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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. Who are the two girls that Melody describes as "mean to almost everybody on the playground" in Chapter 11?

2. What is Melody's mother's name?

3. How old is Melody when her parents give her a goldfish?

4. What aspect of her appearance does Melody describe having appreciation for in Chapter 2?

5. How does Melody describe Penny as a baby in Chapter 9?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How is the character of Catherine introduced in Chapter 12? What are Melody's first impressions of Catherine?

3. What exchange takes place between Mrs. Brooks and Mrs. Billups in Chapter 7?

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

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

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

7. What information does Mrs. Shannon relate to Melody's parents at the parent-teacher conference in Chapter 12?

8. How is Mrs. Tracy described in Chapter 7? What does Melody like about Mrs. Tracy?

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

10. How does Melody describe her school in Chapter 5? Where does Melody go to class?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Mrs. Billups and her actions as a teacher at Spaulding Street Elementary. What grade does Mrs. Billups teach at the school? How does she differ from Mrs. Tracy? Why does Mrs. Billups leave the school?

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

Why does Melody blame herself for the accident involving Penny? Is Melody in any way at fault for the accident? Who reassures Melody as she waits for word on Penny from the hospital? How?

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