Indian in the Cupboard - Holy Spirit Catholic School

Indian in the Cupboard
(Study Guide)
Chapter 1
1) What did Patrick give Omri for his birthday?
2) What did Gillon give Omri?
3) What did Omri’s mom give him to go along with Gillon’s gift? Where did she get it
from?
4) What happened when Gillon’s gift and Patrick’s gift got together?
5) Did Omri tell anyone about the event that happened at this point in the story?
6) What did the Indian do when Omri tried to touch him?
Chapter 2
1) Who was the first person Omri accidentally tells about the Indian?
2) What does the word “beard” mean in this story? What about “itchy beard”?
3) What was Omri waiting weeks to do with Patrick and now that they have the chance to
do it, Omri does not want to?
4) In this chapter, what did the Indian order Omri to go and get?
5) What did Omri bring the Indian to eat and drink?
6) Omri tries to find a comfortable place for the Indian. What does he offer? Does the
Indian like it?

7) What is the Indian’s name?
Chapter 3
1) After Little Bear wakes up and has his breakfast, Omri offers him a gift or a “new
friend”. What is it?
2) Where does Omri take Little Bear and his new gift?
Chapter 4
1) Who almost caught Omri with Little Bear at the beginning of this chapter?
2) How did Little Bear get hurt? How did Omri help him?
Chapter 5
1) Who is Tommy? What does he do to help?
Chapter 6
1) What are the “Three Sisters”?
2) What did Omri buy at the store for Little Bear?
3) What had Little Bear done while Omri was at school?
4) When Omri puts the plastic Indian chief into the cupboard, what happens? What did
Little Bear do?
5) Why did Omri get into trouble with his dad?

Chapter 7
1) Patrick gives Omri another gift. What is it?
2) When Omri got home from school, who was in his room and what did they want?
3) When his brothers hear a noise, what does Omri blame it on?
4) Who is the first to see Little Bear other than Omri?
5) What does Omri use for a fire?
6) How did Omri make a spit for Little Bear to cook his food on?
Vocabulary Words (Chapters 1-7)
1) incredulous – unwilling to believe
2) vast – very great in size or number
3) miniscule – tiny
4) plait – braid of hair
5) bandolier – a broad belt with pockets for bullets worn over one shoulder and across the
chest
6) magnanimously – generous in overlooking injury or insult; noble
7) foreboding – to foretell or predict
8) imperiously – overbearing or arrogant
9) tantalizing – to tease
10) sarcastic – a taunting or teasing remark

11) ravenous – extremely hungry
12) appalled – to horrify or shock
13) crestfallen – dejected; disheartened
14) haughty – having or showing great pride in oneself; arrogant
Chapter 8
1) What made Little Bear mad at Omri?
2) What did Patrick put in the cupboard when Omri went to get Little Bear some meat?
3) What did the cowboy do to Patrick?
Chapter 9
1) Why did Little Bear attack the cowboy?
2) What does Omri promise Little Bear as a bribe not to shoot the cowboy?
3) What is the name of the cowboy? What is his nickname? How did he get it?
Chapter 10
1) Why wouldn’t Boone eat with Little Bear?
2) When Little Bear wanted to fight Boone, what was Boone’s answer? Who won?

Chapter 11
1) What happened that Omri got into trouble in the assembly?
2) What did Little Bear want after Omri had a chance to talk to him?
Chapter 12
1) Who told the secret of the little men? Who was the first to find out about them? What
happened?
Chapter 13
1) After Omri demanded that Patrick give the men back to him, where did Omri take
them next? What happened there?
2) Why was Omri at Yapp’s store after school? Why did he get into trouble there? Who
came to his rescue?
Chapter 14
1) Where did the cupboard go? How did it get there?
2) What happened to Boone when the boys were watching Westerns on television?

Chapter 15
1) Did anyone find the key to the cupboard? Who? Where was it? Was there any
trouble recovering it?
2) What did Omri do to help save Boone?
Chapter 16
1) What is the name of the Indian girl that is to be Little Bear’s wife?
2) How did Little Bear and Boone become brothers?
3) What happened at the end of the story?
Vocabulary Words (Chapters 8-16)
1) reluctant – not willing
2) mulish – stubborn
3) penetrated – to go into or through
4) doggedly – to follow closely
5) toiling – to labor continuously
6) dolefully – filled with or expressing grief
7) apprehension – fear of what might happen
8) gesticulating – to make gestures
9) bafflement – hard to understand