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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. How old was a boy that Lydia remembered seeing killed because his father did not pay the cartel?

2. How many books a day does Luca read in Chapter 9?

3. What did Luca's father do for a living?

4. Where have Rebeca and Soledad traveled from?

5. Where do Mami and Luca hide in Chapter 1?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do Soledad and Rebeca help Luca and Lydia board a moving train?

2. Why does Lydia go to an unfamiliar branch of her bank in Chapter 3?

3. In Chapter 3, why is Lydia cautious when she approaches the family's car?

4. In Chapter 5, how does Lydia know that Javier has found them at the hotel?

5. How did Lydia meet Javier Crespo Fuentes?

6. What does Luca see at the end of Chapter 12 when he goes to the bathroom?

7. Where do Luca and Lydia decide will be their final destination and why?

8. Why might it have been a good idea for Luca to see the violence in the backyard?

9. What type of safety harness system did Luca used to have in his family's car?

10. What do Neli and Julia say about the price to el norte?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Beto is a young boy on his own. Where did Beto live? Why is he alone? What challenges does he face? What is conveyed about perseverance through the way he faces the challenges in his life?

Essay Topic 2

Luca is eight going on nine in the book. How does Luca mature and grow in the novel through the experiences he and his mother endure?

Essay Topic 3

Los Jardineros is a cartel that takes over Acapulco. What type of violence is perpetrated by the cartel? What donation do they make to build a hospital? What is implied about their motives in donating that money? Does it change the nature of the cartel?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 773 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample