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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 does Michael write a letter to shortly before his death?

2. What does Rudy hear when he eavesdrops on the conversation between the Nazi party and his parents?

3. How do Rudy and Liesel break into the mayor's house?

4. During what year do the air raids begin in Munich?

5. In what German city is Hans stationed during the war?

Short Essay Questions

1. What fear does Rosa have if Max were to die?

2. How does Rudy perform at the summer Hitler Youth carnival?

3. What happens when Frau Hermann finally confronts Liesel about stealing from her library?

4. How does Michael Holtzapfel die?

5. What dream does Max regularly have involving Hitler?

6. How does Liesel save Max from being discovered when the men are trolling the neighborhood inspecting basements?

7. What is "The Word Shaker"?

8. What happens when Liesel sees Max being marched through town with a Jewish prisoner parade?

9. How does Hans narrowly avoid death during the second World War?

10. How is Hans punished for giving the starving Jew a piece of bread?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

While Max is living in the Hubermann's basement, he has little to no contact with the outside world. First, describe how Max spends his days while he is confined to the basement. Then, explain how Max manages to catch glimpses, both real and imagined, of what life is like on the outside during his confinement.

Essay Topic 2

When WWII broke out, the economy in Munich was devastated. First, describe how the Hubermann and Steiner families were directly affected by the failing economy. Then, describe how each family managed to pick themselves up by their bootstraps and survive while surrounded by the abject poverty around them.

Essay Topic 3

Zusak chooses a very interesting narrator in the voice of Death. First, describe at least two scenes in which Death visits with Liesel. What does the reader learn about Death, and Liesel's relationship with him during these interactions? Do you think Death was an effective narrator for this novel? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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