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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. Which of the following activities does Penny find most exhausting during her stay at the hospital?

2. How many funeral cards does Frankie claim to have collected when he and Penny learn about their relative's death?

3. Which of the following does Frankie persuade Penny to do once Me-me and Pop-pop leave the house to go pay a house visit to a married couple whom they know?

4. What does Penny's mother gift Penny for her twelfth birthday?

5. Which of the following newspaper sections are read to Penny on while she is at the hospital?

Short Essay Questions

1. According to the text in Chapter 16 of the book, how is Penny distracted to the point that she injures her arm while putting the laundry through the wringer of the washing machine in Nonny's basement?

2. According to the narrative in Chapter 17 of the book, how do Penny's relatives make her feel special while she is in the hospital?

3. Based on the narrative in Chapter 15 of the book, what contributes to Penny spending a perfect day with Uncle Dominic some time after she is grounded for having disobeyed Me-me's order of not going to the public pool with Frankie?

4. According to the text in Chapter 13 of the book, what normal events take place in Penny's life on her birthday?

5. Based on the narrative in Chapter 20 of the book, how does Penny's job at Uncle Ralphie's meat market change when she returns to work following her stay in the hospital?

6. According to the text in Chapter 20 of the book, do any pleasant things or occurrences take place in Penny's life upon her return from the hospital?

7. According to the narrative in Chapter 17 of the book, what are Penny's thoughts in relation to the people who stop by to visit her while she is in the hospital?

8. According to the text in Chapter 18, what happens to the eight-year-old female cancer patient after all the other children (with the exception of Penny) have been released from the hospital and gone home?

9. Based on the narrative in Chapter 19, how does Penny finally learn the truth about the circumstances that had surrounded her father's death?

10. According to the narrative in Chapter 19, what contributes to Penny changing her attitude toward Mr. Mulligan change while she is in the hospital?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Penny's father's family is large and fun-loving while the family of Penny's mother's is small in number and reserved. Overall, which side of Penny's family - her father's side; or her mother's side seems to influence Penny the most? What side of the family does she have the tendency to like and listen to more? Her mother's side? Or her father's side? Cite examples from the book to support your position.

Essay Topic 2

In retrospect, how does the magic bean that used to belong to Penny's father, that was given to her by Uncle Dominic come to symbolize the passing of legacy from father to daughter? Did the bean's "magical" qualities illustrate that type of connection in any way? Why or why not? Cite text and/or paraphrase scenarios from the book in support of your position.

Essay Topic 3

There is within the story, a flashback of Penny dreaming about being with her father at the beach - an obvious illusion of sorts. She is awakened by water from a leaky toilet leaking on her face. She calls on her Uncle Dominic to fix the leaky toilet; and he does - just as he has always done before. Does the leaky toilet wake up Penny to the fact that her biological father now only exists in her dreams, while the role that her Uncle Dominic has in her life is more that of a real father? Cite text and/or paraphrase scenarios from the book to support your position.

(see the answer keys)

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