Character analysis
Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Practice
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Character analysis is thinking about what a
character does to understand what kind of person
they are.
Character traits are words that describe the
kind of person someone is.
Here a few examples of character traits:
active calm determined grouchy rude
adventurous caring energetic helpful shy
bossy curious fair honest stubborn
brave dependable funny mean understandin
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Here is a description of a book that you might like to read. Think about
what each character does, and what this tells you about what kind of person
they are.
Introduction to Hotel for Dogs
Hotel for Dogs is a funny book written by Lois Duncan. It doesn’t
start out
funny, though. Bruce and Andi’s family has just moved to a new town.
Bruce is in sixth grade, and Andi is in fourth. They are staying at their
aunt’s house until their parents find a new house. Bruce and Andi
aren’t very happy about this because
their dog Bebe can’t stay at Aunt Alice’s house with them. Aunt Alice is
allergic to
dogs.
On the first day at Aunt Alice’s house, their aunt introduces Bruce
and Andi to Jerry, who lives next door. Jerry is Bruce’s age, and he has
a dog named Red Rover. Later that day, Bruce and Andi see Jerry and
Red Rover again, in Jerry’s front yard. Jerry is pushing Red Rover to try
to make him pull a wagon. Bruce runs over to Jerry and tells him that
Red Rover will not like him if he keeps treating him that way, but Jerry
tells Bruce to mind his own business. Jerry shoves Andi out of the way
and starts to leave. He calls Red Rover to come with him. But Red
Rover just moves over closer to Bruce.
Bruce and Andi miss Bebe. When Andi walks home from school
each day, she pretends that Bebe is walking along behind her. One
rainy morning, Andi sees a cute little white dog sitting on Aunt Alice’s
porch to keep dry. She picks up the little dog and pets it. She wishes
she could keep it. When she comes home from school that day and
goes to her closet, there on the floor is the little white dog. And three
tiny puppies! Andi doesn’t know what to do. She knows the dog can’t
stay in Aunt Alice’s house. She is afraid if she tells Bruce he will tell
their parents, and then the dog and her puppies will have to go.
What finally happens is that when Andi tells Bruce, he helps her
keep the secret. They find a house nearby with no one living in it and
take the little dog and its puppies there. They make a nice bed for the
dogs, and every day they take them food, and play with them. They
are also careful to keep the house clean. Then Red Rover runs away
from Jerry, and shows up at the house where Bruce and Andi are
keeping the little white dog and her puppies. They let Red Rover stay
there too. The house is becoming a regular dog hotel! Before long
more dogs are added, and Bruce and Andi let two friends in on the
secret. The two friends are a big help, but things just keep getting
Think about what the characters did, and what this shows the character is like.
what the character did what the character is
like
1. Bruce and Andi saw Jerry hitting Red Rover A. brave
with a stick. What does this show that Jerry B. mean
is like? C. active
2. Bruce told Jerry he shouldn’t hit Red Rover. A. bossy
What does this show that Bruce is like? B. curious
C. brave
3. Jerry told Bruce to mind his own business, A. rude
and shoved Andi out of the way. What B. funny
does this show C. calm
that Jerry is like?
4. Andi was afraid that Bruce would tell their A. brave
parents about the little white dog and its B. honest
puppies. What does this show that Bruce is C. shy
like?
5. Andi told Bruce about the dog and its A. energetic
puppies, and Bruce kept the secret. What B. bossy
does this show that Bruce is like? C. helpful
6. Bruce and Andi took the dogs food every A. funny
day, and played with them. What does this B. calm
show that Bruce and Andi are like? C. dependable
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7. What is one other character trait that could be used to describe
what Bruce is like?
8. What is one other character trait that could be used to describe
what Andi is like?
9. What is one other character trait that could be used to describe
what Jerry is like?
Answer Key
1. B
2. C
3. A
4. B
5. C
6. C
7-9 Accept any reasonable responses.
