60 pages 2 hours read

E. Nesbit

The Railway Children

Fiction | Book | Middle Grade | Published in 1906

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During Reading

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. As the book opens, where do the main characters live?

2. What does Peter take from the railway?

3. To whom do the children write when Mother gets sick?

Short Answer

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

1. What causes the family to move to the countryside?

2. How is the family’s new home different from their home in the city?

3. How does Mother spend much of her time in the country house, and what does this reveal about her?

CHAPTERS 4-6

Reading Check

1. What does Bobbie ask the doctor for?

2. Which of the children accidentally takes a train ride?

3. Who arrives and begins staying with the family?

Short Answer

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

1. How does Mother react when the family receives gifts from the old gentleman, and what does this reveal about her?

2. When she finds her mother upset, why does Bobbie leave?

3. How do the children prevent a train wreck?

Paired Resource