View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What color are the walls in Joe's bedroom?

2. In Chapter 6, what does Bazil say that he and Father Travis discuss?

3. Where does Joe go in Chapter 5, after he argues with his father about finding his mother's attacker?

4. What does Bazil fix for Geraldine's breakfast in Chapter 8?

5. How old does Mooshum claim he will be on his next birthday?

Short Essay Questions

1. What chores does Joe do at Whitey's in Chapter 8?

2. What does Father Travis remember about the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated?

3. What happens when Joe decides to teach Pearl to play fetch?

4. What does Father Travis look like?

5. Why did Linda's mother contact her?

6. Why was Linda not left to die when she was born?

7. How does Mooshum dress in the winter to shovel snow?

8. How was Joe's great-aunt saved by a turtle?

9. How does the family routine change in Chapter 8?

10. What does Joe do when he leaves Whitey's after Whitey and Sonja have a fight?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Joe refers to Cappy as his best friend. In what ways does Cappy help Joe throughout the novel? How would you describe their relationship, and how they affected one another’s lives?

Essay Topic 2

Joe and his family seek justice for the attack against Geraldine. What do Joe and his family think justice would be for the attacker? Why does the legal system not provide justice? How does Joe attempt to gain justice? Does Joe achieve justice for the attack?

Essay Topic 3

In the novel, some characters are more thoroughly described than others. Who are some characters that are merely named in passing or have a minor role in the novel? What is the importance of these flat characters to the story line? In what way do these characters make the main characters more colorful or interesting? When there is conflict, what type of role do these flat characters play?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 970 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample