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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. Who comes over right away when Ellen tells them her grandmother died?

2. Who does Ellen spy on during her free time?

3. Who is Julia?

4. What do Ellen and Starletta keep a list of?

5. When Ellen does not go to her grandmother's funeral, what does Dora tell her?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Ellen choose to give Nadine and Dora pictures of kittens for Christmas instead of a picture of a brooding ocean?

2. Using details from the text, describe Ellen's shopping system.

3. Ellen had to go to court to decide whose custody Ellen should be in. Describe what happened in court.

4. Why does Ellen feel that Starletta only likes Tom for his money?

5. Ellen found several questionable items in her cousin's bedroom. Why doesn't Ellen tell her aunt about these items?

6. Using detail from the text to support your answer, why does Ellen decide to treat Nadine's residence like a hotel?

7. Why didn't Dora want to tell Ellen about Dora and Nadine's usual Christmas ritual?

8. Why is Ellen worried about her grandmother dying?

9. In what ways does Ellen's grandmother display paranoia?

10. Why does Ellen dread the day that Starletta 'forgot about her"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What are some of the symbolic elements the author uses in the story? Use class discussion and the text to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

During Ellen's mother's funeral, it was raining. How is the rain a symbol of the hardships/storms coming up in Ellen's life?

Essay Topic 3

In several instances in the text, Ellen tries to control the small things around her. Why does Ellen need to control these things?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 634 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample