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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. How old was Matt when his dad spanked him for getting into a fight with Garrett and choking him?

2. When was Nanny's last grandchild and only granddaughter born?

3. In Lil' Rall's letter to Nanny, how old does he remember he was when she called and told him to be careful taking the train from work?

4. How far apart in age are Lil' Rall and Rasul?

5. In Chapter 6, why did Rasul leave baseball practice?

Short Essay Questions

1. How and why was Tamir Rice killed?

2. What does Johnson say in the Author's Note about how Black boys are viewed?

3. What salon did Johnson's mother have, and what was it like?

4. How did Lil' Rall thank Nanny in his letter between Chapters 2 and 3?

5. What did Johnson learn when he traced his lineage and took a DNA test?

6. What did Johnson say about the book and why he wrote it?

7. What did Justice remember that he and Nanny used to love?

8. Who was Emmett Till?

9. What did Nanny do when Aunt Cynthia called her a bitch over the phone?

10. What was Nanny's Big Yellow House like?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Johnson decided to write the book a few days before his grandmother died. What was Johnson’s process of writing? Why did he write the book?

Essay Topic 2

Nanny took on a caregiving role for her grandsons. Why did Nanny take on a caregiving role for her grandsons? What type of relationship did the boys have with her? How was the relationship they had pivotal in the boys’ lives?

Essay Topic 3

Lil’ Kevin sexually abused Johnson. How did Lil’ Kevin use his influence and power to abuse Johnson? How and why did these encounters affect Johnson’s experiences with puberty and how he viewed the world?

(see the answer keys)

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