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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 is Steve's last name?

2. Which two items are taken away from prisoners, according to Steve?

3. Osvaldo Cruz is a member of which gang?

4. What color suit is Steve wearing when Osvaldo identifies him in court?

5. How much does Wendell Bolton pay for the stolen goods from the drugstore robbery?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Steve not hungry on the morning of Monday, July 6?

2. In the first journal entry, why does Steve say he does not recognize himself?

3. What does Steve say about why he thinks Petrocelli is using Bolden's testimony?

4. What does Mr. Nesbitt look like in the pictures the prosecution passes around to the jury?

5. In the prologue, Steve says "they say you get used to being in jail." What is Steve's take on this passage?

6. When does Steve say he feels most involved with his case?

7. What is Steve doing when the police come to arrest him and take him away from home?

8. What does Steve think his father's crying means?

9. What are the reasons, according to O'Brien, that Steve should take this trial "very, very seriously"?

10. Describe the kind of movie Steve says it feels as if he has stepped into?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

This story relies not only on journal entries, but also on scenes from a screenplay to establish plot, setting, characterization, action, and other fictional elements. Write an analytical essay explaining how Walter Dean Myers establishes Steve's point-of-view in these screenplay scenes. In addition, be sure to include detailed analyses of how this specific point-of-view effectively communicates fictional elements including, but not limited to plot, setting, or characterization.

Essay Topic 2

A major theme of this book is identity, particularly how Steve's identity is constructed or maintained. Write an analytical essay considering the ways in which Walter Dean Myers makes identity a theme. What are the symbolic or linguistic strategies Myers has employed to communicate and investigate Steve's identity? Be sure to offer a descriptive analysis of Steve's identity and identity crisis, using specific examples.

Essay Topic 3

This novel features a family where there are two parents, yet somehow Steve still managed to get into trouble. Analyze the roles Steve's parents play in his life, including before, during, and after prison. What characterizes his relationship with his parents? What responsibility do they have for him getting in trouble (if any) and what are the ways in which they tried to help him out of trouble?

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