Echo Mountain

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

Chapters 1-18

Reading Check

1. How does Ellie save Quiet?

2. What happened to Ellie’s father?

3. Who is said to live up on the mountain?

Short Answer

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

1. Why do Ellie and her family have to move to the mountain?

2. How is Ellie different from her mother and sister?

Paired Resource

“List of 1930 Major News Events in History”

• News resource following the major stories of the 1930s in America
• When you think of 1930s America, what do you picture and why?

Chapters 19-33

Reading Check

1. What condition is Cate in when Ellie first finds her?

2. Who leads Ellie up the mountain?

3. Who is at Cate’s house when Ellie returns?

Short Answer

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

1. What does Ellie do with the snake she finds in the bathroom, and why?

2. How does Ellie’s mother react when she finds out that Ellie went up the mountain?

Paired Resource

What Is a Coma?

• Scientific resource describing what a coma is and the various types of comas
• This resource connects to the novel’s theme The Forces of Healing.

Chapters 34-48

Reading Check

1. What does Ellie bring for Cate’s wound?

2. How does Ellie help Larkin when he gets hurt?

3. What was Larkin’s father’s craft before he died?

Short Answer

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

1. Why does Larkin lack trust for the townspeople?

2. How does Esther help her father as he sleeps?

Paired Resource

“Folk Music Mandolin”

• Five-minute video of two men performing folk music using mandolins
• Have you heard of mandolins? Which modern instrument might have been inspired by them?

Chapters 49-60

Reading Check

1. Who accompanies Ellie up the mountain to check on Cate?

2. What does Ellie encounter on her way back down the mountain?

3. Who is thought to be Quiet’s father?

Short Answer

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

1. How does Larkin react when he sees Ellie’s mother’s mandolin?

2. Where does Ellie put Quiet before she and Larkin leave the cabin, and why?

Paired Resource

“Photos of Douglas Mountain (Maine)”

• This website displays high-quality photos of Douglas Mountain in Maine, a place settled by early Europeans and likely similar to the mountain in the story.
• Would you ever want to live in the mountains? Why or why not?

Chapters 61-73

Reading Check

1. What does Ellie use to make glue for Cate’s wound?

2. Who is Cate revealed to be?

3. What is the final carving that Ellie finds?

Short Answer

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

1. What happens to finally awaken Ellie’s father?

2. How does Larkin become instrumental in saving Cate’s life?

Recommend Next Reads

Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk

• Another title by Lauren Wolk, this historical fiction novel centers around the life of protagonist Annabelle as she navigates life after World Wars I and II.
• What modern events are comparable to the devastating effects of the Great Depression or the World Wars? Why is persistence so important during these times?
• Wolf Hollow on SuperSummary

The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows

• This historical fiction novel set during the Great Depression follows adolescent protagonist Layla as she adjusts to living frugally and explores secrets in both her new community and her own family.
• How can uncovering secrets be both painful and healing?