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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. While driving, what does Jenny notice about Grandma's face?

2. Who is Trish?

3. In Chapter 5, when Brent enters a dining room, who fills him with envy?

4. In what setting does Brent go about building the third whirligig in Chapter 7?

5. What is just beginning after Tony finishes his journal writing?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where does the drive take Jenny and Grandma?

2. Describe the wooden band whirligig. How does it move in the wind?

3. Which whirligig is at Tony's summer campground? How does Tony feel about the whirligig?

4. What has Tony failed to do that lands him in trouble with Mr. Mintz?

5. What are some of Jenny's parents' actions that lead them away from their Jewish heritage? Why do they try to forget their roots?

6. Why does Brent enjoy returning to the Sand Dollar Cafe?

7. What does Grandma know at the beginning of the journey that Jenny does not know? What makes the ride even more poignant with Jenny?

8. How does the boy's interest in the whirligig affect Brent?

9. As Brent steps into the hostel's dining hall, he sees a bearded man playing a concertina for the guests. Why does Brent admire this man? What is Brent thinking as he watches the bearded man entertain?

10. About what do the children warn Brent regarding the location of the wooden band whirligig?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

After hearing Brent's story, the artist tells Brent that everyone makes mistakes, and he is forgiven. Discuss why this is an important moment in Brent's life. How will this moment affect Brent's dealings with other people?

Essay Topic 2

After two men try to steal his backpack, Brent realizes why animals live in herds. How is this thought analogous to Flaco's thought about the shearwater bird? Describe the connection between Brent, Flaco, and the wooden band whirligig.

Essay Topic 3

Develop an analogy based on the changes which Brent experiences throughout the book.

(see the answer keys)

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