Mrs. Myers a letter saying
Leslie thought she was a great teacher, (B) would forget Leslie and Mrs .Myers,
(C) would remember what Mrs. Myers said.
_____19. Mrs. Myers helped Jess by understanding that (A) he would always be sad, (B) he would
never forget Leslie, (C) he wouldn't be able to concentrate on his school work for a while.
_____20. It occurred to Jess that he had grown strong in Terabithia, and now he had to (A) forget
the past, (B) move on, (C) destroy the castle they had built.
_____21. Jess knew that the terrors of life were (A) over, (B) not all behind him, (C) always going to
be a impossible for him to face alone.
_____22. Bill and Judy said they had moved to the country (A) for Leslie's sake, (B) to take a rest
from city life, (C) because the city was too expensive.
_____23. Which of the following of Leslie's possessions did Bill and Judy not give to Jess?
(A) P.T., (B) her books, (C) her paints and watercolor paper.
_____24. Jess got the lumber to build the bridge from (A) Bill, (B) his father, (C) the school
principal.
_____25. Who did Jess choose as the next queen of Terabithia? (A) Joyce Ann, (B) May Belle,
(C) no one.
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
29
Assessment
Objective Tests
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
WHOLE BOOK TEST
Write the letter of the correct answer in the blank before each question.
______1. Both Jess and Leslie were (A) fifteen, (B) twelve, (C) ten years old.
______2. Jess and Leslie were in (A) fourth grade, (B) fifth grade, (C) sixth grade.
______3. Jess got up every morning to run because he (A) was going to try out for track,
(B) wanted to be the fastest runner in fifth grade, (C) wanted to lose weight.
______4. Jess had (A) four sisters, (B) three sisters and one brother, (C) one younger sister.
______5. A chore Jess did every morning and evening was (A) bringing in fire wood, (B) washing
dishes, (C) milking.
______6. This story began in the month of (A) August, (B) December, (C) July.
______7. This story ended just after (A) Christmas, (B) Easter, (C) the Fourth of July.
______8. The sister who worshipped Jess was (A) Brenda, (B) Ellie, (C) May Belle.
______9. The first time Jess saw Leslie (A) he fell in love with her, (B) he couldn't tell if she was a
boy or a girl, (C) she was running along side of him.
_____10. Jess loved to (A) draw, (B) sing, (C) build things.
_____11. Jess and Leslie's favorite teacher was (A) Miss Edmunds, (B) Mrs. Myers, (C) Mrs. Belle.
_____12. Lark Creek Elementary was (A) a large, modern school, (B) a small, rather poor school,
(C) progressive in teaching methods.
_____13. The noon races finally came to an end because (A) Gary Fulcher wouldn't let anyone run,
(B) Gary cheated, (C) Leslie won all the races.
_____14. Jess and Leslie's friendship began (A) during recess, (B) during music class, (C) at home.
_____15. Leslie's parents had moved from Arlington to the old Perkins place because (A) they
thought they were too hooked on money and success, (B) they wanted to farm, (C) the
city was unhealthy and noisy.
_____16. Though she didn't want to be, Leslie was (A) the smartest kid in class, (B) Mrs. Myers'
pet, (C) the only girl who wore jeans.
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
30
Assessment
Objective Tests
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
Whole Book Test—Continued
_____17. Jess’s parents (A) gave him special attention, (B) abused their children, (C) weren't very
loving toward him.
_____18. Both of Leslie's parents were (A) artists, (B) musicians, (C) writers.
_____19. Leslie was embarrassed to tell the class her family had no (A) T.V., (B) car, (C) phone.
_____20. Jess and Leslie created Terabithia as (A) a place to get away from their families, (B) a
secret place just for themselves, (C) a place to bring May Belle.
_____21. Where was the most sacred place in Terabithia? (A) the pine grove, (B) the castle,
(C) the gully.
_____22. How did Leslie and Jess cross the dry creek into Terabithia? by (A) a tree bridge, (B) a
plank, (C) swinging on an old rope.
_____23. Leslie and Jess declared themselves (A) Princess and Prince of Terabithia, (B) King and
Queen of Terabithia, (C) Duke and Duchess of Terabithia.
_____24. Jess loved to hear Leslie's (A) laugh, (B) phonograph records, (C) stories.
_____25. How did Jess’s family feel about Leslie? (A) They loved her. (B) They weren't very
friendly. (C) They wouldn't let her visit.
_____26. Jess and Leslie decided to get Janice Avery because (A) she was threatening them,
(B) she stole May Belle's Twinkies, (C) she found Terabithia.
