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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. Why doesn't Tom want to go into the paint store?

2. What is Willie's first thought of Mrs. Hartridge?

3. What is Willie afraid Tom will write on the postcard to his mother?

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

5. What change comes for Willie at the end of the "Friday" chapter when his friends come to visit?

Short Essay Questions

1. 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?

2. What "firsts" does Willie experience in the "Birthday" chapter and how does he respond to them?

3. How does Willie begin to fit in with the children and what affect does this have on him?

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

5. How is Willie's reaction to the squirrel and the dog telling of his character?

6. What are Sundays like for Willie at home with his mother? How do those Sundays differ from the Sundays he has with Tom?

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

8. 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?

9. Why does Willie believe that he is a bad boy and what are the consequences of his being one?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does the main setting of the novel affect the storyline?

Essay Topic 2

How does the behavior of Mrs. Beech affect all of the main characters of the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the people of the city to the people of the countryside in this novel.

(see the answer keys)

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