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. In Section 1, Chapter 5, what poet does Ari read?

2. In Section 3, Chapter 5, how often does Ari's father visit him in the hospital?

3. In Chapter 2, Section 2, how many days does Ari spend in bed?

4. When did Buddy Holly and Richie Valens die in a plane crash?

5. In Section 2, Chapter 7, how old is Ari in his dream where he is holding his brother's hand?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Dante used to call himself and why did he quit using that nickname?

2. When and how did Ari's mother finish her bachelor's degree?

3. What is Dante's father like?

4. How often does Ari's father visit Ari when he is in the hospital and what do they do together?

5. How does Dante feel about a dead bird in Section 1, Chapter 12?

6. What is the weather like when Ari comes home from the hospital?

7. What do Ari and Dante's families do together before the Quintanas leave?

8. Why doesn't Ari ask his father questions and how does he learn who is father is without asking questions?

9. What does Dante do with Ari when Dante comes over in Section 2, Chapter 4?

10. Why doesn't Ari like dealing with his mother's Catholic-Church-lady friends?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Gina and Susie frustrate Ari when they are first introduced in the novel. How does Ari's relationship change with the girls and why does it change so dramatically?

Essay Topic 2

Ari has mixed feelings about Dante's move to Chicago. What does Ari feel about Dante moving away and why he is conflicted about the move? Do his concerns about the move come true?

Essay Topic 3

Dante's mother doesn't want him looking like a poor Mexican. What does Dante do that makes his mother think people will believe he is a poor Mexican, and why does it bother her so much that her son would be viewed as poor and Mexican?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 732 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample