The Secret Life of Bees, by Susan Monk Kidd Comprehension Questions

The Secret Life of Bees, by Susan Monk Kidd comprehension questions

Chapter 2

Who is Avery Gaston?
What was his nickname and why was it puzzling to Lilly?
Who followed Gaston, Lilly and Rosaleen to the jail? Why was Lilly concerned? What was Rosaleen’s reaction?
At the jail, what was Gaston going to do with Rosaleen? What did one of the men who followed them want Rosaleen to do? What did he do to force Rosaleen to say something?
How was this jail different from what Lilly imagined a jail to be?
Why is Rosaleen so disappointed when Gaston comes back to the jail cell?
What was T.Ray’s reaction to the situation when he came to take Lilly home?
What did T.Ray think that Franklin Posey would do to Rosaleen?
How did Lilly respond to T.Ray’s threat about a punishment later?
How does T.Ray try to hurt Lilly in talking about her mother?
Why is Lilly ‘broken to pieces’?
How does Lilly finally comfort herself?
What was the religious moment that Lilly had?
When T.Ray comes back what does he discover?
How does Lilly decide where to go?
Who picks Lilly up along the way to town? Where is he going? Where does Lilly say she is going?
What lie does Lilly tell the Reverend? Why does she tell him this?
When they get to the jail where is Rosaleen? What does Gaston threaten Lilly with doing?
Where does Lilly find Rosaleen? What was her condition?
What does Rosaleen say happened after Lilly left?
What does Lilly tell Rosaleen that they are going to do? Why do they have to leave?
How does Lilly get rid of the policeman who is guarding rosaleen?
How do Lilly and Rosaleen escape being seen as they walk down the hospital corridor?
Why do you think that Rosaleen and Lilly have started using ‘bad language’ as they escape?

The Secret Life of Bees, Ch 3
1. Which writer does Lily love best?
2. Which book did they read in school? What was that book about?
3. why is Lily reminded of this book?
4. When Lily woke up what was Rosaleen doing?
5. What story does Lily try to invent?
6. What is one difference between what Catholics believe and what Methodists and Baptists believe?
7. What day of the week was it? Why was this a problem for the two travelers?
8. What worries Lily?
9. Describe the Frogmore Stew General Store and restaurant.
10. What does Lily buy in the store? What does she do to get the snuff that Rosaleen asked for? Why does she have to do that?
11. What does Lilly notice as she's paying for the food?
12. Why does Lily say that she realized that thereis nothing but mystery in the world?
13. When Lily asks the storeowner about the label on the honey what does he think she is referring to?
14. who sells the honey?
15. Why does Rosaleen tell Lily her life has gone straight to hell?
16. How was Tiburon?
17. Why does Lily go into the post office? what is she checking? Whydoes she buy a newspaper? The Secret Life of Bees, Ch. 4
1. What is lily's first glimpse of August Boatwright? What impression does she make on Lily? How is the house she lives in?
2. Who answers the Boatwright door? What kind of reception does she give Lily and rosaleen?
3. Why did Lily say she had a sixth sense?
4. Describe the inside of the Boatwright house.
5. What was in the corner of the room they entered? What did Lily feel as she looked at it?
6. What did Lily tell August? How does August respond?
7. what is the other sister's name? What is interesting about their names?
8. what lies does Lily tell August about herself and Rosaleen?
9. Why does August bring out 3 pie pans?
10. Where will rosaleen and lily sleep?
11. What does Lily hope that Rosaleen will learn?
12. How are their sleeping quarters?
13. What is August going to let Lily do to pay for her lodging?
14. What do spinners do? Why does August think it would be good to have spinners for human beings?
15. How did Lily feel about the Boatwright place?
16. What bit of prejudice did Lily discover buried in herself?
17. what secret does Lily asked Rosaleen to keep?
18. In exploring the property a little, what does Lily discover?

Chapter 5

Why was Lily feeling a sense of relief the first week in august?
What did August do for Rosaleen that week?
Why did June get upset with May?
What was the honey song? How did it make Lily feel?
What role did honey play in the lives of the household?
What was Lily's favorite activity with the honey?
Why did May hum "Oh! Susanna"?
How did May remind Lily of her mother?
What was May's favorite thing to eat?What did Rosaleen make for May?
What was Lily's take on June? What did she think of her?
What did Lily hear June and August saying one night in the back?
What was a great revelation to Lily as she listened to June and August talking?
What news did they all watch on television? What was the current crisis in the US? How did this make Lily feel?
What was May's reaction to this news?
What did they all do after they watched the news every night?
How does August describe their religion to Lily?
What is the story that August's mother used to tell them when they were tired of doing their chores?
What was the lesson in bee yard etiquette?
When August checks the hives what is she looking for? What does she do?
What does August tell Lily about the pieces of paper in the wall?
What does she say about May?
What did Lily want to know about the hurt that people felt and May's taking on that hurt?
How did May get to be so nervous?
What happened to April?
What is the wailing wall in Jerusalem?
When Lily went to the honey house to go to bed she started to talk to Rosaleen. What did she realize?
What is Lily still hoping? What does Rosaleen tell her?

Chapter 6

Who was Neil? What did he do for the sisters?
Why does Neil hang around so much?
How does June react to Neil?
What was Lily's mother's way of dealing with roaches?
What was upsetting May this time?
What does Lily realize about looking at people?
What is the first thing that Neil asks Lily? What does Lily say about this question?
Who were the Daughters of Mary? What happened at the house on Sunday?
What is the story of the Lady of the Chains?
Why was she called "lady of the chains"?
What was the ritual at the end of the story?
When Lily tried to touch the Lady what did June do? What was Lily's reaction?
What did Lily think about fainting?
What was August and Rosaleen's reaction to Lily's fainting spell?
What was the news event on television that evening?
What does August say about the moon?

Chapter 8

Why did August tear the page for July from the wall calendar before July was over?
What does LIly think of the bees?
Why does Zach start the book that was given to him?
Why did August put the Black Madonna on the label fo the honey jar?
Which Black Madonna is the one on the picture?
How does August know so much about Black Madonnas?
Describe the Black Mary on the honey jar picture?
What does Lily love to drink after school?
What are three things Lily and August have in common?
Who is Big Mama? What did she do?
Where does the statue come from? What is the name of the statue?
What reason did Augsut's mother have to become a Catholic?

Vocabulary

The Secret Life of Bees, Vocabulary

Chapter 4

Scorched (67)

Pith

Bucket

Wreaths

Billows

Wilting (68)

Topple

Lemonbalm

Chive

Flickered

Muttered

Feeble

Stern

Radiating (69)

Draped

Gladiolus (70)

Organdy

Shimmer

Fibbing (72)

Intake

Situated

Cane-bottom rockers

Humming (73)

Nudge

Belch

Clinking (74)

Chapter 5

Consolation (82)

Dabs

Witch hazel (83)

Shrugged

Plot

Soak

Marvel (84)

Mail-order

Beeswax

naive

Unassuming (85)

Granddaddy longlegs

Bruise

Serenade (86)

Bristled

Hydrangea

Haul (87)

Exasperated

Mistreated

Revelation

Flipped off

Hoax (88)

Squatted

Vigilante

Grenade (89)

Unpinned

Sniffling

Spotlight (92)

Flat-bed truck (93)

County

Swarm

Collapsible (94)

The willies (98)

Longing

Jabs (99)

Hiccups (100)

Ricocheted

Moat bridge (103)

Cranny

Tilted

Inkblot