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67 pages 2 hours read

J. M. Barrie

Peter Pan

J. M. BarrieFiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1911

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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.

Chapters 1-4

Reading Check

1. How does Peter visit the Darling children in their nursery?

2. Who is Nana? 

3. What item does Nana trap that belongs to Peter?

4. Where does Peter get food?

5. What does Peter give Wendy instead of a kiss?

Short Answer

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

1. Why are the Darlings concerned when Wendy is born?

2. Why do you think Neverland is described with such different details depending on the character?

Paired Resource

Imagination in Child Psychology

  • This article describes the importance of imagination in child psychology.
  • What are the benefits of imagination to children? How have attitudes toward imaginary playmates changed over time? What are the connections between imagination and higher levels of intelligence? How is this article related to the novel’s themes of Growing Up and Knowledge and Ignorance?

Chapters 5-8

Reading Check

1. What role does Peter want Wendy to fill for the lost boys?

2. What do the boys build for Wendy?

3. What do the pirates leave to poison the lost boys?

4. Who do the pirates tie to a rock in the water to be drowned by high tide?

5. What does Captain Hook do to Peter’s hand while fighting him?

Short Answer

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

1. Peter offered to help Captain Hook during their fight. What does this say about Peter’s character?

2. Why is Captain Hook afraid of only one crocodile?

Paired Resource

The Golden Age of Piracy

  • This 8-minute video offers information and images on piracy.
  • What is a privateer? When did buccaneers become pirates? What is the Jolly Roger flag? When and why did governments begin to fight against piracy? How did J.M. Barrie gain inspiration from the golden age of piracy? How is this video related to the novel’s theme of Knowledge and Ignorance?

Chapters 9-13

Reading Check

1. What does Peter use to escape the rising tide after fighting Captain Hook?

2. What role does Peter play to the lost boys in Wendy’s imagined family?

3. What does Captain Hook hate about Peter Pan?

4. What is Hook’s goal regarding Peter Pan?

5. According to Peter, what gives Tinker Bell the ability to live?

Short Answer

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

1. Which of Wendy’s stories does Peter hate and why?

2. What prevents the children from going home after they ask Peter if they can leave?

Paired Resource

Gender Roles for Women in the 1900s

  • This article describes gender roles for women in the 1900s.
  • What did married women typically do in the 18th and 19th centuries? What work did women perform in the 1900s? How is this article related to the novel’s theme of A Mother’s Role and Growing Up?

Age and Waning Creativity

  • This article describes why people become less creative as they age.
  • What do people become less creative as they age? How do creative professionals tend to become more creative? What impact do you think modern technology has on creativity? How is this article related to the novel’s themes of Growing Up and Knowledge and Ignorance?

Chapters 14-17

Reading Check

1. Which lost boy volunteers to walk the plank first?

2. What role does Peter Pan take on after Captain Hook dies?

3. Who is asked to unlock the window for the Darling children?

4. Who does Peter Pan take to Neverland after Wendy grows up?

5. Where does Mr. Darling tell the lost boys they can live?

Short Answer

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

1. How does Peter disguise himself when he approaches Captain Hook’s ship?

2. Why is Captain Hook able to die with contentment?

Recommended Next Reads 

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

  • This novel is about a girl who is taken by a tornado to the Land of Oz and embarks on a journey to locate the wizard to help her to find a way home.
  • Shared topics include fantasy, a journey home, and the importance of family and friends.
  • Shared themes include Growing Up and Knowledge and Ignorance.
  • The Wonderful Wizard of Oz on SuperSummary

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

  • This novel describes the journey of a young girl who falls into a rabbit hole and experiences the mysteries of Wonderland.
  • Shared topics include fantasy, unbelievable characters, and the journey to return home.
  • Shared themes include Growing Up and Knowledge and Ignorance.
  • Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland on SuperSummary

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