Story Details
Why does the boy want the narrator to take him upstairs?
A. He wants to find a book.
B. It is bedtime, and he is a bit scared.
C. He wants to play a game.
D. He wants to look outside.
B. It is bedtime, and he is a bit scared.
Which word best describes the boy when he talks about the Click-Clacks?
A. Completely uninformed
B. Knowledgeable and serious
C. Uninterested in the conversation
D. Knew some details but had lots of questions.
B. Knowledgeable and serious
What is the effect of the author repeating “Click. Clack.” at the end?
A. It makes the scene sound cheerful.
B. It connects the sound to the creatures and builds suspense.
C. It explains everything about the monsters.
D. It changes the story into a poem.
B. It connects the sound to the creatures and builds suspense.
What do the Click-Clacks do to people?
A. Turn them into Click-Clacks
B. Drink them, leaving their bones and skin
C. Make them fall asleep forever
D. Take them to school
B. Drink them, leaving their bones and skin
What drink does the narrator his friends are getting for him?
A) Pop/soda
B) Coffee
C) Wine
D) Juice
C) Wine
What happens when the narrator tries the hallway light switch?
A. The lights become brighter.
B. The bulb flickers on and off.
C. Nothing happens because the light does not work.
D. The boy turns on a flashlight.
C. Nothing happens because the light does not work.
Which definition best matches precocious?
A. Acting younger than one's age
B. Showing unusually early adult-like qualities or abilities
C. Being unable to learn new things
D. Being afraid of unfamiliar places
B. Showing unusually early adult-like qualities or abilities
What does imagery mean?
A. The order in which events happen
B. The feeling a reader has
C. Descriptive language that connects to the senses
D. A character's conversation
C. Descriptive language that connects to the senses
What does the boy say people should be careful about?
A. Speaking too loudly
B. Eating too much sugar
C. Failing to pay attention
D. Walking too quickly
C. Failing to pay attention
What food is he expecting his friends to bring back for him?
A) Pizza
B) Burgers
C) Chinese food
D) Indian Food
D) Indian Food
What is the relationship between the narrator and the boy.
The narrator is dating the boy's sister, so he is the sister's boyfriend. He is not the boy's brother, although he starts to feel like an older brother when the boy trusts him.
Why is it surprising that the narrator feels like a protective older brother?
The narrator is an adult and expects to protect the child, but the boy seems to understand the danger better than he does. The narrator feels responsible while overlooking important warnings.
How does the author use imagery to describe the hallway and make readers feel uneasy?
The author describes the hallway as cold, draughty, and dark. These details help readers picture the setting and create a feeling of uneasiness and suspense.
Why might the monsters be called Click-Clacks? Use a clue from the story.
The most reasonable prediction is that their name connects to the repeated clicking and clacking sound heard in the attic at the end. The story does not directly explain the origin of their name, so students should identify this as an inference rather than a confirmed fact.
What does the narrator say he is doing at the house while the boy’s sister is away?
He is looking after the boy / keeping him company while his sister is away.
Describe two details about the house that make the situation feel unsettling.
The house is very large and old, the lights are not working, the hallway is dark and draughty, the stairs creak, the lack of moonlight, or the dusty smell of old wood near the attic.
Give one example of the narrator making an assumption instead of thinking carefully about the evidence.
He assumes the boy is making up the Click-Clacks, jokes about the monsters, and dismisses the frightening details instead of seriously considering the boy's warnings. Other examples can be accepted.
What might the darkness symbolize in the story, beyond simply being the absence of light?
The darkness can symbolize the unknown and hidden danger. The narrator does not fully understand what may be hiding in it.
What does the boy mean when he says Click-Clacks look like “what you aren’t expecting”?
He means people may fail to recognize danger because they expect monsters to look a certain way. This suggests Click-Clacks may not look like the kind of creatures people imagine.
What does the narrator notice about the stairs as he and the boy go upstairs?
The stairs creak.
How does the ending change the way readers understand the boy's earlier statements?
The clicking and clacking sound and the boy pulling the narrator into the darkness make the earlier descriptions of the monsters seem like warnings rather than imaginary stories. Readers reconsider how much the boy knew and how much the narrator failed to notice.
How does the story reverse the usual expectation that adults know more than children?
The narrator is an adult but dismisses information he does not understand. The boy appears unusually knowledgeable about the Click-Clacks and recognizes the importance of paying attention. This makes the child seem wiser about the danger than the adult.
Identify an example of foreshadowing and explain how it connects to the ending.
The boy warns that Click-Clacks come from the dark and enter when people do not pay attention. At the end, the narrator hears the clicking and clacking in the dark attic and is pulled forward. The earlier warnings prepare readers for the danger revealed in the final moment. Other examples are accepted.
Explain one important message of the story and use two details to support it.
One message is that assumptions can prevent people from noticing danger. First, the narrator dismisses the boy's explanations as made-up stories. Second, the boy repeatedly warns about paying attention, and the final sound connects the warnings to the danger in the attic.
Other messages and evidence can be accepted.
What does the boy say Click-Clacks leave behind after they have eaten someone?
The victim’s bones and skin.