The Red Pencil

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. Incorporate details from the text to support your responses.

1. What does Amira realize when Leila sings a ditty about her, likening her to a lizard?

2. Why do Amira and the villagers stop calling for Sayidda Moon when they are traveling through the desert?

Paired Resource

“How Did Darfur Happen?"

• A The New York Times article penned by Scott Anderson in 2004 that explores the emergence of the Darfur conflict in depth and includes anecdotes and quotes from both Janjaweed members and victims of their raids (subscription may be required for viewing)
• Teacher-appropriate (not student-facing)

Part 2, Chapters 80-112

1. What does Amira feel slipping away from her at Kalma?

2. Who brings Amira the red pencil?

3. What are “needle noses”?

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 refer to as “Sudanese flowers,” and why?

2. What makes Old Anwar’s food especially tasty?

Paired Resource

“Daily Life in Kalma Camp”

• A video by Doctors Without Borders that provides a glimpse of the life and conditions at Kalma in April 2006
• Connects to the theme of Land and Home
• From what you have seen of Kalma in the video, what do you think are some of the things about the camp that disallow Amira from accepting it as her new home? Think about the material aspects (physical space, resources, etc.) as well as emotional ones (culture, safety, etc.).

Part 2, Chapters 113-145

1. What new animal does Amira encounter at Kalma?

2. What does Amira see on the CNN channel?

3. What game do Leila and Gamal begin to play again?

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 brings back Amira’s voice?

2. Which is Amira’s favorite letter, and why?

Paired Resource

“Museums Embrace Art Therapy Techniques for Unsettled Times”

• A The New York Times article penned by Zachary Small in 2020 that details how museums are incorporating aspects of art therapy in their spaces in response to the pandemic-induced mental health crisis (subscription may be required for viewing)
• Teacher-appropriate (not student-facing)

Part 2, Chapters 146-180

1. What new treat does Old Anwar bring Amira?

2. Whom does Amira confide in about her plan to leave Kalma?

3. Who accompanies Amira on her journey to Nyala?

Short Answer

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

1. Why do Muma and Old Anwar fight?

2. What does Amira promise Leila prior to leaving Kalma?

Recommended Next Reads

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhhà Lại

• A middle grade novel in verse about a girl from Vietnam who is forced to flee her home and immigrate to Alabama after the Fall of Saigon
• Shared topics include displacement due to war and family ties
• Shared themes include Resilience and Growth in the Face of Change
• Inside Out and Back Again on SuperSummary

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

• A middle grade novel about an 11-year-old boy who becomes separated from his family during the Second Sudanese Civil War and must walk miles through southern Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya in search of a new home
• Shared topics include civil war in Sudan and displacement due to war
• Shared themes include Resilience and Growth in the Face of Change
• A Long Walk to Water on SuperSummary