107 pages 3 hours read

Suzanne Collins

Gregor the Overlander

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2003

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Reading Questions & Paired Texts

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

Chapters 1-3

Reading Check

1. What do Gregor and Boots fall through to reach the Underland?

2. Which creature do Boots and Gregor encounter upon landing in Underland?

Short Answer

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

1. Why does Gregor not allow himself to imagine life after his dad returns?

2. What is Gregor’s first impression of Queen Luxa?

Paired Resource

“Down the Rabbit Hole

  • This scene from Disney’s 1951 film adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland depicts Alice falling down the rabbit hole to Wonderland, much like Gregor falls through the laundry-room grate into the Underland.
  • Students may recall that Suzanne Collins was inspired by Alice in Wonderland and used Gregor’s story to reflect an “urban” adaptation of its setting. Students can use this knowledge to make connections between the two stories and think about how Suzanne Collins transformed the original setting.
  • What similarities and differences do you notice between the movie scene of Alice falling down the rabbit hole and the novel’s scene of Gregor falling down the grate into Underland? How do you think the scene from Alice may have inspired the author when she wrote the scene of Gregor falling into Underland?