The Lions Of Little Rock

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

Chapters 1-12

Reading Check

1. What has the Supreme Court ruled that the governor of Arkansas refuses to comply with?

2. Who is Marlee’s only school friend before Liz arrives?

3. What is Marlee’s favorite subject in school?

Short Answer

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

1. How does Judy advise Marlee after she freezes on the high dive?

2. Why does Marlee refer to people as drinks? What do the different types of drinks say about the people she refers to?

3. When Marlee first meets Elizabeth, she does not want to sit with her. What is most likely the reason she feels this way?

4. Why does Marlee want to be like the lions at the zoo?

5. What is Liz’s idea to help Marlee overcome her fear of public speaking?

Paired Resource

“Brown v. Board of Education”

• This 8-minute video describes the court case of Brown v. Board of Education.
• What did Plessy v. Ferguson do? Why was Linda Brown required to travel so far to school? What was Brown v. Board of Education about? How is this video related to the novel’s theme of Entrenched Racism?

Chapters 13-23

Reading Check

1. What rumor is circulating at school the day Marlee prepares to give her speech?

2. Where is Judy being sent because the local schools are closed?

3. What does Marlee pass on to George to give to Liz?

Short Answer

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

1. What does Mr. Nisbett say is the problem with those who believe in integration? What does this reveal about the time period and setting?

2. What problems does Liz face after she is discovered to have been passing?

Paired Resource

“Shyness”

• This article describes what shyness is, why people are prone to it, and how it can be overcome. 
• What causes shyness? What can people do to overcome shyness? Are any of the suggestions in the article similar to Liz’s experience of overcoming shyness? How is this article related to the novel’s theme of Transformative Relationships and Learning to Speak Out?

Chapters 24-34

Reading Check

1. What is the first trick Marlee teaches Liz to help her to keep from speaking out?

2. Why does Marlee begin to receive threatening phone calls?

3. What does David believe Judy can become because of her advanced math skills?

4. What is Marlee’s second suggestion for helping Liz to tame her temper?

Short Answer

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

1. What is Betty Jean’s son accused of and why?

2. What surprising changes are seen in Marlee’s character after the New Year?

Paired Resource

Racial Passing

• This 2-minute video describes what racial passing is and why some people did it.
• What is racial passing? Why did some Black people pass? What were some of the social consequences of those who were able to pass as white? How is this related to the novel’s theme of Entrenched Racism? How is Liz’s ability to pass related to the novel’s theme of Transformative Relationships and Learning to Speak Out?

Chapters 35-45

Reading Check

1. Who confesses to Marlee he wanted to ask Marlee to Sally’s party?

2. What is Mr. Nesbitt’s reaction when Marlee tells her about JT and Red?

3. What group does Mrs. Dalton reveal her husband is part of?

Short Answer

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

1. Why is Marlee upset with her mother when she works as a substitute at Marlee’s school?

2. What does Marlee do after Liz is threatened by Red and JT?

Paired Resource

“The White Southerners Who Fought US Segregation”

• This article describes some of the attitudes of white people in the south who fought against segregation and the dangers to those who did. (Content Warning: descriptions of violence; may not appropriate for all groups or ages)
• What are some of the challenges of white people who opposed segregation? Why are many white people silent on their involvement in antiracist organizations?

Chapters 46-57

Reading Check

1. What do Liz and Marlee steal from Red?

2. What does Red do while Marlee is visiting Pastor George’s house?

3. Who wins the election at the school board?

4. What does Liz write in the magic square for Marlee to find?

Short Answer

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

1. In the second half of the novel we acquire new information about JT. Do you think JT is redeemable as a character?

2. What changes have been made to Mrs. Nesbitt by the novel’s conclusion?

Recommended Next Reads 

Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

• This novel is about a 9-year-old Black girl and her experiences growing up during the Great Depression with racial inequality in the south.
• Shared topics include historical fiction, racism, and family.

·        Shared themes include Entrenched Racism and Transformative Relationships.

• Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry on SuperSummary

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

• This novel is about a 10-year-old Black boy who sets out on a journey to find his biological father.
• Shared topics include racism, historical fiction, and compassion.
• Shared themes include Entrenched Racism, Learning to Speak Out, and Transformative Relationships.
• Bud, Not Buddy on SuperSummary