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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 advice does Leigh say his dad gave him about the person stealing his lunch in his diary entry from February 4?

2. Who does Leigh say he and his mom used to scoop up the mashed potatoes and gravy with their dinner in his February 5 diary entry?

3. In his February 9 diary entry, Leigh says that he got a letter from his dad postmarked from where?

4. Leigh says in his January 30 diary entry that sometimes truckers lose the hearing in their left ear from what?

5. What does Leigh describe overhearing the boy’s voice saying when he was on the phone with his dad in his diary entry from February 4?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Leigh’s dad describe losing Bandit? Where was he when Bandit was lost?

2. What is related in Leigh’s “review” of Beggar Bears in his January 15 letter?

3. How does Leigh describe the butterflies when he first sees them in his February 7 diary entry?

4. What exchange does Leigh describe between himself and Mr. Fridley in his February 6 diary entry?

5. What is revealed about Leigh’s story, “The Ten-Foot Wax Man,” in his February 15 letter?

6. What does Leigh reveal about Mr. Henshaw’s advice in his letter from February 28?

7. What outcome does Leigh describe of his alarm invention in his diary entries from March 5 and 6?

8. What does Leigh describe as “the worst part” of his exchange with his dad in his February 4 diary entry?

9. Who do you think is symbolized by the protagonist in Leigh’s story “The Ten-Foot Wax Man”?

10. What does Leigh relate about Mr. Henshaw’s new book in his January 12 letter?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss the settings of Bakersfield and Pacific Grove, California. How big are these towns? How does Leigh describe them in his letters? What is the weather like in Bakersfield and Pacific Grove? How do these settings differ?

Essay Topic 2

In Dear Mr. Henshaw, Leigh writes to his favorite author from second through sixth grades. Discuss Beverly Cleary’s use of language to depict the maturity of Leigh as he continues writing to Mr. Henshaw. For instance, what grammatical and spelling errors can you find in Leigh’s early letters? How do Leigh’s mistakes change as he gets older?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze and discuss the qualities and information revealed about Boyd Henshaw’s character based on Leigh’s replies from November 15 through November 23. What are Mr. Henshaw’s responses to Leigh’s questions? What do these responses say about Mr. Henshaw’s personality?

(see the answer keys)

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