The Stars Beneath Our Feet

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

Chapters 1-6

Reading Check

1. Whose death causes Lolly to feel like he can’t enjoy Christmas?

2. What is the name of the community Lolly lives in?

3. Who was Jermaine’s best friend when he was little?

4. What does Yvonne bring Lolly from where she works?

5. What does Vega like to do in his free time?

Short Answer

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

1. Why does Steve encourage Lolly to learn to create, and what does he give him to aid in his creative pursuits?

2. Who is Rockit, and why does he give Lolly a gift?

Paired Resource

Harlem, New York

• This article explains the establishment of Harlem, important historical events in Harlem, and some of the struggles facing those living there.
• Where is Harlem located? What is the history behind the establishment of Harlem? How did Harlem’s population change following high rates of vacancy in 1893? What was the role of the Harlem Renaissance? How is this article related to the novel’s themes of The Power of Creating and The Importance of Choice?

Chapters 7-12

Reading Check

1. What does Lolly name his castle?

2. What does Lolly buy at Tuma’s?

3. Where does Jermaine tell Lolly never to go, no matter who tries to send him?

4. Who does Mr. Ali take to the storage room for “celebrating hood fame”?

5. What do Sunny and April E. develop to solve the mystery of Lolly’s disappearance?

Short Answer

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

1. Why do the people at the after-school program dislike Rose?

2. Why is Lolly reluctant to build a relationship with his father?

Paired Resource

“Why Do We Have Housing Projects?”

• This 12-minute video describes the history behind public housing. 
• Why was public housing developed? How were people able to acquire public housing early in its history? What was the role of photography in bolstering support for public housing? How did the government’s involvement with public housing change how it was funded? According to this source, what are the discrepancies between the media and the opinions of people who live in public housing? How might the facts and content of this video connect to the novel’s themes of The Importance of Choice?

Chapters 13-18

Reading Check

1. What do Lolly and his friends see in St. Nicholas Park?

2. What is Lolly building in the storage room?

3. Where do Lolly and Vega travel to in the Bronx?

4. Who invades Lolly’s space while he builds Harmonee?

Short Answer

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

1. How does Mr. Ali advise Lolly to grieve in a healthy way?

2. What is Lolly’s plan to remove Rose from the storage closet?

Paired Resource

Desensitization to Violence

• This article describes the role of media, violence, and intolerance in desensitization. (Teacher-facing; may not be student-appropriate for all groups)
• Connects to the novel’s themes of The Importance of Choice and The Relationship between Violence and Masculinity.

Chapters 19-24

Reading Check

1. What are Sunny and April E. hiding in a box?

2. Why does Sunny dislike Rose?

3. Who attacks Lolly and tries to take his phone?

4. What is the after-school program using the storage space for, forcing Lolly to take his buildings apart?

Short Answer

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

1. How has Rose and Lolly’s relationship changed?

2. What does Rose reveal about the stars she places on the sidewalk?

3. What might have been Jermaine’s motivation for being involved in gang activity?

Chapters 25-30

Reading Check

1. Who do Gully and Harp want to join their gang?

2. What are Lolly and Rose building when Vega knocks it over?

3. Where does Lolly want to donate his Lego?

4. What did Jermaine buy for Lolly the first year he worked in the barbershop?

5. Where do Rose and Lolly go on the advice of an elderly couple who takes their picture?

Short Answer

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

1. How do Gully and Vega coerce people into joining their crew?

2. What are Daddy Rachpaul’s views on how men should behave?

Paired Resource

The High Line

• This article describes the High Line and its architectural designs in New York.
• How do many New Yorkers feel about the High Line? What was the purpose of the High Line? What effect does plant life give the High Line? What is unique about the architecture? Would the High Line be described as affordable living for most people? How do the ideas in this article relate to the novel’s theme of The Power of Creating?

Chapters 31-37

Reading Check

1. What does Vega have in a shoebox under his bed?

2. What do Sunny and April E name the wild coyote?

3. What does Yvonne steal, causing her to be arrested?

4. What do Vega and Lolly decide to do with the Glock?

5. Why is Rose removed from the after-school program?

6. What does Lolly begin to use as a replacement for Lego?

Short Answer

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

1. Why does Lolly think Jermaine’s death is his fault?

2. What does Lolly offer to do to pay for the items Yvonne stole?

Recommended Next Reads

Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson

• This novel is about a group of six students who meet after school in a place without adults to share their personal struggles.
• Shared themes include family conflicts, bullying, and grief.
• Shared topics include The Importance of Choice and The Relationship between Violence and Masculinity.
• Harbor Me on SuperSummary

The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden

• This coming-of-age novel is about an impoverished girl who must navigate complicated family dynamics and learn to speak up for herself.
• Shared topics include poverty, family, and violence.
• Shared themes include The Power of Creating and The Importance of Choice.
• The Benefits of Being an Octopus on SuperSummary