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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 place does Mr. Larkin finish in in the contest?

2. Why is Janey hesitant to allow the doctor to come to their house?

3. How much will Mr. Larkin give the person in #115 if Mr. Larkin wins one of the top prizes today?

4. What is a swamper?

5. What does Janey find as she waits for the teacher to arrive?

Short Essay Questions

1. What memory is prompted for Janey when seeing cows outside on a cold night?

2. Who intrudes on Janey's contentment as she sits watching the ducks?

3. What disease is Mom diagnosed as having?

4. Why does Janey attend the Camp School instead of the Regular School?

5. Why does the Camp School come to a close?

6. What offer does Mr. Anderson make to Mr. Larkin?

7. Why does Dad enter into a fight with Bounce that could land Dad in jail?

8. Where does Janey decide to go since Dad is not going to work and won't be taking her to school this day?

9. Why does Janey go to the Anderson house prior to the Larkin family's leaving the area and what does she learn from Mr. Anderson regarding her willow plate?

10. Explain what Janey knows about the Camp School.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the greatest lesson Janey learns from her mother? Is it true that important lessons are also painful ones? What will Janey always recall about her mother from their experiences in California during the Great Depression?

Essay Topic 2

Explain the role of women in America during the Great Depression. What precedents do these women feel compelled to follow? What restrictions do they have? What freedoms did they have that 21st century women do not have? How were their lives significantly more difficult than the lives of 21st century women?

Essay Topic 3

Explain the significance of the book's title. What does the author mean by calling it simply BLUE WILLOW. What is she trying to emphasize with this emphatic style? Suggest three alternate titles for this book with supporting rationale for each one.

(see the answer keys)

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