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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. As the injured former pageant coordinator emerges from her home, what is NOT a command she calls out?

2. What is NOT listed among the activities performed by the Sunday School children when they attend church services?

3. What lie does Charlie tell Leroy to stop Leroy from stealing part of Charlie's lunch?

4. How far away from the narrator's home does the usual pageant coordinator live?

5. What symptom does Imogene tell the school nurse her brother Ollie has been displaying?

Short Essay Questions

1. What evidence does the narrator provide for her conclusion that it is Charlie's fault that the Herdmans get involved in the Christmas pageant?

2. What simile does the narrator use to describe the way in which the Herdman children move through Woodrow Wilson School?

3. For what purpose does the author go out of her way to portray the Herdman children as unteachable?

4. How does Mother come to be in charge of coordinating the pageant, rather than taking on some other role?

5. What does Father say about the burning down of Fred Schneider's toolhouse?

6. Describe one particular instance of the author's use of humor and examine its effect on the reader.

7. What evidence is presented in Chapter One regarding the dire nature of the Herdman family's financial situation?

8. How does Mother at first feel about coordinating the Christmas pageant?

9. What is the one virtue displayed by the Herdman children within the burned toolhouse incident?

10. In what ways does the author employ hyperbole within Chapter One?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the instances of irony within the narrative of Barbara Robinson’s novel The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and analyze the author's purpose for including each instance you discuss.

Essay Topic 2

Trace the characterization arc of the narrator’s character throughout the novel. Discuss whether she is a round or flat character and whether she is a static or dynamic character.

Essay Topic 3

Look carefully at passages of the novel that describe the relationships among the various Herdman siblings. What is the author's purpose for portraying these family relationships within the narrative?

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