Name: ______Date: ______
“Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry” – Comprehension Questions Chapter 1
Directions: Answer the questions in complete sentences. Each answer should be between 5-7 sentences.
1. Describe the Logans.
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2. What news did T.J. tell Cassie and her brothers?
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3. Why didn’t these children have a bus to take them to school?
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4. Why did Jeremy’s older sister, Lillian Jean, beat Jeremy?
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5. What is the significance of the Confederate flag flying?
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6. Why were there less students in the higher grade levels?
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7. The school was given "brand new" books. Why were they soiled?
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8. Why didn’t Cassie and Little Man want their books?
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9. Why didn’t Miss Crocker get upset by the condition of the books?
What was Mama’s reaction particularly when Miss Crocker said, "I think you’re spoiling those children, Mary. They’ve got to learn how things are sometime" ?
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“Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry” – Comprehension Questions Chapter 2/3
Directions: Answer the questions in complete sentences. Each answer should be between 5-7 sentences.
1. Who is Mr. Morrison and why has he come? (chapter 2)
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2. What happened to John Henry Berry?
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3. What did Papa demand the children swear to?
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4. Rewrite the second paragraph on page 40 in proper English.
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5. What do you think will happen next in chapter 3?
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6. Why was Little Man always getting angry and frustrated? (chapter 3)
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7. How did Stacy plan to get revenge? What was the outcome of his revenge?
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8. What danger were Cassie and her brother in?
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9. Predict what will happen next in chapter 4.
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“Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry” – Comprehension Questions Chapter 4
Directions: Answer the questions in complete sentences. Each answer should be between 5-7 sentences.
1. What did the "men in the night" do to Mr. Tatum? Why?
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2. What did Stacey do to help T.J. from getting in trouble? What does this tell you about Stacey’s character?
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3. How did Stacey get caught cheating and what happened to him?
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4. Why did Stacey and the others go to Wallace’s Store when they knew they would get whipped if they got caught?
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5. What did Stacey decide to do after Mr. Morrison picked the children up at Wallace’s Store?
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6. Why does Harlan Granger haunt the Logans to sell their land to him?
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7. Why did Mama bring the children to Berry’s?
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8. Why did Mama want the sharecroppers and the farm owners to shop in Vicksburg? What was the sharecroppers concern?
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“Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry” – Comprehension Questions Chapter 5
Directions: Answer the questions in complete sentences. Each answer should be between 5-7 sentences.
1. What happened in Strawberry?
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2. What did Mr. Barnett mean when he said to Stacey, “Then you get her out of here… And make sure she don’t come back till your mammy teach her what she is”?
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3. How did Uncle Hammer react to Cassie’s experience in Strawberry?
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4. Describe the incident with Jeremy’s sister Lillian Jean.
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5. How was Cassie rescued from Mr. Simms?
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6. What feelings do you think Cassie had toward the way she was treated by Mr. Simms?
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“Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry” – Comprehension Questions Chapter 6
Directions: Answer the questions in complete sentences. Each answer should be between 5-7 sentences.
1. Who was Cassie angry at and why?
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2. Why does Uncle Hammer make a visit?
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3. How did Uncle Hammer react to Cassie’s experience in Strawberry?
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4. How did Mama explain to Cassie…”how things are”?
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5. What is the lesson that Mama teachers Cassie about respect?
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6. What happened with Uncle Hammer?
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7. During A Sunday drive near Wallace’s Store, what did Uncle Hammer say that shocked the family?
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8. Uncle Hammer faked the Wallace’s out on the bridge who tipped their hats, and were shocked to see it wasn’t Mr. Granger. What did Mama mean when she said “But one day we’ll have to pay for it. Believe me…one day we’ll pay.”?
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“Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry” – Comprehension Questions Chapter 7
Directions: Answer the questions in complete sentences. Each answer should be between 5-7 sentences.
1. After Uncle Hammer found out that Stacey “gave” his coat to T.J., what lesson did Uncle Hammer teach as he reprimanded Stacey?
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2. What happened in Mr. Morrison’s childhood?
