Summer of the Monkeys

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

Chapters 1-4

Reading Check

1. What is Jay Berry searching for when he finds a monkey?

2. About how many monkeys are in the river bottoms?

3. Where is Daisy when she is surrounded by animals?

4. Who does Daisy claim came to visit her?

5. Which of the circus animals is able to evade Jay Berry’s traps?

Short Answer

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

1. What is the setting of the novel?

2. Why is Jay Berry nervous about the Old Man of the Mountains?

3. What does Jay Berry intend to purchase with the money he would get if he captures the monkeys?

Paired Resource

“Sharecropping”

• This article explains sharecropping and the difficulties of those who worked as sharecroppers.
• This article is connected to Jay Berry’s parents’ history as sharecroppers and the novel’s theme of Perseverance in the Face of Frustration and Failure.
• How did sharecropping come about? What made sharecropping difficult? What was the social standing of most sharecroppers?

Chapters 5-8

Reading Check

1. Who does Jay Berry determine is the leader of the monkeys?

2. Who offers to help Jay Berry catch the monkeys after his first failed attempt?

3. What are Jay Berry’s parents and grandparents saving for?

4. Who does Jay Berry first capture in the net?

5. How many monkeys does Jay Berry catch in his net?

6. What is Daisy worried Jay Berry has contracted?

Short Answer

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

1. Why is Jay Berry unable to take the monkeys he catches home?

2. Who does Grandpa write to, and what information does he acquire to assist in capturing the monkeys?

Paired Resource

“Understanding Rabies”

• This article from The Humane Society provides facts and safety guidelines with the purpose of clearing up misconceptions about rabies.
• How do the rabies symptoms mentioned in the book differ from the ones referenced in this article? How are they similar? What misconceptions about rabies existed in the book that are cleared up in this article? What specific guidelines and information in this article could have been most useful to Jay Berry and his family?

Chapters 9-12

Reading Check

1. What does Daisy accuse Jay Berry of being wasteful with?

2. What does Jay Berry lose after drinking sour mash with Jimbo?

3. What role does Daisy play when Jay Berry is hungover from the sour mash?

4. Where does Grandpa take Jay Berry to find information on catching the monkeys?

5. What is the name of the book Grandpa reads for his next idea?

6. What does Jay Berry offer to Daisy instead of the ribbons?

Short Answer

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

1. How does Grandpa plan to use the coconuts to capture the monkeys?

2. How does Rowdy feel about visiting the monkeys and why?

Paired Resource

Chimpanzee Communication

• This 4-minute video explains how chimpanzees communicate.
• Themes connected to this video include Befriending One’s Foes.
• Why don’t chimpanzees need language to communicate? How do chimpanzees use nonverbal communication? What are some of the communications experts have identified?

Chapters 13-16

Reading Check

1. What mythical person does Daisy mention to Jay Berry during the storm?

2. What event as shared by Daisy indicates that Jay Berry will have good luck?

3. What does Daisy find in the yard while playing?

4. Where does Jay Berry lead the monkeys after saving them?

5. What does the mailman send instead of a letter to inform the circus of the monkeys’ capture?

6. What does Grandpa give to Jay Berry in celebration of his capture?

Short Answer

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

1. How does Jay Berry manage to capture the monkeys?

2. What is Ben Johnson’s reaction to Jimbo and why?

3. What does Jay Berry begin to wish for in the fairy ring before changing his mind?

Paired Resource

Fairy Ring

• This 4-minute video provides a scientific explanation for fairy rings.
• Themes connected to this video include Perseverance in the Face of Frustration and Failure.
• What is a fairy ring? How is it formed? What other types of fairy rings exist in nature?

What Is a Telegraph?

• This 2-minute video describes the invention of the telegraph and its impact on American culture.
• Themes connected to this video include Befriending One’s Foes.
• What is the telegraph? What is the possible impact of the telegraph on communication?

Chapters 17-19

Reading Check

1. What physical disability makes Jay Berry reconsider the paint pony?

2. What does Jay Berry decide to use his money for?

3. How long do Ma and Daisy stay in Oklahoma City?

4. What does Jay Berry name his pony?

Short Answer

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

1. Why does Grandpa appear unenthusiastic about Jay Berry’s purchase of a pony?

2. How did Grandpa guide Jay Berry to make the right decision with his money?

3. How is Jay Berry rewarded for his selfless act?

4. What did Jay Berry’s family wish for in the fairy ring, and which of their wishes came true?

Recommended Next Reads

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

• This novel is about a boy who works to purchase two redbone coonhounds for hunting.
• Shared themes include Perseverance in the Face of Frustration and Failure and The Angst of Coming of Age.
• Shared topics include the Ozarks, working toward goals, and rural living.
• Where the Red Fern Grows on SuperSummary

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

• This novel is about a girl who is accused of witchcraft in the American colony of Connecticut.
• Shared themes include Befriending One’s Foes, Perseverance in the Face of Frustration and Failure, and The Angst of Coming of Age.
• Shared topics include overcoming adversity, historical settings, and difficult choices.
• The Witch of Blackbird Pond on SuperSummary