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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 Mbalia want readers to feel when they read Black Boy Joy?

2. What coins does Mr. G give when they have to collect joy?

3. When the geometry teacher sends you to the principal in "First-Day Fly," what does the class do?

4. What does Mbalia not like to watch?

5. What color Cadillac does Cornell's Pop-Pop have?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Mbalia do when he is happy?

2. In "First-Day Fly," why did the main character get sent to the principal's office?

3. What does Ms. Wallace tell Rod that his parents do and where they are?

4. What happens in the school cafeteria on Fridays?

5. How does Dylan compare his sister Tabitha to a Nodosaurus or a Stegosaurus?

6. What do the Trilarkians look like?

7. What cars are in the driveway when Cornell gets home, and what information do they provide him?

8. In "First-Day Fly," how are sneakers prepared for the first day of school?

9. What are some facts Dylan wants to share about Dodos with his friend and his teacher?

10. When was the term "Black Boy Joy" (2) coined and what does it mean to Mbalia?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Imagery is a literary device authors use to describe people in a narrative and the world they inhabit. Imagery involves using the five senses to describe individuals, places, and things. Pick two or three chapters in Black Boy Joy and explain how imagery is used to help readers imagine the worlds characters inhabit.

Essay Topic 2

Dialogue tags help identify who is speaking in a written conversation. What would happen if dialogue tags were never used to identify who is speaking in a written conversation? What are some common dialogue tags used to identify speakers in a written conversation in the stories in Black Boy Joy? What descriptive dialogue tags have authors used, especially in "The Gender Reveal"? How do those dialogue tags help readers imagine scenes? How do they add another layer of description?

Essay Topic 3

Slang is an informal way of speaking. How do characters use slang in the stories in Black Boy Joy? What does the use of slang reveal about the characters?

(see the answer keys)

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