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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. In whose shadow does the poet describe growing up in "The Other Woodson"?

2. What happens to Pinocchio in the books, according to the poet in "Family"?

3. What physical trait do Mary Anne, Gunnar, Jackie, Dell, and Hope all share, according to the poet in "Genetics"?

4. Who was Aunt Kay's boyfriend that helped Jackie's family move in "Brooklyn, New York"?

5. Who is described as always reading in the poem "Tomboy"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Jacqueline Woodson say she wrote "Jackie" on the board in school in the poem "Late Autumn"?

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

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

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

5. Who is described in "New Girl"? How does the poet describe her feelings for this individual?

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

7. Who attended church in Brooklyn with Jackie when she was growing up? How is the church described in the poem "Another Kingdom Hall"?

8. What does the poet describe thinking about as she eats breakfast in "Saturday Morning"?

9. How has the setting of Jackie's grandparents' home changed in "Daddy This Time"?

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

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 some of the writers, poets, and activists that have influenced author Jacqueline Woodson. How are these figures described in the poetry of Brown Girl Dreaming?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss South Carolina’s history of Slavery and the “trainings” and oppressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. What do “trainings” refer to? How did the trainings originate? How accurate is Gunnar’s explanation of the social unrest in South Carolina and the emerging Civil Rights Movement?

(see the answer keys)

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