Stem Questions for Fiction Reading

Answer each questions completely and thoroughly to receive full credit. Comprehension of the material read must be evident through your work.

  1. Explain how this story compares or contrast to others you have read.
  2. Detail the dramatic foils in this story. If you feel that there are none, justify your response.
  3. Explain the theme of this story.
  4. Justify whether you feel the main character in this story is a static or dynamic character.
  5. How does the author use words to set the tone of this book? Explain.
  6. Identify the protagonist and antagonist in the story. Explain the characteristics of each character that led you to your conclusion.
  7. Identify and explain the main type of conflict represented throughout this book.
  8. Offer and identify three examples of literary devices used in this book. (Ex. Personification, onomatopoeia, metaphor, etc.) Remember to include quote and page number.

Example of Proper Stem Questions

Amy Greene

The Sun also Shines in the East

January 9, 2012

  1. The story The Sun also Shines in the Eastis a frightening and suspenseful story about a young girl who is looking for her birth mother. This story compares to another book I read entitled The Lostwhichis a thrilling story about a girl who was displaced in a war in her country. In both stories, someone is searching for someone they love.
  2. In this story, Annie and Marcus, her brother, are dramatic foils because Annie is working so hard to find their birth mother. Marcus is opposed to finding their birth mother, so he places several obstacles in Annie’s path. Their opposing views and Marcus’ desire to work against Annie make these two characters dramatic foils.
  3. The theme the author shared in this story is one of love and forgiveness. In the end, Annie found her mother and learned that her mother had been searching for her as well. Annie also learned that people make mistakes, and sometimes it is best to forgive those mistakes. Because of this lesson, Annie and her mother were able to forgive, love, and reconcile.
  4. The main character in this story, Annie, is a dynamic character. In the beginning she harbored a great deal of anger towards her birth mother, but after meeting her, she was able to forgive. The substantial change in Annie’s feelings towards her mother make Annie a dynamic character.
  5. In the beginning of the story, the author creates a suspenseful tone by describing the setting. The author uses words like “muggy” and “foreboding” to describe the basement that Annie is trapped in. This description of the setting leads the reader towards a feeling of suspense because it creates a spooky atmosphere.
  6. The protagonist in this story is Annie because she is the character that has a specific goal and is trying to achieve that goal. Finding her mother is very important to Annie, and Marcus the antagonist is working against her. For example, Once Annie found the phone number of the person that her mother was last seen with, Marcus hid the number from Annie.
  7. Although there are several conflicts presented in this story, the overall conflict of this book was individual vs. individual because Annie is having to overcome Marcus’ obstacles to find her mother.
  8. Pg. 87 – “The trees were singing an ominous tune. It was almost as if they knew what was ahead.” – This is an example of personification because trees cannot sing, and trees cannot know what is ahead because they do not think.

Pg.122 – “Marcus looked at Annie like a cat that had just captured his prize meal.” – This is an example of a simile because Annie is comparing the look that Marcus gave her to the look a cat may give after it has caught a mouse.

Pg. 144 – “The girl looked pretty ugly in her bright green dress and florescent hair.” – This is an example of an oxymoron because the words “pretty” and “ugly” are opposite words placed together to make one phrase.