The Tale of Despereaux

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

Part 1, Chapters 1-15

Reading Check

1. What word does Antoinette frequently use and is described as her favorite word in the novel?

2. What does the king believe Despereaux is when he first sees him?

3. Who does Despereaux form a romantic attachment to?

Short Answer

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

1. What is unusual about the incidents surrounding Despereaux’s birth? Why are these details important later in the narrative?

2. How might Antoinette’s character be described? What evidence from the novel supports your description?

3. What are the mouse rules Despereaux breaks and what are the consequences? Why might these rules be important to the survival of the mouse community?

4. How do fairy tales affect Despereaux’s behavior?

Paired Resource

History of Fairy Tales

• This 6-minute video explores the history of fairy tales and the shift from adult audiences to children.
• Consider viewing the video beginning at 1:07.
• Shared themes include Creating Your Own Destiny Through Storytelling and Nonconformity and Unlikely Heroes.
• How were fairy tales told prior to taking on a literary form? When did the audience of fairy tales shift from adults to children? How do fairy tales relay important messages? What is the significance of fairy tales to Despereaux?

“Fairy Tales and the Awakening of the Moral Imagination”

• This article explores the role of morality in fairy tales.
• Shared themes include Creating Your Own Destiny Through Storytelling and Nonconformity and Unlikely Heroes.
• Why are fairy tales more effective in producing morality than communicating moral principles? How does Despereaux develop a form of morality from reading fairy tales? What moral principles might his family members lack?

Part 2, Chapters 16-23

Reading Check

1. What does Roscuro imagine to be the meaning of life?

2. What does the king declare about all rats after Roscuro’s accident?

3. Who does the narrator claim will be pivotal to Roscuro’s revenge plot?

Short Answer

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

1. What does Botticelli define as being a “real rat?” What do real rats do?

2. What is Roscuro in pursuit of when he leaves the dungeon? What are the consequences of his actions?

3. What comparisons can be made between Roscuro’s character and Despereaux’s?

Paired Resource

“The Psychology of Revenge”

• This 3-minute video explores the psychology of revenge and how to use it to succeed.
• Shared themes include The Transformative Power of Forgiveness.
• What is the impact of revenge on the brain? How does revenge become problematic? What is Roscuro’s motive for seeking revenge? How might it impact him psychologically?

Part 3, Chapters 24-33

Reading Check

1. What are Mig’s ears described as resembling?

2. Who does Mig see on her seventh birthday?

3. What is Mig asked to deliver to Gregory after she “fails” in her domestic duties?

Short Answer

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

1. What types of physical and emotional abuse are inflicted on Mig? How do these abuses exacerbate her living situation?

2. What does Mig likely find attractive about the idea of becoming a princess?

3. How does Mig reinforce the idea of ridiculous dreams in the novel? Who else has ridiculous dreams?

Paired Resource

“Hope Theory”

• This 4-minute video explores the Hope Theory and why hope is beneficial in achieving goals.
• Shared themes include Creating Your Own Destiny Through Storytelling and Nonconformity and Unlikely Heroes.
• Why is hope an important element in goal achievement? Which characters have hope in the novel? How do they develop strategies to help them achieve their goals? Do you think they will succeed in achieving their goals?

Part 4, Chapters 34-52

Reading Check

1. What does Mig threaten Princess Pea with?

2. What does Princess Pea promise her mother she has not forgotten as she is taken captive by Roscuro?

3. What do the Council Members believe Despereaux to be when they see him again for the first time after his sentencing?

Short Answer

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

1. How does Roscuro convince Mig to go along with his plan to kidnap the princess? How is it reminiscent of the behaviors Roscuro was taught in rat training?

2. Why is forgiveness important to Despereaux? What other characters grant or receive forgiveness?

3. How does Despereaux display signs of heroism?

Recommended Next Reads

Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White

• This novel is about a pig who realizes that he is being raised to be eaten when an unlikely friend intervenes.
• Shared themes include Nonconformity and Unlikely Heroes and Creating Your Own Destiny Through Storytelling.
• Shared topics include helping others, becoming a hero, and perseverance.
• Charlotte’s Web on SuperSummary

Redwall by Brian Jacques

• This novel is about a group of animals who scramble to defend the peaceful abbey of Redwall after a band of cutthroats demands the property for themselves.
• Shared themes include Nonconformity and Unlikely Heroes.
• Shared topics include anthropomorphism, honor, and court politics.
• Redwall on SuperSummary