_____27. How did Jess and Leslie embarrass Janice Avery? They (A) wrote a fake love letter,
(B) started a rumor, (C) tricked her father into coming to school.
_____28. At Christmas, Jess gave Leslie (A) a book, (B) artist's materials, (C) a puppy.
_____29. Jess spent part of his Christmas money to buy May Belle (A) a book, (B) a Barbie doll,
(C) a doll house.
_____30. After Christmas, Leslie and Jess didn't go to Terabithia for more than a month because
(A) Leslie was helping her father fix up their house, (B) Jess had to do extra chores for
his family, (C) Leslie was sick.
_____31. Leslie called her parents (A) Judy and Bill, (B) Mom and Dad, (C) Mommie and
Pop.
_____32. The spring weather was (A) warm, (B) rainy, (C) windy.
_____33. How often did Jess’s family go to church? (A) every month, (B) on holidays, (C) once a
year at Easter
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
31
Assessment
Objective Tests
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
Whole Book Test—Continued
_____34. May Belle told Leslie if she didn't believe in the Bible (A) she couldn't come to church any
more, (B) God would make her die, (C) God would condemn her to hell when she died.
_____35. How did Jess feel about swinging on the rope over the roaring water? (A) afraid,
(B) exhilarated, (C) proud.
_____36. Miss Edmunds invited Jess to go with her to (A) a movie, (B) Washington, (C) New York.
_____37. When Jess came home from his trip with Miss Edmunds, his family was waiting for him
because (A) he had left without permission, (B) Leslie was dead and they thought he
was, too, (C) he was very late.
_____38. Leslie fell into the water because (A) she slipped off the muddy bank, (B) she was caught
in a flash flood, (C) the rope they used for swinging across the gully broke.
_____39. It was thought that Leslie drowned because (A) the current was too strong, (B) she was
not a good swimmer, (C) she hit her head.
_____40. Jess’s first reaction to Leslie's death was (A) disbelief, (B) anger, (C) surprise.
_____41. At Leslie's house, Jess felt uncomfortable because (A) everyone was crying,
(B) everyone was a stranger, (C) he didn't like his parents being there.
_____42. Jess wanted to hit Bill for (A) letting Leslie out of the house in the rain, (B) bringing Leslie
to such a rotten place, (C) not teaching Leslie to swim.
_____43. Jess felt that Leslie had (A) been careless, (B) abandoned him, (C) probably been
scared.
_____44. Leslie's parents had her body (A) sent to Washington, (B) cremated, (C) sent to
Pennsylvania.
_____45. Mr. Aarons comforted his son by saying he didn't believe (A) God sent little girls to hell,
(B) Leslie suffered, (C) Leslie's death was his fault.
_____46. At school, Jess wanted to comfort (A) Janice, (B) Wanda Kay, (C) Mrs. Myers.
_____47. Where did Jess hold the ceremony for Leslie? (A) at the castle, (B) in the sacred pine
grove, (C) at the crossing.
_____48. Jess had to rescue May Belle from (A) the gully, (B) the sacred grove, (C) the tree bridge.
_____49. What possession of Leslie's did Bill keep? (A) her books, (B) her art work, (C) P.T.
_____50. The person chosen as the new queen of Terabithia was (A) May Belle, (B) Brenda,
(C) Janice.
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
32
Keys
Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
Objective Tests
One
1. B
2. C
3. A
4. C
5. B
6. A
7. C
8. B
9. C
10. A
Seven
1. B 11.
2. A 12.
3. B 13.
4. C 14.
5. B 15.
6. A 16.
7. B 17.
8. A 18.
9. C 19.
10. A 20.
1. A
2 C
3. C
4. B
5. A
6. C
7. B
8. A
9. B
10. C
11. A
12. B
13. C
14. A
15. B
16 A
17. B
18. C
19. A
20. A
Two
1. True
2. True
3. True
4. False
5. False
6. True
7. False
8. True
9. True
10. True
11. True
12. False
13. True
14. True
15. False
16. False
17. True
18. False
19. True
20. False
Eight
1. True
2. True
3. True
4. True
5. False
6. False
7. True
8. False
9. True
10. True
B
A
B
B
A
C
B
A
C
C
Twelve
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
Three
1. No
2. No
3. No
4. Yes
5. No
6. Yes
7. Yes
8. No
9. Yes
10. Yes
C
B
C
A
B
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
1. B
2 A
3. B
4. B
5. A
6. B
7. B
8. C
9. C
10. C
11. A
12. B
13. C
14. B
15. C
16. A
17. C
18. A
19. B
20. B
Thirteen
21. B
22. A
23. A
24. A
25. B
Four
1. A 21. B
2. C 22. A
3. B 23. A
4. B 24. C
5. C 25. B
6. A
7. B
8. C
9. B
10. A
11. C
12. B
13. C
14. A
15. C
16. B
17. B
18. A
19. C
20. C
1.
