The Princess and the Goblin

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 1-7

Reading Check

1. Where does Irene live?

2. How does Irene find her grandmother?

3. Where does Curdie work?

4. What does Irene promise Curdie when they part?

Short Answer

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

1. How does Lootie react to Irene’s claims about her grandmother, and why does she react this way?

2. What knowledge does Curdie possess about the goblins, and how does it help Irene?

3. What does Grandmother show Irene the second time Irene visits, and what does this indicate about Grandmother?

Paired Resource

Child Labor in Mines in Victorian England

• This brief article describes the conditions under which miners worked in the 1800s, as well as the prevalence of child labor and its effects on children’s education.
• Does Curdie exhibit what you might assume to be the traits and attitude of a child laborer in the mines? Does MacDonald’s story address the questionable nature of child labor during the Industrial Revolution?

Chapters 8-16

Reading Check

1. What is the name of the goblin who speaks out at the palace meeting?

2. What secret does the king find out about Lootie?

3.