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. Where do Beans and the gang take Palmer the day after his birthday?

2. How do many of the pigeons come out of the boxes for the shoot?

3. Palmer tells Dorothy there are two things they need to do so that Nipper will not come back. What are they?

4. As Palmer approaches his house, what is he worried about?

5. When Dorothy tells him he is famous, how does Palmer respond?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Palmer find when her gets home to his room, and what does he decide at that moment?

2. When the boys line up to practice wringing a pigeon's neck, Palmer lines up with them. What is this experience like for Palmer?

3. What does Palmer find written on the icing of his cake later in the evening of his birthday? Who does he believe wrote it? What does he think it means?

4. How does Palmer's life change after Nipper is gone?

5. What other issue between Dorothy and Palmer comes up in Chapter 29? How does Palmer feel about the situation? How does he resolve it?

6. In Chapter 32, Beans and the gang take Palmer to find Farquar for his birthday Treatment. When Beans demands that Farquar give Palmer the Treatment, he is faced with a bully bigger than himself. How does Beans respond to Farquar? How does Palmer?

7. Palmer has an emotional roller coaster ride when he recognizes Nipper flying above the field. What different feelings wash over him including finally holding Nipper in his hands again?

8. How do Dorothy and Palmer finally get Nipper safely out of town and away from danger? How does their behavior then represent their mood?

9. When Palmer refuses The Treatment from Farquar, what does he tell Beans when he is screaming at him? Why does he run from the gang then? What does Beans yell to Palmer as he is running away?

10. Palmer explains to Dorothy that he is conflicted about school ending. What is the conflict he feels? At the end of the chapter, the narrator says "But another school was about to begin." Can you guess what this school is, and why it is beginning?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When Dorothy says to Palmer "why are you doing this to me?" what does she mean? Why does she say this to Palmer? How does Palmer feel about what Dorothy says and about his behavior?

Essay Topic 2

Palmer notices that after letting Nipper leave, he is less anxious and tense. However, he also realizes the price he has paid for that relief. Discuss the price Palmer feels he has paid by letting Nipper leave.

Essay Topic 3

The last scene between Dorothy and Palmer is one of anger and upset. Were there one more chapter, how might their friendship have been repaired based on what we know about their friendship? What part does Nipper play in their friendship?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,414 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample