View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Edna lose when she is removed from the plaster in Chapter 32?

2. In Chapter 25, what will the student win who guesses the amount in Mr. Dixon's boring estimation jar?

3. When does Abuela say that Lolo last saw Dr. Gupta in Chapter 16?

4. In Chapter 21, what color paint does Merci have for the festival game her social studies class is making?

5. How large of a tuna does Merci tell Michael that they caught when Lolo took them on a night fishing trip on a charter boat?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when they remove the plaster from Edna?

2. What are the best photos in Abuela and Lolo's room?

3. What conversation does Merci have with her mother after seeing seniors at Lourdes Killington Residence?

4. Why does Ms. Tannenbaum allow Michael and Merci to work together in Chapter 22?

5. Why does Ana not drive to school with Roli and Merci in Chapter 21?

6. Why do Merci's grandparents not attend grandparents' day in Chapter 18?

7. What happens before PE class in Chapter 14?

8. In Chapter 14, why does Merci get mad at the boys during lunch?

9. At the end of Chapter 25, who does Merci see and talk to?

10. Why is Merci not allowed to try out for soccer?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Backstories are used to present information about events that happened before events in the novel. How do backstories provide insight into characters and events? What is the importance of backstories in the novel?

Essay Topic 2

In the novel, some characters are more thoroughly described than others. Who are some characters that are merely named in passing or have a minor role in the novel? What is the importance of these flat characters to the storyline? In what way do these characters make the main characters more colorful or interesting? When there is conflict, what type of role do these flat characters play?

Essay Topic 3

Merci does not get to try out for soccer and her grandparents do not come to grandparents’ day. How does Merci handle the disappointments she has? How do her disappointments make her feel about her family and her life? Does Merci learn to handle disappointment?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,060 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample