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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 does Yolanda's mother ask about Yolanda and her school?

2. What does Andrew play for the store owner?

3. What does Stoney Buxton call out to Yolanda?

4. What does Yolanda tell Shirley?

5. What does Yolanda find in her search at the park?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do Yolanda and Andrew play in their concert for Aunt Tiny and Yolanda's momma, and how do the two women respond to the performance?

2. Describe Yolanda's family's first night with Aunt Tiny.

3. What does Momma say in reply to Yolanda saying Andrew is a genius and needs a special school?

4. What happens when Yolanda notices three men eying her momma?

5. What disturbs Yolanda about how Aunt Tiny fixes Yolanda's mother's hair?

6. How does Yolanda explain all her questions to the security guards?

7. Why is Yolanda unable to listen as the concert opens?

8. Describe the exchange between Yolanda and Shirley in school concerning the jump rope.

9. What does Aunt Tiny do for a living, and how does that help Yolanda's family?

10. What does Momma want Yolanda to study in college and what are Yolanda's ambitions?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the following:

1. What do you think are the characteristics of a successful novel?

2. Analyze and discuss "Yolonda's Genius" based upon the criteria you decide upon in #1, and judge if it is a successful novel.

3. Do you think the criteria for a successful novel should be different if it is written for adults versus young adults? Why or why not? Would most adults consider "Yolonda's Genius" a successful novel? What about teens?

Essay Topic 2

Understanding the setting, both the place and time, helps the reader to enjoy a novel. Discuss the following:

1. Research Chicago and Grand River, Michigan in the early 21st century, and write an informative essay about the social and geographical aspects.

2. Research the way drug pushers lure children to use drugs and write an informative essay about the situation and offer one or more solutions.

3. Compare/contrast the life of Yolanda in Chicago, IL and then Grand River, MI to your life when you were eleven.

Essay Topic 3

Oftentimes, a book has more of a character-driven plot rather than action driven, and oftentimes the other way. Some books seem to balance the two. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think it means to say that a plot is character driven? Action driven?

2. How do you think a plot differs if it is character driven versus action driven?

3. Which type of plot do you find more interesting? Why?

4. Do you think it is possible to have a plot where action and character development share equal time? Why or why not.

5. What type of plot do you think Yolonda's Genius is? Explain your response.

(see the answer keys)

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