2.
3
4
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Nine
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
1. C
2. B
3 B
4. A
5. C
6. A
7. B
8. C
9. B
10. A
11. A
12. B
13. C
14. B
15. A
16. B
17. C
18. C
19. A
20. B
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Five
True
True
False
False
True
True
False
True
True
False
Six
1. No
2. Yes
3. Yes
4. Yes
5. No
6. Yes
7. Yes
8. No
9. No
10. No
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Ten
True
True
True
True
True
False
False
True
True
True
Eleven
1. C
2. B
3. A
4. A
5. B
6. C
7. C
8. A
9. B
10. A
BOOK TEST
21. A
41.
22. C
42.
23. B
43.
24. C
44.
25. B
45.
26. B
46.
27. A
47.
28. C
48.
29. B
49.
30. A
50.
31. A
32. B
33. C
34. C
35. A
36. B
37. B
38. C
39. C
40. A
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A
B
B
B
A
C
B
C
C
A
About Your Teaching Guide Components . . . . .
Chapter Summaries
Written in present tense, the chapter-by-chapter summaries are more detailed than those found in most
teachers’ guides or other sources. Important points of the plot, character motivation and development, and story
clues are all included. For quick reference, the summaries are presented in bulleted format. These synopses are
a valuable resource for
becoming familiar with a title when time is limited
quickly locating a specific story event or character
managing a reading program that involves multiple titles/reading groups
facilitating independent study
refreshing memory when using a novel from year to year.
Objective Tests
The objective tests have multiple functions. In addition to their obvious application, they also serve as tools
that can improve comprehension skills by providing practice in understanding plot structure and recognizing
important story elements.
Focus on the Plot. . .
Whether they are aware of their ability or not, all good readers sense the rhythm of the connected events
that compose the plot of a novel, and consequently comprehend the story. They are in tune with cause and
effect, behavior and consequence, sequence—the heartbeat of the narrative.
This “plot rhythm” forms the framework for the objective tests. The chain of events that tell the story have
been pulled from the novel and reformatted into a series of sequential questions, none of which require
interpretation. They are intended to draw student attention to the fact that something happened, not to what
the incident means. That comes later.
In addition to their testing function, teachers may use the pages to strengthen their students’ ability to
Summarize: With only the questions as a guide, have students write a summary of the chapter. For a set of ten
questions, limit the number of sentences they may write to seven or fewer. When they work with twenty or more
questions, allow no more than twelve sentences.
Report the News: Ask your students to write a newspaper article based on the events identified in a set of
questions and the who, what, when, where, why elements. Some information needed to complete this
assignment may be located in previous chapters.
Twist the Plot: Choose one or two questions from each chapter and change its answer—true to false, no to yes,
etc.—to demonstrate how changing a single (or several) events would (or would not) change the story. This
process can be used to help students become proficient in distinguishing major plot movers from minor story
details.
The Characters. . .
Too often, when they are asked to describe a story character’s personality, the only answer many students
can muster is “nice.” This portion of the Novel Teaching Pack, coupled with related activities from Think, Write,
Create, is a well of opportunities for those teachers who wish to eradicate “nice” from their students’ vocabularies!
Questions that identify a character’s personality and/or motivation are purposely and carefully included with
the plot movers. Again, the questions do not require interpretation. They simply establish that someone did or
said something—knowledge that is invaluable when character analysis is required.
Implied Meaning and Story Clues. . .
The objective tests include items that establish the existence of story components carrying implied meaning.
Story clues that tantalize the reader with hints of future events also appear as question. At this point in the novel
study, as before, interpretation is not the goal. Awareness of the facts is the target.
Developing/Improving Listening Skills. . .
Listening skills are rightfully included on every list of state competency requirements. Rather than always
requiring students to answer test questions on a printed page, why not surprise them occasionally by doing the
test orally and meeting competency goals at the same time?
Discussion Guide Capability. . .
The objective tests are helpful discussion guides. Use individual items on these pages to draw student
attention to sequence, cause and effect, story clues (foreshadowing), character traits, recognizing and interpreting
implied meanings, etc. These “thinking out loud” sessions are an important building block for the next learning
phase.
Copyright © 2007 Margaret Whisnant
Taking Grades Publishing Company, Conover, NC 28613
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