The World According to Humphrey

55 pages • 1 hour read

The World According to Humphrey

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2004

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Download PDF

Introduction

Before Reading

During Reading

After Reading

During Reading

Reading Questions & Paired Texts

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. What is the room number of the classroom where Humphrey makes his home?

2. Why does Humphrey sleep all day, according to Heidi?

3. Who is Aldo’s nephew, as Humphrey learns in Chapter 3?

4. What is Mrs. Brisbane’s first name, as Humphrey discovers in Chapter 4?

5. What are the names of Mr. Morales’s two kids?

Short Answer

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

1. Why was Ms. Mac substituting in Mrs. Brisbane’s class?

2. Why does Aldo dislike his job as a janitor at Longfellow School?

3. What does Mrs. Brisbane do that causes Sayeh to cry in Chapter 3? How does Humphrey respond?

4. Why does Mr. Morales volunteer to take Humphrey home for the weekend in Chapter 4?

5. How do Mr. Morales’s kids get Humphrey to return to his cage in Chapter 5? What effect does this experience have on them as a family?

Paired Resource

“Pets of PWCS – Humphrey the Hamster”

In this brief video, Mullen Elementary schoolers show off their furry new friend, inspired by Humphrey.
Students mention that having “Humphrey” in the classroom makes them feel happy, which connects to the theme of Self-Discovery Through Learning From Others.
Does Mullen’s version of Humphrey look like he does in your imagination? Why or why not?

“Meet Betty G. Birney!”

In this question-and-answer video session, Betty G. Birney talks about how writing helped her find her place in the world.
This connects to the theme of Finding One’s Place.
How did Birney’s son inspire the series? Do you see her real-life experiences in the book?

CHAPTERS 6-10

Reading Check

1. What country is Ms. Mac teaching in, as noted in the postcard the students receive in Chapter 6?

2. Which song does Sayeh want to teach to her parents in Chapter 7?

3. What is the name of the woman Aldo meets at the Moonlighters Club in Chapter 8?

4. What animal is Ms. Mac with in the picture she sends to students in Chapter 9?

5. What does Garth call Humphrey after telling him to run away in Chapter 10?

Short Answer

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

1. How does Humphrey alert Aldo to the Moonlighters Club?

2. Why is Sayeh afraid to speak in class, as she reveals to Humphrey in Chapter 7?

3. What is Mrs. Brisbane’s Halloween costume?

4. Why is Humphrey afraid to be left alone at Miranda’s house? What does he do to protect himself?

5. What is the difference between the way Humphrey uses rubber bands and the way Garth does?

Paired Resource

“Teacher’s Pets: 7 Children’s Books About Classroom Animals”

This Brightly article compiles a list of seven children’s books that all have to do with a class pet.
Most of these titles can help students who are learning to take on responsibility through the care of a pet, which relates to the theme of Self-Discovery Through Learning From Others.
Which of these books seem most similar to The World According to Humphrey? Which ones are most different, and why?

“Anthropomorphism in Children’s Literature”

This article by literacy advocate Dr. Lara defines “anthropomorphism” and provides several examples of popular anthropomorphized characters in children’s literature.
Anthropomorphism allows characters to have a unique perspective on the world, which connects to the larger literary theme of Finding One’s Place.
How would the story of The World According to Humphrey change if it were told from the perspective of a student or teacher?

CHAPTERS 11-15

Reading Check

1. What household object does the Thomas family’s life revolve around, as noted by Humphrey?

2. What card game does A.J. teach Garth in Chapter 12?

3. What does Humphrey nickname Mrs. Brisbane’s house in Chapter 13?

4. What does Bert use to capture Humphrey in Chapter 14?

5. What do Miranda and Sayeh pass out as presents to their classmates during the holiday party in Chapter 15?

Short Answer

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

1. What does Humphrey do to help bring the Thomas family together in Chapter 11? What is the result?

2. Why does the Thanksgiving holiday worry Humphrey?

3. How does Bert initially react to Humphrey when he arrives in the Brisbane home in Chapter 13?

4. Why is Bert suddenly in high spirits at the end of Chapter 14?

5. What is the biggest lesson that Humphrey learns at the end of the novel?

Recommended Next Reads

A Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Parry

Based on the real-life travels of a wolf known as OR-7, A Wolf Called Wander is the story of a young wolf who loses his pack and is forced to find a new home 1,000 miles away.
The young wolf (Wander) learns who he is by relating to others, which connects to the theme of Self-Discovery Through Learning From Others.
Shared topics include reflecting on personal relationships with animals, human-animal interactions, an animal’s perspective, and finding a place to call home.
A Wolf Called Wander on SuperSummary