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3. What did Mama want to do to stop the Wallace’s from destroying young black children’s lives and to protect the black families incomes?
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4. What kinds of things did the Logan children get from Christmas?
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5. Who was the unexpected visitor and why did he come?
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6. What did Papa say about friendship between blacks and whites?
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7. Mr. Jamison, the lawyer, offered to help out the thirty black families. How?
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8. What reason did Mr. Jamison give for the Wallace’s not being arrested for burning the Berry’s home?
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9. Mr. Jamison says that killing a back man is a “minor consideration.” Why?
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10. What did Papa mean when he said, “I want these children to know we tried and what we can’t do now, maybe one day they will”?
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11. How did Mr. Granger threaten the Logan’s?
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12. What challenge did Papa make to Granger? How would you describe the mood and atmosphere at that moment?
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“Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry” – Comprehension Questions Chapter 8
Directions: Answer the questions in complete sentences. Each answer should be between 5-7 sentences.
1. How is Cassie “Uncle Tomming” (Miz) Lillian Jean? Whay do you think she is doing this?
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2. What lesson did Papa give to Cassie about respect?
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3. What was the trick that Cassie played on Lillian Jean?
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4. Mr. Granger, Kaleb Wallace, and a school board member came to watch Mama teaching. What was the outcome and why? Was there any “hidden agenda”?
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5. How did Mr. Morrison plan to help the Logans? What was Papa’s response?
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6. What did Little Willie Wiggins tell Stacey about Mama?
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7. What did Stacey mean when he said about T.J. , “What he got coming to him is worse than a beating”?
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8. What do you think T.J. means when he says, “Got me better friends than ya’ll! They give me things and treat me like I’m a man and… and they white too…”?
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“Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry” – Comprehension Questions Chapter 9
Directions: Answer the questions in complete sentences. Each answer should be between 5-7 sentences.
1. Why doesn’t Jeremy like his little brothers?
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2. What news did Mr. Jamison bring to Papa?
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3. Why did Mr. Avery and some other sharecroppers decide not to shop at Vicksburg?
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4. What would happen if the sharecroppers were put into a chain gang?
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5. What is the lesson to be learned that Papa talked about regarding the fig tree? (page 206)
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6. What happened to Papa when he and Mr. Morrison went to Vicksburg?
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“Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry” – Comprehension Questions Chapter 10
Directions: Answer the questions in complete sentences. Each answer should be between 5-7 sentences.
1. Why didn’t Papa want to borrow money from Uncle Hammer?
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2. Why does Stacey blame himself for Papa’s broken leg?
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3. How did Mr. Morrison show his great strength in front of the children?
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4. What did Jeremy tell Stacey that T.J.’s been up to?
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5. What news did Mr. Morrison bring back after paying the mortgage in Strawberry?
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6. Why did Uncle Hammer walk to the revival?
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7. Why was it better that Uncle Hammer return to Chicago?
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8. On the last night of the revival T.J. showed up with Simmes brothers. What seems to be their relationship? What did they promise T.J.?
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9. Where was Papa going to get the money to pay off the mortgage?
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10. Why did Papa dismiss the court system as a means to stop Mr. Granger?
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“Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry” – Comprehension Questions Chapter 11/12
Directions: Answer the questions in complete sentences. Each answer should be between 5-7 sentences.
1. Describe what happened to T.J. (chapter 11)
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2. Why did Stacey help after what he’s done to Mama?
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3. After Stacey, Cassie, Christopher-John and Little Man brought T.J. safely home, what happened?
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4. After Cassie told the ugly details of what happened to T.J. and his family, what did Papa mean when he said, “I’ll do what I have to, Mary-and so will you.” (12)
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5. After Papa and Mr. Morrison left in search for Stacey, what happened to the cotton?
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6. Who helped put out the fire and how was the fire stopped?
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7. What happened to T.J. once the fire broke out?
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8. What news did Mr. Jamison bring about Jim Lee Barnett and what are the implications?
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9. What was the secret that must never be told?
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10. Why did Stacey and Cassie mourn for T.J. and predict what might happen to him?
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11. How is the title, Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, appropriate for this novel?
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