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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 was Leigh’s dad delivering when he lost Leigh’s dog?

2. What does Leigh say he and his mom went to eat after crying in his February 5 diary entry?

3. Where does Leigh say he received a postcard from his father from in his January 19 letter to Mr. Henshaw?

4. In his January 15 letter to Mr. Henshaw, Leigh writes that he finished Beggar Bears in how much time?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. Where does Leigh describe going on a walk in his diary entry from February 7?

2. What does Leigh describe buying at the hardware store in his March 3 diary entry? What does Leigh say about the man who works there?

3. What worries consume Leigh about his dad in his January 30 diary entry?

4. Why are there babies in Leigh’s room when he writes his diary entry on February 2?

5. What frustrations does Leigh vent in his diary on January 20?

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

7. What is the tone of Leigh’s diary entries from January 31 and February 1?

8. How do Leigh’s diary entries change on February 6? What does Leigh relate in this entry?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss the books Ten Ways to Amuse a Dog and Moose on Toast. What similarities and differences are there between these books by Mr. Henshaw? Discuss the characters, setting, and plot of each story. What does Leigh like about Moose on Toast?

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

Discuss the characters and setting of Beggar Bears. Where previously in the novel did the author foreshadow the appearance of this book by Mr. Henshaw? How? What does Leigh think of the story? How does it compare with Mr. Henshaw’s other books?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 927 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample