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Characters in the story

 

 Christopher Boone: the story's protagonist, who undertakes to investigate the mystery behind Wellington's death.

 Ed Boone: Christopher's father, who is a heating engineer. Up to the beginning of the story, he has been living with Christopher as a single parent for two years. He is usually very patient and understanding with Christopher.

 Judy Boone: Christopher's mother. Christopher is told by his father that she died of a heart attack before the start of the book. Not much of an initial description is given, but Christopher describes more about her as the story proceeds.

 Siobhan: Christopher's psychiatrist, best friend, and mentor. She teaches him how society works and how to behave within its complex guidelines. 

 Roger Shears (Mr Shears): he lived near the Boones but has left his wife before the story begins.

 Eileen Shears (Mrs Shears): one of the neighbours, who attempts to console Ed for a time after Christopher learns of his mother's death. At the start of the novel, Mrs Shears' dog, Wellington, is found murdered with a garden fork.

 Mrs Alexander: one of Christopher's neighbours, who tries to help Christopher.

 Mrs Gascoyne: the "Head Mistress" at Christopher's school who (reluctantly) allows Christopher to take the A-level maths (but only refused at first because "they didn't have the facilities to let us sit A levels".)

 Reverend Peters: the invigilator for the A-level maths exam. He becomes involved in a discussion with Christopher regarding the existence of God.

 Mrs Peters: Christopher's art teacher.

 Wellington: Mrs Shears' large black poodle, which Christopher finds dead in her front yard with a garden fork in it.

 Toby: Christopher's pet rat.

 Mr Jeavons: the psychologist at Christopher's school..

 Rhodri: a man who is employed with Ed Boone when he does heating maintenance and boiler repairs.

 Sandy: a golden retriever given to Christopher by his father at the end of the story. 

 

The curious incident of the dog in the night-time study guide

 

Chapter 2 | Chapter 3

1. Identify: Wellington

 

2. Mrs. Shears 

 

 

3. What time was it when the narrator sees the dog laying on the grass?

 

 

4. What was the breed of the dog that the narrator found on the grass?

 

 

5. What is the name of the dog that narrator finds lying on the grass?

 

 

6. What is the narrator's full name?

 

 

7. What emotion was expressed in the first face picture that Siobhan shared with the narrator?

 

 

8.    What are the pictures Siobhan shows Christopher and why does he need them?

 

 

Chapter 5 | Chapters 7, 11, 13 and 17

 

1. According to the narrator, what four moods does the dog have?

  

2.    Why does Christopher like dogs? What does this tell you about him? 

 

3. For how long is the narrator hugging the dog when he hears screaming?

  

4. What types of books does the narrator mostly read?

  

5.    Explain why Christopher likes only murder mystery novels.

 

6. How does Siobhan tell the narrator to begin his book?

 

7. Why do the police arrest the narrator?

  

8.    Explain why Christopher has trouble answering the policeman’s questions.

 

 9.   When does Christopher groan? Why?

 

 10.  Explain why Christopher hit the policeman.

 

11. How did Christopher feel after the policeman arrested him? Why? 

 

White Noise

Big Bang Theory

 

Chapters 41 and 43 | Chapter 47

1. What words describe the demeanor of the narrator's father on the ride home from the police headquarters?

 

2. Why is the narrator's father frustrated by the time they reach home from the police headquarters?

 

 

3. Why does the narrator say that he will not bother his father after his father admits to being sad?

 

 

4. How long ago does the narrator say his mother died?

 

 5.Describe Christopher’s reaction to his mother’s illness. Is he unhappy?

 

6. How many red cars does Christopher's bus consecutively pass on his way to school?

 

 

7 The type of day the narrator has depends on the number of cars he passes on the way to school. What are the two types of days that he has?

 

 

8. Christopher asserts, “I am not a spazzer.”  Do you agree/disagree and why.  Give examples to support your view. 

 

 

Chapter 19 | Chapters 23, 29, 31 and 37

  

 1. Why does the narrator say he uses prime numbers?

 

    

2. What is one of the reasons the narrator gives for finding people confusing?

 

 

3.  How does Christopher’s father show him love? 

 

4. How does the narrator know the individual with his father is an inspector?

 

 

slander

Metaphors

Apocryphal story

 

Chapters 41 and 43 | Chapter 47

1. What words describe the demeanor of the narrator's father on the ride home from the police headquarters?

 

 

2. Why is the narrator's father frustrated by the time they reach home from the police headquarters?

 

 

3. Why does the narrator say that he will not bother his father after his father admits to being sad?

 

 

4. How long ago does the narrator say his mother died?

 

 

 5.Describe Christopher’s reaction to his mother’s illness. Is he unhappy?

 

6. How many red cars does Christopher's bus consecutively pass on his way to school?

 

 

7 The type of day the narrator has depends on the number of cars he passes on the way to school. What are the two types of days that he has?

 

 

8. Christopher asserts, “I am not a spazzer.”  Do you agree/disagree and why.  Give examples to support your view.

 

Chapter 53 | Chapters 59 and 61

 

1. What was on the front cover the card the narrator sent to his mother while she was in the hospital?

 

 

2. What did Father tell the narrator his mother died of?

 

 

3.  Describe Christopher’s reaction to his mother’s death. Does he seem unhappy? Why or why not? 

 

4. Why does the narrator decide to investigate the death of the dog despite his father's admonishments?

 

 

5. What example does the narrator give of his father breaking the rules?

 

 

6. Who tells the narrator that his mother has gone to heaven?

 

aneurysm

 

embolism

 

 

Chapter 67 | Chapter 71

   

1. What fear does the narrator overcome while trying to solve the mystery of the dog's death?

       

2. At the end of chapter 67, who does the narrator think killed the dog?

     

3. What term does the narrator use to describe the students at his school?

     

4. Why was Mrs. Gascoyne initially not going to allow the narrator to take the A-level exam?

     

5. In the conversation with Mrs. Alexander, what is revealed about Christopher?

 

Chapter 73 | Chapter 79

 

 1. What made the narrator think at one time that his parents were going to get a divorce?

 

 

2. What does the narrator say caused much of the stress in his parents' relationship?

 

 

3.  Christopher lists his behavior problems on page 46.  Which of the behaviors do you consider to be “normal?”  Which behaviors do you think put stress on a family and/or marriage?  Explain. Of Christopher’s behavioral problems, which do you think would create the most difficulty for him?

 

 

4. How does the narrator's father describe Mr. Shears?

 

 

5. What does Father make the narrator promise to give up at the end of chapter 79?

 

 

Chapter 83 | Chapter 89

 1. What profession does the narrator tell his readers he would be good at?

 

 

2. What is the narrator's pet rat's name?

 

 

3. When the narrator sees four yellow cars in a row, what type of day does that signal for him?

 

 

4. In chapter 89, why does the narrator keep his eyes closed on his way to school on the third day?

 

 

Chapter 97 | Chapter 101

 

1. What is the name of Mrs. Alexander's dog?

 

 

2. What does Mrs. Alexander reveal to the narrator about Mr. Shears?

 

3. How does Mrs. Alexander respond when the narrator asks if Mr. Shears killed his mother?

 

4. What concept, which appeared in a newspaper column, does the narrator explain in chapter 101?

 

 

The Monty Hall Problem explained

 

 

 

Marilyn vos Savant

 

Chapter 103 | Chapter 107

 

1. What is the name of the man who works for Father that greets the narrator at the start of Chapter 103?

 

2. What type of business does Father own?

  

3. What does the narrator have to do to the Gobi Aloo Sag before he can eat it? 

 

4. What is the narrators favorite book?

 

 

5.Describe Christopher’s reaction to Sherlock Holmes. What does it tell you about the way his mind works?

 

 

 

Chapter 109 | Chapter 113 

 

1. In Chapter 109, who tells the narrator, "...sometimes we get sad about things and we don't like to tell other people that we are sad about them."

