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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 has Tyrell seen his father do to his mother in the past that he is upset by?

2. What is Ty's girlfriend's mother's name?

3. Which old acquaintance of his father's calls Tyrell in Chapter 3?

4. Who calls Tyrell in Chapter 12 to tell him about Troy?

5. What does Tyrell read in Novisha's diary that upsets him?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Tyrell think his mother wants to keep Troy, his brother, in special education classes?

2. Why does Novisha not want to tell Tyrell who is harassing her at school?

3. What does Tyrell think of Jasmine when they first meet?

4. What problems is Jasmine having with her sister Reyna?

5. In Chapter 7, what does Tyrell's mother do that upsets him and what does he tell her?

6. Why is Novisha acting strange in Chapter 1?

7. Why does Mrs. Jenkins, Novisha's mother, often give Tyrell food to take home to his family?

8. Why does Tyrell think it is important for him to play with and discipline Troy?

9. In Chapter 11, why does Tyrell feel badly after reading Novisha's diary?

10. What is one reason Tyrell and his mother and brother are struggling financially?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What happens to Tyrell's family when his father goes to prison, as he has several times in Tyrell's life? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

How does Tyrell explain his complex feelings about his mother and how she has cared for him and his brother Troy, and what does this explanation reveal about his character? Write an essay explaining your answers.

Essay Topic 3

What does Jasmine discover about Emilio towards the end of the novel, and what kind of choice does she have to make about where she is going to stay for the rest of her teenage years? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

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