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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 Mary worried about when she sees Sara running by her house in the morning?

2. Who does Wanda compare Sara to?

3. What is the name of Wanda's boyfriend?

4. Why do the swans come closer to Charlie?

5. What does Willie say to Sara after Wanda leaves?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when Charlie tries to feed the swans?

2. How do Sara and Charlie feel about the swans?

3. What is Charlie so anxious about at the beginning of the book?

4. Why does Mary say she can't go to the lake with Sara and Charlie?

5. What does Charlie do when Sara says it is time to go home after their first trip to see the swans?

6. What does Sara complain about as she walks to the lake with Charlie?

7. What information about Charlie do we get from Mary's mother?

8. What does Mary ask about Sara's new dress, and what is her response?

9. What does Charlie do when he feels lonely without Sara with him?

10. What does not give Charlie comfort in the woods, and why does this upset him so?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

This book takes place in a few different settings. Describe some of these settings and how they affected the course of the plot. Why might Betsy Byars have chosen these particular places for this plot to take place?

Essay Topic 2

Shame and propriety are common themes throughout this book. What are some of the instances where these themes are present, and why are they so important to the characters involved?

Essay Topic 3

Sara presented a very interesting and unique philosophy on beauty. What was this philosophy, and how did this different idealism affect the people around her?

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