Watership Down by Richard Adams

This is the timeless tale of a band of wild rabbits who are struggling to hang onto their place in the countryside of England’s Downs.
This is not just any ordinary group of bunnies; much like Humphrey is no ordinary hamster, these rabbits are dealing with an existential crisis, which connects to larger notions around Finding One’s Place.
Shared topics include human-animal interactions, an animal’s perspective, and finding a place to call home.
Watership Down on SuperSummary

Reading Questions Answer Key

CHAPTERS 1-5

Reading Check

1. Room 26 (Chapter 1)

2. Because he is nocturnal (Chapter 2)

3. Repeat-That-Please-Richie Rinaldi (Chapter 3)

4. Sue (Chapter 4)

5. Brenda and Willie (Chapter 5)

Short Answer

1. Mrs. Brisbane’s husband was injured in a car accident, and she needed to stay home and take care of him. (Chapter 1)

2. Aldo dislikes his job because it forces him to work nights, which means that he doesn’t have time to spend with his friends. (Chapter 2)

3. Mrs. Brisbane repeatedly calls on Sayeh, a gentle and quiet girl who never speaks in class, thus causing her to cry. This makes Humphrey hate Mrs. Brisbane, until Mrs. Brisbane explains to Humphrey that she is not picking on Sayeh—it is for her own good. (Chapter 3)

4. As a kid, Mr. Morales had always wanted a hamster, so he jumps at the chance to have Humphrey come home with him. (Chapter 4)

5. The kids make a trail of seeds leading back to Humphrey’s cage. Humphrey goes along with this plan and returns to it. This experience helps bring the entire family together. (Chapter 5)

CHAPTERS 6-10

Reading Check

1. Brazil (Chapter 6)

2. “The Star-Spangled Banner” (Chapter 7)

3. Maria (Chapter 8)

4. A coatis (Chapter 9)

5. A rat (Chapter 10)

Short Answer

1. At night, Humphrey places the clipping about the Moonlighters Club on the projector’s light table and then turns it on. When Aldo enters the room, the projector grabs his attention, and he reads about the club. (Chapter 6)

2. Sayeh’s family does not speak English; she is afraid that the other students will make fun of her accent. (Chapter 7)

3. She did not wear a full costume for Halloween. She only wore a button that said, “This IS my costume.” (Chapter 8)

4. Humphrey is afraid of Miranda’s dog, Clem. To protect himself, Humphrey uses a rubber band to snap Clem’s nose, scaring him away. (Chapter 9)

5. Humphrey and Garth both use rubber bands as weapons. However, Humphrey uses them for self-defense (namely against Clem, Miranda’s dog), while Garth uses them to bully his classmates. (Chapter 10)

CHAPTERS 11-15

Reading Check

1. The TV (Chapter 11)

2. Crazy Eights (Chapter 12)

3. Brisbane’s House of Horrors (Chapter 13)

4. A baseball cap (Chapter 14)

5. Small toy hamsters (Chapter 15)

Short Answer

1. Humphrey sneaks out of his cage and unplugs the television. Everyone is confused as to why it won’t work; they think it’s broken. Without the television, the whole family becomes engrossed in conversation, and they stay up past bedtime playing card games. (Chapter 11)

2. Humphrey is worried because he needs someone to care for him for four days over Thanksgiving break. None of the students can do it, so he’s forced to go home with Mrs. Brisbane. Humphrey fears that he won’t come back from the visit. (Chapter 12)

3. Bert is not pleased that Mrs. Brisbane must care for Humphrey. He complains that, at Mrs. Brisbane’s salary, she shouldn’t be forced to spend weekends babysitting a hamster. (Chapter 13)

4. When Humphrey escaped his cage, Bert was able to capture him using a baseball cap; the exercise made Bert realize that, despite being in a wheelchair, there are still things that he’s able to do. (Chapter 14)

5. Reflecting upon his experience with Room 26, Humphrey realizes that even one small hamster can make a really big difference in people’s lives. He writes this in his notebook. (Chapter 15)