Night of the Twisters

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

Chapters 1-4

Reading Check

1. Where does Dan live?

2. What month is it?

3. Where does Dan’s father go after dinner?

4. When Dan and Arthur are riding back to Dan’s home, what announcements start to come onto televisions?

Short Answer

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

1. How are red-letter days and black-letter days similar and different for Dan Hatch?

2. What does Dan remember about the weather shifting that afternoon?

3. How does Dan feel about Ryan?

4. What are some details that reveal how close Dan and Arthur are?

Paired Resource

“Friendship: Friends May Be More Important Than Family”

• Time explores the importance of friendship in this article and brief video.
• The resource connects to themes of Friendship as Sustenance, The Strength of Family, and Community and Close Bonds.
• How do Dan and Arthur impact each other’s lives?

Chapters 5-7

Reading Check

1. After making phone calls to check on people, where does Dan’s mom go?

2. What items does Dan take to be prepared for a tornado?

3. Where do Dan, Arthur, and Ryan take shelter during the tornado?

4. After the tornado, who arrives at Dan’s home to help?

Short Answer

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

1. What immediate reactions do Arthur and Dan have after the tornado moves past them?

2. Why don’t Dan and Arthur leave the house right after they realize they survived?

3. How does Dan find his mom?

4. Why does Dan’s mom leave him and Arthur again?

Paired Resource

“Storm Fear”

• Robert Frost’s poem describes a family surviving a harsh storm.
• The poem connects to the theme of The Strength of Family.
• What emotions in the poem also build in the novel?

“1980 Grand Island Tornadoes: ‘The Night of the Twisters’”  

• This 1-minute video includes images and facts about the tornadoes in the novel.
• The survival in the face of the tragedy shown in this video builds the theme of Community and Close Bonds.
• What scenes in the video echo scenes in the novel?

Chapters 8-11

Reading Check

1. When Dan, Arthur, and Stacey find Mrs. Smiley in her basement, what is she doing?

2. On the way to Kmart, what danger do they encounter?

3. Where do Stacey, Arthur, and Dan spend the rest of the night?

4. Where do Stacey and Arthur reunite with their dad?

5. Who does Dan find when he runs home?

Short Answer

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

1. How do they get Mrs. Smiley out of her basement?

2. When they are trying to sleep, how does Stacey help Dan feel less afraid?

3. How does Mrs. Minetti help Dan?

4. When Dan gets to the Kmart, what does he find?

Paired Resource

"Huddling With Families After Disaster"

• This article from the National Institute of Health examines families during and in the aftermath of natural disasters.
• The resource connects to the theme of The Strength of Family.
• What details in the novel show the importance of family to the characters?

Chapter 12

Reading Check

1. Where does Dan’s family live for a while after the tornadoes?

2. What do people start calling the day of the tornadoes?

3. Who comes to help the town in the aftermath?

Short Answer

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

1. How does Mrs. Smiley help her community after the disastrous night?

2. A year later, how does the neighborhood mark the anniversary of the night of the tornadoes?

Paired Resource

“Neighborhood Connections Key to Surviving a Crisis”

• This NPR article and interview explores ways connections between people and neighborhood infrastructure can help people in times of disasters.
• The resource connects to themes of Friendship as Sustenance and Community and Close Bonds.
• Where in the book do neighbors help each other survive?

Recommended Next Reads 

Storm Runners by Roland Smith

• When a hurricane hits, Chase finds himself and his friends right in the path. He uses survival lessons his dad has taught him to help them face the horrors of that night.
• Shared themes include Friendship as Sustenance, The Strength of Family, and Community and Close Bonds.
• Shared topics include natural disasters, fear, preparedness, survival, history, and growing up.  
• Storm Runners on SuperSummary

Up From the Sea by Leza Lowitz

• The 2011 tsunami in Japan dramatically changes Kai’s life. As he tries to heal, he visits the site of another tragedy: Ground Zero 10 years after 9/11.
• Shared themes include Friendship as Sustenance, The Strength of Family, and Community and Close Bonds.
• Shared topics include natural disasters, fear, history, survival, rebuilding, and growing up.