 

 

 

2.Christopher compares his mind to a computer doing searches and to a DVD player.  Explain how his mind makes sense of what he’s experiencing. 

 

 

 

 

 

3. What does the narrator compare his memory to?

 

 

 

 

 

4. What does the narrator's memory have that is similar to a soundtrack?

 

 

 

 

 

5. What memory of his mother does the narrator recall in Chapter 113?

 

 

 

 

 

6..When Siobhan asks Christopher if he is sad about the affair of his mother and Mr. Shears, he says that he is not. How does he explain this?

 

 

 

7.Describe Christopher’s thinking as revealed in theses chapters.

 

 

 

Chapter 127 | Chapter 131

 

 1. What does the narrator put on the kitchen table when he returns home?

 

 

 

2. In Chapter 127, how does the narrator respond to his father grabbing him after Father finds what the narrator put on the kitchen table?

 

 

 

3.Christopher has difficulties with rhetorical questions.  What is a rhetorical question and why would he have trouble understanding them?

 

 

 

4. In reflection, what does the narrator recall about his mother?

 

 

 

5. What colors does the narrator say he does not like?

 

 

 

6.  Explain Christopher’s color preferences.  How do colors help him deal with the world?

 

 

Chapter 137 | Chapter 139

 

 1. Where does the narrator's father take him for an outing?

 

 

 

 

 

2. In Chapter 137, why does Father apologize to the narrator on Saturday?

 

 

 

 

 

3.Explain Christopher’s opinion of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

 

 

 

 

4.What is Occam’s Razor?

 

Chapter 149 

1. What does Siobhan ask the narrator about at school on Monday?

 

2. Where does the narrator find his book?

 

3. Who wrote the letter that the narrator finds at the bottom of the cupboard?

 

4. What does the narrator's mother apologize for?

 

5.Why do you think Mr. Boone told his son that his mother was dead?

 

Chapter 151

 

1. According to Christopher, when is a mystery not a mystery?

 

Chapter 157

 

 1. The narrator starts Chapter 157 with a discourse on what happened at school for what number of days?

 

2. What does mother try to explain in the second letter the narrator reads?

Her absense.

 

3.  How does Christopher discover his mother is alive?  What is his reaction?

 

4.  Why does his mother say she left him with his father?  Do you agree or disagree with her actions and why?

 

5 .What do you learn from this section about the difficulties of raising a disabled child?  Do you think the author faults the mother for abandoning Christopher or does he sympathize with the mother?  Explain your answer.

 

 

Chapter 163 

 

1. Who was the narrator's first main teacher at school?

 

 

 

2. What term does the narrator give to the phenomenon in which eyes move from point to point without really seeing what is in between the two points?

 

 

 

3. What does the narrator compare peoples' brains to?

 

 

 

4. What does the narrator use Chapter 163 to do?

 

 

 

Jean Luc Picard 

 

 

 

Chapter 167 

 

1. Why did Father kill the dog?

 

 

 

2. What does the narrator do when his father tries to make up with him?

 

 

 

3. When Mr. Boone tries to explain his actions, Christopher cannot accept his words and he leaves the house. Why is he so determined to leave his father?

 

 

 

4. What does the narrator do when his father falls asleep in Chapter 167?

 

Chapter 173

1. According to the narrator, why is Orion called Orion?

 

2.Explain why Christopher rejects the idea that the constellation Orion looks like a hunter. What does this tell you about the way his mind works?

 

 

Chapter 179 

 

1. What does the narrator hear shortly after he wakes up in Chapter 179?

   

2. Where does the narrator's mother live?

   

3. Who does the narrator ask to watch Toby while he goes to visit his mother? 

   

4. How does the narrator decide to travel to his mother's house?

   

5.Describe the logic that led Christopher to decide to go to his mother in London. Again, what does this tell you about the way his mind works?

   

6.Christopher frequently reflects on things his teacher Siobhan has told him or taught him.  How does his relationship with Siobhan differ from his relationship with his parents?

