How to Heal a Gryphon Quiz

Think you know Giada’s story inside out? This 20‑question quiz spans the entire book, from the baby gryphon rescue to the final bargain in Malafi. Questions mix multiple‑choice and short‑answer formats, and every answer is traceable to the chapter outline. Ready to prove your guaritore knowledge?

Plot & Sequence (8 questions)

1. What creature does Giada rescue in Chapter 1?
A. A baby dragon
B. A baby phoenix
C. A baby gryphon
D. A baby unicorn

2. Name one specific ingredient Giada uses to treat the mamma gryphon’s infected wound in Chapter 2.
(Short answer)

3. In Chapter 6, what object does Giada find in place of her missing brother Rocco?
A. A silver acorn
B. A golden walnut
C. A crystal egg
D. An iron key

4. How does Giada physically enter the underground city of Malafi?
A. Through a cave behind a waterfall
B. By stepping through a portal in her garden
C. By flying on a gryphon into a hidden canyon
D. By inserting a golden walnut into a knot in a walnut tree

5. What does Giada use to destroy the cheese‑making strega’s dark storm cloud in Chapter 10?
(Short answer)

6. What is the final bargain Madre del Malocchio imposes on Giada?
A. Give up her magic forever
B. Bring moonlight and starlight to Malafi within two days
C. Sacrifice her familiar Sinistro
D. Become a permanent member of the Streghe del Malocchio

7. In Chapter 15, why does one of the captured stars die?
A. It was poisoned by the witches
B. It could not survive underground
C. Giada forgot to feed it
D. It was stolen by a rival coven

8. How does Giada finally fulfill the bargain with the Streghe del Malocchio?
A. She steals a moon from the sky
B. She tricks Madre with a fake moon
C. She grows a moon vine and uses lucciole as stars
D. She sacrifices her own magic to create light

Character Motivation (5 questions)

9. Why does Giada hide the salt spill from Zia Clementina in Chapter 3?
(Short answer)

10. What is the primary reason Giada refuses to take the guaritore oath?
A. She is too lazy to complete the training
B. She wants to heal animals and follow Diana, not Apollo
C. She dislikes her brother Rocco
D. She is afraid of the oath ceremony

11. What changes Rocco’s attitude so that he defends Giada at the end of the book?
A. He learns she saved him from the witches
B. He sees her bravery and regrets his earlier anger
C. He is forced by their father
D. He wants Giada to leave for America

12. Why does Giada agree to bargain with the hat‑handed strega in Chapter 11?
(Short answer)

13. What does the black cat Sinistro reveal about himself in Chapter 7?
A. He is a spy for the Streghe del Malocchio
B. He is Giada’s familiar
C. He is a lost pet from Positano
D. He is a gryphon in disguise

Theme & Symbol (4 questions)

14. What does the golden walnut symbolise in the story?
(Short answer)

15. How does the conflict between Apollo and Diana represent the book’s central theme?
A. The rivalry between two gods
B. The importance of human healing over animal healing
C. Tradition versus individuality and following one’s true calling
D. The need for balance between day and night

16. What do the lucciole (fireflies) symbolise in the resolution of Chapter 17?
(Short answer)

17. What is the main purpose of a cornicello in the world of the novel?
A. A weapon used in battle
B. A protective amulet against the evil eye
C. A family heirloom with no magic
D. A spell book for dark magic

Synthesis (3 questions)

18. Compare Giada’s healing style to that of traditional guaritori. How are they different?
(Short answer)

19. How does the theme of superstition both hinder and help Giada during her quest?
(Short answer)

20. What lesson does Giada learn about balancing family legacy with her own individuality?
(Short answer)

Answer Key

1. C – A baby gryphon
Giada discovers the baby, whom she names Piccolina, in Chapter 1 and brings it to class.

2. The immortal jellyfish goo (or pureed melon, rubbing alcohol, spider silk with unicorn hair – any one of these is acceptable)
In Chapter 2, Giada uses a mixture including immortal jellyfish goo to treat the mamma gryphon’s infected wound.

3. B – A golden walnut
After finding Rocco’s rowboat but no Rocco, a black cat leads Giada to a giant golden walnut sitting in a sieve.

4. D – By inserting a golden walnut into a knot in a walnut tree
In Chapter 8, Giada uses the walnut key on a red knot in the ancient walnut tree, and thorny magic pulls her and Sinistro into Malafi.

5. A gryphon feather and Diana’s bow spell
In Chapter 10, Giada invokes Diana’s bow spell using a gryphon feather to destroy the storm cloud of dark magic.

6. B – Bring moonlight and starlight to Malafi within two days
Madre del Malocchio sets this impossible‑sounding bargain in Chapter 12, threatening to eat Rocco’s heart if Giada fails.

7. B – It could not survive underground
In Chapter 15, one of the stars dies because it is unable to live in Malafi’s dark underground environment.

8. C – She grows a moon vine and uses lucciole as stars
In Chapter 17, Giada harvests a grown moon from her vine and releases the lucciole, which become Malafi’s stars, fulfilling the bargain.

9. She fears the Streghe del Malocchio and believes spilled salt invites bad luck.
Giada is deeply superstitious and knows the witches communicate through omens; she hides the spill to avoid drawing their attention.

10. B – She wants to heal animals and follow Diana, not Apollo
Giada feels a strong connection to Diana, the goddess of the hunt and animals, and wishes to become a magical‑creature vet rather than a human guaritore.

11. B – He sees her bravery and regrets his earlier anger
After Giada rescues him and the rest of the family, Rocco admits he was wrong and supports her decision to follow her own path.

12. To save her brother Rocco
Giada knows that bargaining is against guaritore rules, but her love for Rocco and determination to free him drive her to accept.

13. B – He is Giada’s familiar
In Chapter 7, Sinistro explains that he is her familiar, bonded to her through magic.

14. It represents the key to Malafi and the entrance to the Streghe del Malocchio’s city.
The golden walnut is both a physical key and a symbol of the power of superstition in the story.

15. C – Tradition versus individuality and following one’s true calling
Apollo represents the established guaritore path of human healing, while Diana embodies Giada’s desire to heal animals and honour her own gifts.

16. Hope, light, and the fulfillment of the bargain; they become the stars for Malafi.
The fireflies brighten the dark city, completing Giada’s promise and restoring balance.

17. B – A protective amulet against the evil eye
The cornicello is worn for protection, especially against the malocchio (evil eye), as explained early in the book.

18. Traditional guaritori follow strict Apollo‑based human healing with prescribed spells and ingredients, while Giada relies on empathy, unconventional ingredients (like immortal jellyfish), and communication with magical creatures.
Her methods are instinctive and creature‑centred rather than rule‑bound.

19. Superstition hinders Giada by making her fearful of omens (spilled salt, black cats) and inadvertently causing Rocco’s kidnapping. It helps her by giving her the clues to find Malafi and the tools to bargain (e.g., the golden walnut, understanding the power of spilled salt and oil).
She learns to use superstition strategically rather than be controlled by it.

20. Giada learns that honouring her own calling does not mean abandoning her family; with courage and honesty, she can win their support. Her father eventually apologises and agrees to petition the Guaritore Council to accept followers of Diana, and Rocco defends her choice.
Family legacy and individuality can coexist when both are respected.

For more insights, read the book overview, questions and answers, or ending explained.