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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 does Bootsie do for Mary Alice?

2. The annual _______________ program at the school is coming.

3. By the end of the night, the two have ______________.

4. Two ancient ladies arrive for the DAR event, _______________, but they certainly aren't DAR ladies.

5. There are rumors of trying to do what to Arnold?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Mrs. Weidenbach ask for Grandma's help? Why is this surprising?

2. Why does Grandma change her mind regarding Mrs. Weidenbach's request?

3. What is one way that Grandma surprises Mary Alice during this holiday season? How is this important?

4. Why is this man in town? What does Grandma think of this?

5. How is Mary Alice's date interrupted? How is this foreshadowed?

6. What newspaper column does Mary Alice write? Why might she do this?

7. What is the final surprise in this chapter? Are you surprised by this? Why or why not?

8. What is Grandma's final surprise for Mary Alice? What does this reinforce about Grandma?

9. How does Mary Alice finally take a chance and ask Royce over to visit? How does Grandma feel about this? Why?

10. What is another way that Grandma surprises Mary Alice during this holiday season? How is this surprise important?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Mary Alice is the main character.

Part 1) Describe Mary Alice. How does she change throughout the story? Why does she change? How do other characters in this story also change? What is Mary Alice's relationship with other main characters in the story?

Part 2) Mary Alice is also the narrator of the story. How does her narration affect the knowledge of the reader? How does it also influence the reader's opinion of other characters? How different might the story be if the narrator were not a character in the story? How different might the story be if Grandma was the narrator?

Part 3) What is learned about Middle America during the Great Depression through Mary Alice's eyes? Has this affected your view of life in the 1930s? If so, how? If not, why not?

Essay Topic 2

Mary Alice falls in love with Royce.

Part 1) How do Mary Alice's feelings for Royce develop throughout the book? How do his feelings for her mirror her feelings for him? How is Mary Alice finally able to get the courage up to invite Royce over? How might Grandma have played a role in this?

Part 2) What about Royce is appealing to Mary Alice and the other girls? Do you see in him what these girls see? Why or why not? What is special about Mary Alice? How does she stand out from the rest of the girls in her school?

Part 3) What other romantic attachments take place in this book? What is the purpose of these attachments to the story? How are they tied to the plot, character development, and/or themes?

Essay Topic 3

The Epilogue takes place several years later.

Part 1) Describe the Epilogue. What is the purpose of the Epilogue? How does the way in which the Epilogue was written compare to the rest of the book?

Part 2) How has Mary Alice changed over the years? How has the world also changed in such a relatively short period of time? How does the Epilogue wrap up the story that takes place throughout the previous chapters of the book?

Part 3) Is the Epilogue necessary? Why or why not? Is it an effective ending to the story? Why or why not? Is this how you would have ended the story Why or why not? If not, how would have ended it?

(see the answer keys)

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