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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. According to the narrator, what is the worst type of torture?

2. What nickname does Joey give to the schoolgirl that causes her parents to burst out in giggles?

3. Which of the following nursery rhyme characters invades Joey's daydreams while he is in class?

4. What do the sophisticated members of the tennis audience do when they see the brawl breaking out?

5. Which of the following adjectives does not describe the peasant Joey spots hiding in the outskirts of the city?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Zuta respond when she realizes Joey is spying on her?

2. What motivation does the narrator say he has for wanting to be a storyteller?

3. How does Joey feel about the decorations in Mrs. Youngblood's bedroom?

4. Why does Joey create a peephole between his bedroom and Zuta's bedroom?

5. What interesting items does Joey find in Zuta's bedroom when he snoops through her belongings?

6. How does the crowd at the tennis match respond to all the craziness going on around the field?

7. Who starts the final brawl of the novel?

8. How does Aunt Hurlecka come to Joey's rescue while he is on the outskirts of town?

9. What does Joey see when he spies on the Youngblood family as they get ready for the morning in the bathroom?

10. How do Joey and Kneadus fare while searching for the farmhand in the city?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the novel, Joey struggles with issues of his own self maturity. First, describe what Joey's maturity level was like at the opening of the novel and compare that to his maturity level at the end of the novel. Then, choose at least two scenes in the novel that you believe showcase Joey's journey toward maturity. Describe these scenes, and explain how they exemplify Joey's journey.

Essay Topic 2

Joey comes into contact with various members of his family as the novel progresses. First, explain why Joey's family is so broken and scattered. How has this element of his life affected Joey's level of maturity? Then, choose at least one scene in which one of Joey's family members pops up unexpectedly. How does Joey react to this surprise? How does the reintroduction of family affect the way Joey interacts with the outside world?

Essay Topic 3

While the rest of the boys in school are busy battling each other, Kopyrda has other priorities. First, describe the character of Kopyrda. What makes him different than the other boys in his classroom? How do the other boys in the class treat Kopyrda? Then, explain what Kopydra's motivations in life are. What is he searching for? Does he have any chance of obtaining his desires? Choose at least two examples of scenes from the text that you believe best exemplify and strengthen your argument and describe those scenes in this essay.

(see the answer keys)

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