74 pages 2 hours read

Caroline B. Cooney

The Face on the Milk Carton

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 1990

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Reading Questions & Paired Texts

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 1-3

Reading Check

1. What two things does Janie daydream about?

2. Why is the milk carton significant?

3. What is the name under the photo on the milk carton that Janie saves?

4. What does Janie realize about the photos of her in her house?

5. What type of class do Janie and her mother enroll in together at the YMCA?

Short Answer

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

1. Name two ways Janie is different from her peers.

2. Describe the afternoon that Janie and Reeve spend together. How does Janie feel at the end?

Paired Resource

“When Bad News Was Printed on Milk Cartons”

  • This 2017 Atlantic article provides a brief history of missing children’s photos on milk cartons.
  • Connects to the novel’s theme of the The Development of Identity
  • How do the reactions of Janie and her peers to the missing children’s photos on their milk cartons in school reflect the same sentiments in this article?

Chapters 4-6

Reading Check

1. Why does Janie’s body “turn to ice” in Chapter 4?

2. What moment do Janie and Reeve share together at the beginning of Chapter 5?

3.