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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 is the name of the general store described downtown where Grandma Dowdel lives?

2. Who is described by Grandma Dowdel as the "best home-baker in the state of Illinois" in "The Day of Judgment"?

3. How old is Joey during his visit to Grandma Dowdel's in "The Mouse in the Milk"?

4. Who comes to stop Grandma Dowdel from giving away catfish in "A One-Woman Crime Wave"?

5. Why does Grandma Dowdel tell the milk delivery boy she won't need cream or milk delivered tomorrow in "The Mouse in the Milk"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Grandma Dowdel's biggest opposition in the cooking contest at the fair in "The Day of Judgment"? How is this character described?

2. Where do Joey and Mary Alice meet Aunt Puss Chapman? How is Aunt Puss described?

3. How are the Cowgills described in "The Mouse in the Milk"? What business do they run?

4. How does Grandma Dowdel describe "the truth" of Shotgun Cheatham and how he got his name?

5. How does Grandma Dowdel overcome her adversaries at the end of “A One Woman Crime Wave"?

6. Where does Grandma Dowdel take Joey and Mary Alice to go fishing in “A One Woman Crime Wave"? How do they fish?

7. How are the sheriff and Chamber of Commerce president described when Joey, Mary Alice, and Grandma encounter them after fishing in “A One Woman Crime Wave"?

8. What happens just before the tasting at the cooking contest in "The Day of Judgment"?

9. How does the author establish an atmosphere of the Chicago gangster scene in "Shotgun Cheatham's Last Night Above Ground"?

10. How does Grandma Dowdel go about baiting the Cowgill boys to her home in "The Mouse in the Milk"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss the characters of O. B. Dickerson and Earl T. Askew in the book. What are the actions, objectives, and obstacles of the characters? How would you describe Grandma Dowdel's relationship with these characters? What are Joey and Mary Alice's perceptions of these characters?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the talent show in “Centennial Summer." Who performs in the talent show? Who wins the blue ribbon? Why is this a surprise for Joey?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the character of Ray Veech in A Long Way from Chicago. How old is Ray Veech when his character is first introduced? What stories does Ray appear in? How is his character perceived by Joey and Mary Alice?

(see the answer keys)

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