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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 Mary Alice thinks Christmas is not exactly Grandma's favorite holiday, Grandma surprises her how?

2. What is "Newsy Notes?"

3. Christmas time has arrived, and Miss Butler is having the kids make hot pads from what?

4. Grandma also has a vial of ________ to attract the animals.

5. Mrs. Weidenbach has come to Grandma because of what?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do the townspeople treat Arnold after this shocking event? Why?

2. Why does Grandma change her mind regarding Mrs. Weidenbach's request?

3. What is one way that Grandma surprises Mary Alice during this holiday season? How is this important?

4. What does Bootsie bring back to Mary Alice? Why might he do this?

5. What is another way that Grandma surprises Mary Alice during this holiday season? How is this surprise important?

6. How does Grandma initially respond to Mrs. Weidenbach's request? Why?

7. How is Carleen Lovejoy like Mildred Burdick?

8. What is learned about Mrs. Weidenbach? How is this significant?

9. How does Mrs. Weidenbach act when Grandma agrees to bake the tarts, if the meeting is held at Grandma's home? Why does she react this way?

10. What does Grandma do to pay the bills and survive during the Great Depression? How is this foreshadowed?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

A "dangerous man" arrives in town.

Part 1) Who is this man? Describe him and the reason he is in town. Why might people of this town consider him dangerous? How do these fears affect the way they treat him? How does Grandma take advantage of this? Why does she do this?

Part 2) Describe the event that leads the citizens of this town to like him even less? Is he to blame for this surprising and shocking incident? Why or why not? Why does the town see him as guilty?

Part 3) How does Grandma help to turn the town's opinion around regarding this man? Why does she want to help him? What does this turn-around reinforce about this town?

Essay Topic 2

Mildred Burdick is a bully.

Part 1) How is Mildred a bully? Why is she a bully? How has this bad behavior been passed down through the generations in the Burdick family?

Part 2) How are others affected by Mildred's behavior? What happens to Mildred by the end of the book? What does this say about bullies? What might this also reveal about the author's opinion of bullies?

Part 3) How have you been affected by bullying? How have you dealt with bullying? How has society worked toward stopping bullying? Has it been successful? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

The Christmas season brings many surprises.

Part 1) What are the Christmas season surprises? How does each surprise come about? How are these surprises significant to the plot and/or character development?

Part 2) How is surprise an important aspect of this book? What other surprises take place throughout this book? What are the purposes of all these surprises? How are various characters change by the surprises in this story?

Part 3) What surprises have been significant in your own life? How have you been changed by surprise events? How can you relate to the characters in this book, regarding surprising events?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,126 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample