The Firework Maker’s Daughter

The Firework-Maker’s Daughter by Philip Pullman is a magical adventure story about bravery, determination, and believing in yourself.

Lila lives with her father, Lalchand, who is a famous firework maker. Lila dreams of following in his footsteps, but her father believes firework making is too dangerous for a girl. Determined to prove him wrong, Lila secretly sets out on a dangerous journey to learn the final secret of firework making.
Along the way, she meets Chulak, her loyal elephant friend Hamlet, and faces many challenges, including crossing seas, climbing a volcano, and confronting her own fears. Lila discovers that true strength comes from courage, perseverance, and self-belief, not just physical power.

In the end, Lila learns the most important lesson of all: the secret firework maker’s test can only be passed by trusting yourself. Her bravery changes her father’s mind and proves that dreams can be achieved with hard work and courage.

We have created LKS2 comprehension questions for each chapter of The Firework-Maker’s Daughter to support Year 3 and Year 4 pupils in developing a secure understanding of the text.
The questions focus on retrieval, inference, and prediction, helping children to summarise the plot, explore characters, setting, and themes, and build vocabulary while following the story chapter by chapter.

Whether you’re planning classwork or homework, this resource is perfect for whole class reading or guided reading sessions, and it covers a range of objectives in the reading and literacy curriculum.

Chapter 1 Summary
Chapter 1 introduces Lila, the daughter of Lalchand, a skilled firework maker. Lila tells her father that she wants to become a firework maker too. Lalchand refuses and says that firework making is not suitable for girls. He explains that only people with three special gifts can become firework makers, but he does not explain what they are.
Lila is upset and angry because her father will not listen to her. Lalchand says she should think about getting married instead. Chulak, Lalchand’s assistant, hears the conversation. The chapter ends with Lila feeling determined but unsure how to change her father’s mind.

Our literacy resource sets includes a rich mix of retrieval questions, inference questions, summarising questions, and sequencing questions, helping students develop key comprehension skills.

Chapter 2 Summary
In Chapter 2, Lila talks to Chulak about her father’s refusal to let her become a firework maker. Chulak explains that Lalchand once tried to become a firework maker himself. He tells Lila that Lalchand failed the final test. Because of this, Lalchand believes firework making is too dangerous. He is afraid that Lila could be badly hurt or killed. Lila says she understands the danger involved. She believes she is brave enough to succeed. Lila decides that she will leave home. She wants to learn the final secret of firework making. Lila keeps her plan secret from her father. Chulak agrees to help her. The chapter ends with Lila determined to prove herself.

Did you know?
Our resource supports key reading and literacy curriculum objectives with a mix of comprehension, grammar, and sequencing tasks.

Chapter 3 Summary
In Chapter 3, Chulak decides to find out the final secret of firework making. He speaks to Lalchand and pretends that becoming a firework maker sounds easy. Lalchand becomes annoyed by this. Lalchand says that only people with three special gifts can pass the final test. He explains that the gifts are courage, perseverance, and good luck. Lalchand believes Chulak does not have these gifts. By boasting, Chulak tricks Lalchand into revealing the secret. Chulak later tells Lila what he has discovered. Lila learns what is needed to pass the final test. She knows the journey will be dangerous. Lila decides she must leave to complete the test herself. The chapter ends with Lila preparing to begin her journey.

Our reading comprehension resources for The Firework Maker’s Daughter is ideal for Year 3 and Year 4, featuring questions for each chapter in the book to boost understanding and reading skills.

Chapter 4 Summary
In Chapter 4, Lila leaves home without telling her father. She takes food and supplies for her journey. Lila travels to the harbour. She plans to sail to Mount Merapi, where the firework makers live. At the harbour, Lila meets a sailor named Rambashi. Rambashi agrees to take Lila on his ship. He warns her that the journey will be dangerous. Lila insists on going anyway. The ship sets sail across the sea. Lila feels nervous but determined. She thinks about the test she must complete. The chapter ends as the ship begins its journey.

After reading the chapter with your LKS2 class, you can immediately complete our high-quality comprehension questions, ready-made for Year 3 and 4 and created by a current KS2 teacher.

Chapter 5 Summary
In Chapter 5, Lila arrives in a busy port after her sea journey. She hears a crowd shouting and sees an elephant being mistreated. The elephant is called Hamlet. Lila feels sorry for him and wants to help. She learns that Hamlet belongs to Rambashi, the sailor. Rambashi plans to sell Hamlet to earn money. Lila is angry about this decision. She uses some of her money to help free the elephant. Hamlet is grateful to Lila for helping him. He decides to follow her and stay with her. Lila allows Hamlet to join her journey. The chapter ends with Lila and Hamlet travelling together.

Use the multiple choice and free response questions to assess comprehension and spark rich class discussions around Philip Pullman’s exciting plot.

Chapter 6 Summary
In Chapter 6, Lila continues her journey with Hamlet. They travel through the jungle toward Mount Merapi. Lila finds the journey difficult and tiring. Hamlet helps Lila by carrying her when she is exhausted. They meet a group of villagers along the way. The villagers warn Lila about the dangers of the volcano. They tell her that many people have failed the firework maker’s test. Lila listens carefully to their warnings. She feels afraid but remains determined. Lila thanks the villagers for their advice. She decides to continue despite the risks. The chapter ends with Lila and Hamlet moving closer to the volcano.

Our question sets include multiple choice retrieval questions to build scanning and skimming skills. Each chapter’s comprehension set includes targeted retrieval, inference, and summarising tasks to sharpen key reading skills.

Chapter 7 Summary
In Chapter 7, Lila and Hamlet reach Mount Merapi. They climb towards the crater of the volcano. The heat and smoke make the journey very dangerous. Lila feels frightened as they get closer to the fire demons. She meets the fire demon called Razvani. Razvani challenges Lila and tries to scare her. Lila remembers that courage is one of the three gifts. She controls her fear and stands firm. Razvani allows her to pass because she shows bravery. Lila is badly burned by the fire. Hamlet helps her escape the volcano. The chapter ends with Lila surviving the test but being badly injured.

Final Summary – Book Ending
At the end of the story, Lila recovers from her injuries with the help of Hamlet and Chulak. She realises that the three gifts needed to become a firework maker are courage, perseverance, and good luck. Lila returns home to her father. Lalchand sees that Lila has survived the journey and passed the test. He understands that Lila has proved herself. Lalchand accepts her as a firework maker. Lila achieves her dream through bravery and determination. The story ends with Lila’s success and her father’s pride in her.