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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. Who is the "Tomboy" that this poem describes?

2. What day of the week is described in the poem "Lessons"?

3. Who wrote the short story "The Selfish Giant"?

4. What word in the book is used to describe fire hydrants that are turned on for children in the summertime in New York?

5. What had Grandpa Gunnar done with the swing set in "Daddy This Time"?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the poet describe the first notebook she found in "Composition Notebook"?

2. What gifts does the author describe her mother bringing to her and her siblings in "Another Way"? Why did she bring them these items?

3. What is described in the poem "Six Minutes"? What do the "six minutes" in the title refer to?

4. What made Jacqueline Woodson relate to the character of Stevie, as seen in "Stevie and Me"? Who is Stevie?

5. Where did Jacqueline Woodson's family move after the death of Aunt Kay? How is this setting described in "Moving Again"?

6. Where does the author describe Grandma Georgiana sitting on the bus in "What Everybody Knows Now"? Why did she sit here?

7. How does the author compare her family members in "Genetics"?

8. How does the author describe her school in "First Grade"?

9. What is a johnny pump? How does the author describe them in "The Johnny Pump?"

10. What comparisons does the author make between New York and Greenville in the poem "New York City"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Brown Girl Dreaming is a memoir in verse. Define these terms (memoir and verse), and discuss how they apply to the narrative. Is the book fictional or nonfictional? Why do you think the author chose to relate her story through verse? How does this choice affect the reader?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss the Woodson ancestry. How was Jacqueline Woodson related to Thomas Jefferson? How many children did Thomas Jefferson father with Sally Hemings? How does the author relate this information in Brown Girl Dreaming? Why does she relate it?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the themes of pride, prejudice, and the American Dream in Brown Girl Dreaming. How are these themes embodied by Georgiana, Gunnar, Mary Anne, and Jackie? What symbolism and imagery in the narrative relates to these themes?

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