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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 Penny doing when Uncle Dominic finally stops by to see her following her stay at the hospital?

2. Which of Penny's relatives has died?

3. What is Pop-pop doing when Penny gets home from the wake?

4. Who does Penny overhear talking about the young girl in her ward who is dying?

5. Where is Me-me when Penny gets home from the wake?

Short Essay Questions

1. Based on the text in Chapter 20 of the book, how has Penny's bedroom been changed when she returns home following her stay in the hospital?

2. According to the narrative in Chapter 16 of the book, how does Penny react in relation to her arm injury?

3. 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?

4. Based on the text in the thirteenth chapter of the book, do any misunderstandings occur between Penny and her mother on her Penny's birthday?

5. According to the narrative in Chapter 20 of the book, do any new beings enter Penny's life after she returns home from the hospital?

6. According to the text in Chapter 15 of the book, what are some of the reasons that Penny should not join Frankie in going to the public pool?

7. 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?

8. According to the text in Chapter 17 of the book, what happens in relation to those who visit Penny as she continues her stay in the hospital?

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

10. According to the narrative in the twelfth chapter of the book, how does Frankie attempt to turn Aunt Concetta's wake into what he considers to be a fun event for himself?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Introduced early in the story, Penny's Uncle Dominic lives in a car in the Faluccis' front yard. As the story continues, it becomes evident that the man is stable in many ways, and in fact, is a source of stability in Penny's life - always there to rescue Penny, listen to her problems, fix the toilet, and listen to the ball games on the car radio with her. Is he merely a misunderstood eccentric sort living in a car? Does he live in the car because he is frugal? Or does he live in it because he is poor? Cite text and/or paraphrase scenarios from the book to support your position.

Essay Topic 2

Throughout the book, there are various sections that detail actions taken by family members on Penny's father's side that are aimed toward both protecting Penny, and providing her with certain material needs in her life. Could those actions be based largely on her father's members perhaps having vowed to take care of Penny at the time of her father's death? Or could their origin be based on their genuine affection and concern toward Penny's well-being? Cite text and/or paraphrase scenarios in support of your position.

Essay Topic 3

Looking at Penny's life throughout the book, and how relatives from both sides of her family - that of her father, and that of her mother - play important roles in her life, can it be said that a village and not a pair of conventional parents helped raise Penny? Cite text and/or paraphrase scenarios from the book to support your position.

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