 

Chapter 181 

1. Why does the narrator say he does not like new places?

 

2. What term does the narrator define as "the same word for bumping off something and carrying on in almost the same direction"?

 

3. This book provides an insight into the mind of the narrator who has Asperger’s Syndrome. He explains his thoughts and reactions to many different social situations. How does Christopher explain his perception of new places? 

 

Chapter 191

 1. Why did the narrator feel giddy and sick at the train station?

 

2. What does the narrator do when he shuts his mind down?

 

3. Who approaches the narrator at the train station and asks his name and address?

 

4. How long did the lady in the cafe say the narrator had been in the train station?

 

5.  Although Christopher excels at higher level math, we learn he doesn’t understand money and must ask the policeman for help buying the ticket.  How do you account for the unevenness in his abilities?

 

Chapter 193

 1. Why does the narrator like timetables?

 

2. What does the narrator conclude about time at the end of Chapter 193?

 

 

Chapter 197

 1. What is the setting of Chapter 197?

 

2. Who calls the narrator's name at the start of Chapter 197?

 

3. What reason does the narrator give for going to London?

 

4. Why is the narrator's experience with the toilet on the train traumatic?

 

5. How did Christopher escape the policeman?

 

Chapter 211

 1. What nickname do the three young men on the train give to the narrator?

 

2. When the narrator returns to his original seat on the train, what does he find is missing?

 

3. How does the narrator figure out that he is in London?

 

4. Who helps the narrator find the subway tunnel that he will take?

 

5. Where does the narrator hide after he gets down in the subway tunnel and sees all of the people in the tube?

 

6. What does the narrator do when a man urges him to hurry up in the train station?

 

Chapter 223

1. Who told the narrator to write descriptions?

 

2. What does the word orangutan mean?

 

3. What are adverts?

 

4. According to the narrator, why does Siobhan say that people go on holidays? Why wouldn’t a holiday be relaxing to Christopher?

 

Chapter 227

1. Approximately, how long does the narrator spend on the bench at the subway station?

 

2. What sound does the narrator compare the train's arrival to?

 

3. What happens to Toby while Christopher and Toby are in the train station?

 

4.  Christopher finds himself in a life or death situation while trying to retrieve Toby from the train tracks.  What did you find to be the most frightening or disturbing part of this scene?  Why do you think the author included this scene in the novel?  

 

5. What does the narrator purchase from a magazine vendor in London?

 

Chapter 229

1. In Chapter 229, what happens in the narrator's dream?

 

2. What makes the narrator's dream in Chapter 229 special?

 

3.  What constitutes a “happy dream” for Christopher?  How does it compare to a “normal” person’s happy dream?

 

Chapter 233

 

1. Why does Mother lose her job?

 

2. Who supervises the narrator while he takes his A-level exams?

 

3. What is the gift that Father gives to the narrator at the end of the book?

 

4. What grade does the narrator get on each section of his A-level exams?

 

5.  When Christopher’s father arrives, he and his mother argue about Christopher.  Who do you feel is more at fault, his mother who left or his father who lied about his mother’s death?  Explain.

 

6. After he arrives at his mother’s house, Christopher keeps insisting that he needs to take his A-level exams.  What is his mother’s reaction to his demands?  What does this tell us about her relationship with him?

 

7.  How has Christopher changed by the end of the book?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Joshua Walters is a comedian, poet, educator and performer. He incorporates elements of spoken word and beatbox into his shows in a mash-up of comedy, intimate reflection and unpredictable antics. In the last two years, Walters has performed at theaters and universities throughout North America, Europe and the Middle East.

His eclectic combination of performance disciplines and activity as an educator in mental health has given Walters a national platform and audience. In 2002, Walters co-founded the DBSA (Depression Bipolar Support Alliance) Young Adults Chapter in San Francisco, one of the few support groups specifically for mentally ill young adults in the country. As a facilitator, Walters developed humor to address the subject of mental illness, reframing it as a positive. Walters speaks as a mental health educator and has engaged in mental health advocacy at conventions and in classrooms nationwide.