Where the Red Fern Grows

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

CHAPTERS 1-3

Reading Check

1. What disrupts the narrator’s otherwise ordinary day in the opening scene of the novel?

2. What is the “terrible disease” the narrator mentions at the beginning of Chapter 2?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How much money does Billy save for his dogs, and how long does it take him to save it?

2. How does Billy’s grandfather respond when Billy shows him the money, and what does that reaction show about Billy’s character?

CHAPTERS 4-6

Reading Check

1. How has the price of the dogs changed in the two years Billy has been saving?

2. What name does the schoolboy call Billy?

3. What animal stalks Billy and his dogs when they are on their way back home?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What does the stationmaster do that gives Billy the courage to enter the depot, and why does this action have this impact?

2. What does Billy name his two dogs, and what is the inspiration for these names?