87 pages 2 hours read

Andrea Davis Pinkney

The Red Pencil

Fiction | Novel/Book in Verse | Middle Grade | Published in 2014

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Reading Questions & Paired Texts

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

Part 1, Chapters 1-32

1. How old does Amira turn at the beginning of the book?

2. Which school will Halima be attending, and where?

3.  Who was born on a moonless night?

Short Answer

Answer each of the following questions in a complete sentence or sentences. Incorporate details from the text to support your responses.

1. What does Amira liken Dando and Old Anwar’s fight to, and why?

2. Why does Amira listen carefully to Muma when the latter tells her about the Janjaweed?

Paired Resource

“Promoting Girls’ Education in South Darfur”

  • A short video by UNICEF in which correspondent Simon Ingram reports on some of the barriers to girls’ education in South Darfur and how UNICEF is helping overcome these barriers
  • Connects to the theme of Resilience, Growth, and Change
  • Based on the points mentioned in the video, where do you think Muma’s attitude toward education for girls stems from?

Part 1, Chapters 33-79

1. Who taught Dando how to read as a young boy?

2. What is Nali’s lamb’s name?

3. What is the name of the camp that Amira and the group eventually reach?

Short Answer

Answer each of the following questions in a complete sentence or sentences.

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