View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. Where do Rachel's parents go in Chapter 9?

2. Why does Helena apologize to Rachel in Chapter 12?

3. In Chapter 9, what does Rachel forget to tell her mother?

4. Who does Izzy say Rachel should have been named for?

5. Why are Rachel's parents annoyed with her when she first arrives home in the beginning of Chapter 17?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the tone of Rachel and Lewis's first two phone calls?

2. Describe Rachel's first kiss.

3. Why is Rachel initially confused about whether or not Lewis likes her?

4. What does the doctor say is wrong with Grandpa Izzy after his initial tests?

5. How does Rachel recognize Izzy's bad mood in Chapter 22?

6. How does Rachel's handling of Izzy's fall affect her parent's perception of her?

7. Describe the Scrabble game in Chapter 24.

8. Describe the picture of Izzy and Eva that Izzy gives to Rachel.

9. What does Izzy tell Rachel about his handprint in Chapter 29?

10. Why are Izzy's houseplants so important to him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The process of Izzy's death moved Rachel from disbelief to grief and back to hope again.

1) Describe the process of accepting the death of a loved one as illustrated in this story.

2) Explain how grief affected the actions of at least 3 characters in the novel.

3) Analyze the correlation between transformation and loss.

Essay Topic 2

As Rachel matures, she starts to see the people in her life as individual humans, rather than as the roles they play like parent or grandparent. What events occur to help Rachel see Shirley, Manny, and Izzy as people she can empathize with rather than merely as mom, dad, and grandfather? Write at least a paragraph to describe what happens to alter Rachel's perception of these characters.

Essay Topic 3

Grandpa Izzy dies leaving a legacy of ill feelings behind him. How would the story have progressed differently if Izzy had resolved his issues with Jeremy and Lenny before he died? Examine the impact this might have had on key characters in the novel.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 736 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample