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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What new punishment does Dave's mother invent for him in Chapter 3, Bad Boy?

2. What does Dave's mother tell the principal in Chapter 4, The Fight for Food?

3. When does Dave's mother start decorating for the Christmas holidays in Chapter 2, Good Times?

4. Once school starts again in Chapter 4, The Fight for Food, what is Dave's mother feeding him?

5. How does Dave do with his school work in Chapter 3, Bad Boy?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe what Dave's mother does one day when she is sick in Chapter 2, Good Times.

2. Describe how Dave's mother dislocates his shoulder.

3. Describe Dave's plan to prevent his mother from making him lie across the gas stove in Chapter 3, Bad Boy.

4. Discuss why Dave does not mind having to run to school.

5. Describe the clothes Dave wears to school every day in Chapter 1, The Rescue.

6. Describe the condition of Dave's mother on a typical day in Chapter 1, The Rescue.

7. Summarize the punishment Dave's mother inflicts upon him while the family is vacationing at the Russian River, as described in Chapter 4, The Fight for Food.

8. Explain why the Russian River is Dave's favorite vacation spot in Chapter 2, Good Times.

9. Describe the Happy Hour that Dave's parents celebrate, as outlined in Chapter 3, Bad Boy.

10. Describe the lunch Dave has been taking to school for the past three years in Chapter 1, The Rescue.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the book, Dave's mother reveals her coldness and cruelty toward Dave.

- Summarize how her attitude toward Dave reflects the attitudes of the rest of the family. Cite examples from the story.

- How does she brainwash Dave's brothers and father not to acknowledge Dave's abusive situation?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss how Dave's mother changes from the beginning of the book to the end.

- How do her attitudes toward her family and Dave in particular change?

- How does her attitude toward Dave's father change?

- What are the differences in her attitude toward the way she takes care of her family, cooking, cleaning, planning vacations, and nurturing change through the course of the book?

Essay Topic 3

Write an introduction to the book discussing what the reader should expect in the book. Prepare the reader for the heinous abuse that Dave experiences and how he comes out of it a survivor.

(see the answer keys)

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