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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 do Andrius and his mother send?

2. What does Lina think of Andrius?

3. What do the soldiers tell the woman who have been digging to do?

4. What does everyone bring to the Christmas Eve celebration?

5. What secret does the bald man tell Lina?

Short Essay Questions

1. What event makes Lina and Elena decide to stop asking for extra food for Jonas?

2. Why are Lina, Elena, and Jonas quiet about the potatoes he brings home that night?

3. What has Hitler done in Lithuania, and what is the bald man's response to the action?

4. What letter does Lina remember receiving once from Joana?

5. What do readers learn in the Epilogue?

6. How do the others help Lina celebrate her sixteenth birthday?

7. What does Elena have Lina do for Mr. Stalas, and what is Lina's response to the task?

8. Why are the prisoners waked in the middle of the night and what do they do?

9. What does Lina steal and how does she explain it to Andrius?

10. What do the prisoners learn about the Japanese and Hitler?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Oftentimes, a book has more of a character-driven plot rather than action driven, and oftentimes the other way. Some books seem to balance the two. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think it means to say that a plot is character driven? Action driven?

2. How do you think a plot differs if it is character driven versus action driven?

3. Which type of plot do you find more interesting? Why?

4. Do you think it is possible to have a plot where action and character development share equal time? Why or why not.

5. What type of plot do you think Between Shades of Gray is? Explain your response.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the following:

1. What do you think are the characteristics of a successful novel?

2. Analyze and discuss Between Shades of Gray based upon the criteria you decide upon in #1 and judge if "Between Shades of Gray" is a successful novel.

3. Do you think the criteria for a successful novel should be different if it is written for adults versus young adults? Why or why not? Would most adults consider "Between Shades of Gray" a successful novel? What about young teens?

Essay Topic 3

Between Shades of Gray belongs to the young adult novel genre. Discuss the following:

1. Define the literary term "genre" and give several examples of three other genres in addition to the young adult novel genre.

2. Discuss two reasons why it might be useful to label a text by genre and two reasons it might be disadvantageous to label a text by genre.

3. What do you think is the difference between a young adult historical novel and an adult historical novel mystery?

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