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. How does Leif feel when he realizes he is surrounded by jumping whales?

2. In "Ice," how tall are the waves in the bays?

3. In "Sliding Currents," what does Leif see caught in the whirlpool he is trapped in?

4. What is the bottom of the water like when Leif finally gets his canoe to an island in "Sliding Currents"?

5. In "The Cook Camp," what does Leif remember he got the worst beating for when he was a galley thrall on ships?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "Dream Story," how does Leif time his departure from the ice wall?

2. How does Leif try to pull away from the whirlpool, and how successful is he?

3. How are all the islands connected?

4. In "Cook Camp," what does Leif see when he wakes?

5. What does Leif hear and have happen when he spots a fjord in "Ice"?

6. What prevents Leif from dying in the whirlpool in "Sliding Currents"?

7. What does Leif think he sees in the distance in "Ice," and what does he find when he gets closer?

8. How does Leif get trapped among jumping whales, and how does he get free in "Dancing Giants"?

9. How might a whirlpool form?

10. Why does Leif turn around and go south?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Leif has fond memories of Old Carl. What type of relationship has Leif had with Old Carl? How has Old Carl helped Leif be the person that he is?

Essay Topic 2

What a reader knows about events and characters is determined by the point of view in a book. What is the point of view in Northwind? How does the point of view influence what readers know about Leif and events? How does it help readers connect with and understand Leif and other characters?

Essay Topic 3

Foreshadowing is a method authors use to hint at events to come in a novel. How does Paulsen use foreshadowing in Northwind? Does the use of foreshadowing create suspense?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,007 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample