The Screaming Staircase

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, Foreword-Chapter 4

Reading Check

1. What essential tool does Lockwood forget to bring to the Hope house?

2. Who does Mrs. Hope believe is haunting her?

3. What rash decision does Lucy make when she and Lockwood are attacked by the ghost?

4. What two things do Lockwood and Lucy rely on for comfort in dark, haunted houses?

Short Answer

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

1. What makes Stroud’s novel different from typical ghost stories, according to the author himself? Give two examples.

2. What is ghost-lock?

3. Why are Sources important and what do Lockwood and Lucy believe to be the Source of the Type Two haunting?

Paired Resource

“The Science Behind Adolescent Risk Taking and Exploration”

• This resource from UCLA’s Center for the Developing Adolescent offers a brief description of adolescents’ tendencies to take risks, examining why this is important for their development.
• In the novel, Lockwood and his team also take risks in order to Make a Name for themselves.
• What traits or actions of the novel’s main characters indicate their willingness to take risks?