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 disability does Maria have?

2. What disability does Maria have in the narrative?

3. What is Penny's third word as a baby?

4. Who is Melody's fifth grade teacher?

5. How old does the narrator say she is in Chapter 1?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Dr. Hugely? What are Melody's impressions of this character?

2. How is Mrs. V described in Chapter 6? How does Melody know Mrs. V?

3. How does Melody describe her disability and its impacts on her everyday life in Chapter 2?

4. How does Melody describe the communication between her and her mother in Chapter 10?

5. How does Melody's household change after her mother gives birth to Penny?

6. What kind of music does Melody enjoy the most? How does she describe the music in her household in Chapter 2?

7. How would you describe Melody's perceptions of herself in the beginning of the novel?

8. How have Melody's circumstances changed as she enters fifth grade in Chapter 11?

9. How does Melody communicate when at school in Chapter 5? Does she find this method of communication to be satisfactory?

10. How does Melody describe her relationship with her father in Chapter 3?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the themes of communication and language in the novel. What do words represent symbolically to Melody? How does Melody communicate with her parents, teachers, and peers? How does Melody's ability to communicate evolve in the narrative?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the themes of family, friendship, and support in the novel. Who are the characters the support Melody the most? How do they support her? What does family mean to Melody?

Essay Topic 3

What role does Catherine play in Melody's life? How does Melody come to know Catherine? What does Catherine look like? How does Catherine help Melody achieve her objectives?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 821 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample