The Art of Racing in the Rain

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

CHAPTERS 1-3

Reading Check

1. In Chapter 1, what is Enzo unable to do that causes him frustration?

2. Which breed of dog is Enzo proud to boast of in his lineage?

Short Answer

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

1. What is Denny’s advice to Enzo for race car driving in the rain?

Paired Resource

“‘The Art of Racing in the Rain’ author Garth Stein”

• In this 4-minute TV interview, Garth Stein talks about the debut of the movie adaptation of The Art of Racing in the Rain.  
• A former race car driver himself, Stein is well-acquainted with The Philosophy of Racing.
• Stein talks about the fun of writing the character of Enzo. In this opening section of the book, what parts embody this spirit of fun?

CHAPTERS 4-6

Reading Check

1. In Enzo’s reflections on Darwinism in Chapter 5, what animal does he claim is humanity’s closest relative?

2. What does Eve enlist Enzo to do in Chapter 6, which gives him a renewed sense of purpose?

Short Answer

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

1. How does Enzo feel about Denny’s girlfriend, Eve?

CHAPTERS 7-10

Reading Check

1. When Denny begins working longer hours in Chapter 7, what does Enzo use to keep himself company during the day?

2. In Chapter 9, Eve vomits and complains of severe pain in what part of the body?

Short Answer

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

1. Enzo compares control over one’s life with control of a race car. How are they similar?

CHAPTERS 11-13

Reading Check

1. In Chapter 11, Enzo hallucinates that which of Zoe’s stuffed animals begins to move on its own accord?

2. At the end of Chapter 12, what type of bird does Enzo have a nightmare about?

Short Answer

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

1. In this section, how does Enzo’s inability to communicate make him feel, particularly about Eve’s condition?

Paired Resource

“Diseases That Dogs Can Detect”

• This Guardian article explores scientific research around canines’ extraordinary sense of smell, which allows them to detect certain diseases in humans.
• Enzo can smell Eve’s sickness, even before she realizes anything is seriously wrong. Eve’s illness is connected to the theme of Death and Rebirth.
• Did you realize dogs’ senses of smell are so highly attuned? How does Enzo’s extraordinary sense of smell deepen his bond with both Denny and Eve?

CHAPTERS 14-16

Reading Check

1. What does Zoe refuse to eat, causing a fight to break out between Denny and Eve?

2. What is the collective nickname for Eve’s parents?

Short Answer

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

1. In Chapter 15, why are Eve’s parents critical of Denny?

CHAPTERS 17-19

Reading Check

1. In Chapter 17, what creek does the family hike near?

2. According to Enzo’s reflections, which culture prepared deceased dogs for their inevitable reincarnation?

Short Answer

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

1. When Denny washes Enzo’s dog toy in Chapter 19, how does it make Enzo feel? Why is this significant?

CHAPTERS 20-25

Reading Check

1. In Chapter 21, what activity does Zoe mimic on her Barbie doll?

2. What grade does Zoe enter in Chapter 22?

Short Answer

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

1. At the end of Chapter 20, Denny repeats to Enzo twice that Eve is going to be okay. What does this imply?

Paired Resource

“Garth Stein discusses The Art of Racing in the Rain”

• In this 3-minute video, Garth Stein describes his inspiration behind writing The Art of Racing in the Rain.
• Stein describes how, before he even had a sketch of the plot, he knew he wanted to write about Death and Rebirth.
• Stein discusses the advantages and disadvantages of being a dog. Which of those advantages and disadvantages are on display in this section of the novel?

CHAPTERS 26-31

Reading Check

1. What event do the Twins hold a dinner to celebrate?

2. In place of cash, how does Denny pay for a consultation with lawyer Mark Fein in Chapter 31?

Short Answer

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

1. Enzo rides alongside Denny while race car driving for the first time in Chapter 26. How does Enzo feel about this experience, and what larger lesson does this teach Enzo about Denny?

CHAPTERS 32-35

Reading Check

1. What crime is Denny arrested for and charged with in Chapter 32?

2. What does Enzo watch on television for the three years after Denny’s arrest? 

Short Answer

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

1. Why does Enzo regard Denny as an imposter in Chapter 35?

CHAPTERS 36-39

Reading Check

1. Given Denny’s restraining order, how must he communicate with Zoe?

2. In Chapter 39, what does Zoe surround Enzo with while he sleeps?

Short Answer

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

1. As described in Chapter 37, why does Enzo mistrust doctors?

Paired Resource

“The Art of Racing in the Rain | Official Trailer”

• The film adaptation of The Art of Racing in the Rain was released in 2019. This 2-minute video is the official trailer for the movie.
• Enzo’s statement that “[t]he best drivers focus only on the present” demonstrates the theme of The Philosophy of Racing.
• Beyond race car driving, how does the trailer assert the book’s core themes around loyalty and death/rebirth?

CHAPTERS 40-48

Reading Check

1. In Chapter 44, what does Denny sell due to his financial struggles?

2. What does Enzo imagine karma sending to the Twins as revenge for their behavior?

Short Answer

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

1. Who is Luigi Chinetti and what causes Enzo to think about him in Chapter 41?

CHAPTERS 49-EPILOGUE

Reading Check

1. How old is Enzo in Chapter 50?

2. In Chapter 58, what does Enzo have visions of as he passes away?

Short Answer

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

1. How does Enzo intervene in Chapter 49, just as Denny is about to sign the settlement form?

Recommended Next Reads 

A Sudden Light: A Novel by Garth Stein

• Published in 2015, A Sudden Light follows 14-year-old Trevor as he confronts his family’s dark past and their relationship to the Riddell House.
• Trevor must grapple with powerful moments of spiritual transcendence, echoing themes surrounding Death and Rebirth.
• Like The Art of Racing in the Rain, the book is told from a first-person perspective that reveals the speaker’s biases: Instead of a dog, A Sudden Light is told mostly from the perspective of a child.
• A Sudden Light on SuperSummary

Watership Down by Richard Adams

• This timeless classic tells the tale of a band of wild rabbits who struggle to hang onto their place in the countryside of England’s Downs.
• This novel connects to the theme Death and Rebirth.
• Shared topics include narratives told from an animal’s perspective and heroic animal actions.
• Watership Down on SuperSummary