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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 favor does Tom ask of the librarian?

2. What do the townspeople do when Tom joins them at the meeting?

3. Why doesn't Willie talk to the girls as they pick blackberries?

4. What confusing saying did Zach leave Willie with on the night they first met?

5. On their walk in Chapter 2, what does Willie do for Tom?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Chamberlain? What does he announce? And what will the effects of this announcement be on Tom and Willie?

2. What is the significance of the graveyard?

3. What does Tom do to the shelter and what is its relevance?

4. Why has Willie come to stay with Tom and how does Tom feel about this?

5. What are the signs that both Tom and Willie are healing?

6. How is Zach different from any other character the reader has met in the book? Who notes the difference? What possible affect will the difference have on the plot of the story?

7. Throughout Chapter 5, how does Tom show his care for Willie?

8. How does Willie feel at the end of the day after going to town?

9. Tom mutters to himself, "best not get fond of the boy, Thomas." Why do you believe that he says this, and what does he mean by it?

10. What is "The Case" that is spoken of in the chapter title, and how does it reveal the differences between Zach and the other children?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does WWII play a major role in the goings on of Weirwold?

Essay Topic 2

Why is Geoffrey brought into the novel? How does he help in the healing of Willie?

Essay Topic 3

In what ways does Mrs. Beech not recognize her own son when he returns to London? How does she react to the changes? What does she believe brought about the changes? What do the changes say about the way she used to treat her son?

(see the answer keys)

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