The School For Good and Evil

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

Chapters 1-5

Reading Check

1. When does the School Master come to Gavaldon?

2. Where do Sophie and Agatha end up after the School Master visits?

Short Answer

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

1. How does Sophie feel about the School Master arriving?

2. Who are Evers and Nevers?

3. What injustice do those in the School for Evil point out repeatedly?

Paired Resource

“Are We Born Good or Evil? (Naughty or Nice)”

• This BBC article discusses studies on morality and how it functions at very young ages.
• Theme connections include The Complex Nature of Good and Evil and Coming of Age and Identity.
• What do the developmental psychology studies suggest about an individual’s moral compass? What moral judgments do the characters make in the story?

“I'm Growing Up - But Am I Normal?”

• Nemours KidsHealth offers some insights about growing up and self-acceptance.
• Theme connections include Coming of Age and Identity.
• What makes people different from one another? Where have we seen Agatha doubt herself?

Chapters 6-10

Reading Check

1. What is Hester’s special talent?

2. In what class are Agatha and Sophie put in the same group?

Short Answer

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

1. How does Sophie earn the top rank in her henchman training class?

2. What does the narrator reveal about the School Master?

3. What happens to Agatha in her animal communications class?

Chapters 11-15

Reading Check

1. What is the Storian?

2. Which riddle does the School Master give Sophie and Agatha?

3. How does the Beast hurt Sophie in the doom room?

4. What do Agatha and Sophie decide is the answer to the School Master’s riddle?

Short Answer

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

1. What does Agatha realize about Professor Sader, and why is it significant?

2. Why does Hester help Sophie with her plan to kiss Tedros?

3. What do Tedros’s musings and actions reveal about him, specifically before and during the forest class and coffin challenge?

Paired Resource

“We Wear the Mask”

• In this short video from NCArts, Victoria Thomas recites “We Wear the Mask” by Paul Laurence Dunbar.
• This poem connects to the theme of Coming of Age and Identity.
• What is the meaning behind the poem, and how does it relate to Coming of Age and Identity? How do Sophie, Agatha, and other characters wear “masks” throughout the story?

Chapters 16-20

Reading Check

1. How does Yuba unlock the magic of each person in his group?

2. What form does Agatha take in order to visit and help Sophie?

3. What do competitors in the Trial drop to be immediately removed from the competition?

Short Answer

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

1. How does Sophie betray Agatha, and what does it reveal about her?

2. What does Agatha think she discovers about Professor Sader when she sneaks into his room for help?

Paired Resource

“Young People Found Time to Figure Out Their Identities During the Pandemic”

• This article from Teen Vogue explores the shifting nature of identity by recounting stories of young people who questioned their sexual orientation and religious beliefs during the pandemic.
• This information connects to the theme of Coming of Age and Identity.
• What is the significance of lifelong beliefs in determining someone’s identity? Where do characters at the school choose their identities?

Chapters 21-25

Reading Check

1. Who saves Tedros during the Trial?

2. What does Sophie accuse Tedros of lying about?

3. Who helps save Agatha when she is caught in the woods?

4. Where does Sophie see the face of her nemesis drawn?

Short Answer

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

1. How does Agatha help Sophie during the Trial?

2. What does Agatha learn after meeting with Professor Dovey?

3. How does Agatha try to help Sophie when the two are caught outside in the woods?

4. What types of dreams is Sophie having, and how do they affect her?

Paired Resource

“‘Some Things Can’t Be Repaired’: How Do You Recover When a Friend Betrays You?”

• This article from The Guardian examines the effects of betrayal in friendships.
• This information connects to the themes of Friendship and Betrayal and The Complex Nature of Good and Evil.
• Is it possible to rebuild a friendship after a betrayal? How have both Sophie and Agatha betrayed each other?

Chapters 26-30

Reading Check

1. Who is Sophie’s nemesis?

2. What happened to the teachers before the final battle?

3. Who tries to shoot Agatha with an arrow?

Short Answer

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

1. What realization does the school make about the fairies and wolves?

2. How does Beatrix betray good?

3. Why has the School Master been helping Sophie?

4. What does Sophie do for Agatha, and what are her reasons?

Recommended Next Reads

The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley

• Sabrina and Daphne learn that they are descendants of the Brothers Grimm and that fairy tales are true. Together, they must help the people of Ferryport, New York, as fairy-tale creatures wreak havoc in the town.
• Shared themes include Friendship and Betrayal, The Complex Nature of Good and Evil, and Coming of Age and Identity. 
• Shared topics include growing up, family, adventure, courage, wisdom, mystery, and fairy tales.   

The Wide-Awake Princess by E. D. Baker

• When Sleeping Beauty’s sister, Annie, discovers she is the only one awake in the castle after Gwen pricks her finger, she decides to go in search of help.
• Shared themes include Friendship and Betrayal, The Complex Nature of Good and Evil, and Coming of Age and Identity. 
• Shared topics include family, courage, growing up, decisions, magic, and fairy tales.