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Name: _________________________ | Period: ___________________ |
This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. Leigh tells Mr. Henshaw in his fifth letter to Mr. Henshaw on December 2 that he wants to grow up to be what?
2. Leigh writes in his diary entry for December 25 that who brought him his Christmas package from his father?
3. How are Leigh’s diary entries differentiated from his letters to Mr. Henshaw in the novel?
4. Leigh writes in his diary entry for December 25 that he received what gift from his father for Christmas?
5. What is Leigh’s mother’s name?
Short Essay Questions
1. What ploy does Leigh develop to thwart the lunch bag robber after the Christmas holidays? Is he successful?
2. Why does Leigh write to Mr. Henshaw on September 20? How old is Leigh in this letter?
3. What does Leigh write about his lunch situation in his diary on January 9 and 10?
4. Why does Leigh apologize in his December 4 letter to Mr. Henshaw? What excuse does Leigh give in his apology?
5. On December 1, Leigh answers the final questions sent by Mr. Henshaw. How does he respond to “What do you wish?”
6. What does Leigh write about in his diary over the Christmas holidays (December 24-25)?
7. Where does Leigh say his father phoned him from in his January 8 diary entry?
8. What does Leigh write about in his second letter to Mr. Henshaw, dated December 3? What grade is Leigh in now?
9. On December 1, Leigh answers the final questions sent by Mr. Henshaw. How does he respond to “What bothers you?”
10. Describe the narrative style of Dear Mr. Henshaw. From whose perspective is the story related?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
In Dear Mr. Henshaw, Leigh writes to his favorite author from second through sixth grades. Discuss Beverly Cleary’s use of language to depict the maturity of Leigh as he continues writing to Mr. Henshaw. For instance, what grammatical and spelling errors can you find in Leigh’s early letters? How do Leigh’s mistakes change as he gets older?
Essay Topic 2
Define “protagonist” in literature and develop a list of the common qualities seen in protagonists. How do these qualities apply to Leigh Botts in Dear Mr. Henshaw? Why does Leigh choose to write to Mr. Henshaw? What information does Leigh relate of his personal life in these first letters?
Essay Topic 3
Define “epistolary” and discuss the characteristics of this style of literature. What documents can be used to make up an epistolary work of fiction? How does this literary style develop greater realism to a story? How is the narrative point of view determined in an epistolary novel?
This section contains 1,036 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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