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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. Which friend went to college in California?

2. What did Bryson's grandparents do in their house on winter nights?

3. What kind of car did Bryson's father buy?

4. Where did the Brysons spend a night in a cheap hotel?

5. Where did the Bryson family go in the new vehicle?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happened to The Thunderbolt Kid's sacred jersey?

2. What were the weather extremes in Winfield?

3. The Iowa State Fair had many attractions but what did boys hope to see the most?

4. Describe the Audio Visual Club and why the boys were anxious to join.

5. Where did Bryson's grandparents live and what did he love about the place?

6. How did the very long winter season impact the school children?

7. What was the recovery process for Bryson's broken leg?

8. How did the Bryson family end up staying in a hotel in Harlem?

9. What was Bryson's job as a boy and how did his absentmindedness become a liability?

10. For what was Bryson most notorious in high school and what did he do after graduation?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Bryson's writing style. How is he different from other writers of his time? What are some of his characteristic writing techniques? Identify some examples of his classic style in this book.

Essay Topic 2

Describe the format of the book. How does Bryson distinguish between current activity and flashbacks to his past? What is the difference is style and tone? Are the differentiations separated visually in any way? How did this improve your reading of this book?

Essay Topic 3

Create a "character" sketch of the city of Des Moines. What personality shines through for you for this city? Did Bryson make you want to learn more and perhaps visit one day? What would you most like to see? What is the one fact or interesting feature that you can recall about Des Moines? Explain.

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