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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 could men and boys not see the magazine in #78?

2. Where could Bryson sneak a peek at the magazine in #78?

3. What was another natural threat during Bryson's childhood days?

4. Where did Bryson grow up?

5. What was the area set apart in the grocery where kids could read while their parents shopped?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the events at the lake and why this was one of the best days of Bryson's life?

2. What was Bryson's mother's main personality quirk?

3. What were some of the ways that boys could see glimpses of naked women?

4. Who was The Thunderbolt Kid?

5. Where did Bryson's father work and what were some of the perks of the job?

6. What importance did comic books have in the lives of Bryson and most other kids in the 1950s?

7. Who was the one girl that all the neighborhood boys wanted to see naked and how did Bryson miss out on this momentous occasion?

8. How easy was it for Bryson to find somebody to play with?

9. Who was Joseph R. McCarthy and what was his role in the fear of Communism that spread across America?

10. How did Bryson get some insight into sex?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Bryson had respect for all of the people in the book but do you think he likes any one of them more than the others? Who would you choose to be your new friend among the people Bryson introduced in the book. Explain.

Essay Topic 2

Create a character study of Bryson's parents. What were their physical characteristics? What were their motivations? What were their fears? What were their dreams? What else can you say about Bryson's parents?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the overall settings for the book. What is important about each setting as it is revealed? What are the time periods of the stories? How important are the time periods to the attitudes and issues of the people?

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This section contains 1,067 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample