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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 new vocabulary word does Leigh use to mean “to print” in his letter to Mr. Henshaw on January 19?

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

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

4. On January 19, Leigh writes and thanks Mr. Henshaw for the postcard with a picture of what on it?

5. What class does Leigh say he left to go to the bathroom because he was so mad about his lunch in his February 6 diary entry?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. What does Leigh tell Mr. Henshaw about the writing competition in his letter from January 19?

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

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

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

7. What letter does Leigh describe receiving from his father in his diary entry on February 9? How does Leigh feel about the letter?

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

9. What do the butterflies in Leigh’s February 7 diary entry symbolize in Dear Mr. Henshaw?

10. What progress does Leigh describe making with his lunch situation in his March 1 diary entry?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Leigh’s concerns about his lunch bag being robbed and the potential solutions for this problem. Why does Leigh say he can’t tell the teacher about the robbery? What else might Leigh do in order to stop the thief? What does he eventually do in order to thwart the thief?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and analyze the differences noted in the text between Leigh’s letters and his diary entries. How does Leigh change the way he prints the date on each document? How does Leigh address his diary entries? Why?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the symbolic meaning of the butterflies described in Leigh’s February 7 diary entry. How do these butterflies compare to Leigh as a character? How does Leigh use imagery to describe the butterflies? How does he feel about being in their presence?

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