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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. How does Mr. Youngblood react when Mrs. Youngblood tells him he is acting childishly?

2. What part of Kopyrda's outfit does Joey find lying on Zuta's bedroom floor?

3. At what hour of the day does Mrs. Youngblood always come to check on Zuta's homework?

4. Which of the following nursery rhyme characters invades Joey's daydreams while he is in class?

5. What sound do the boys hear as they make their way to the outskirts of the city?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the narrator explain his beliefs that all art is an imitation?

2. How does Joey feel about the decorations in Mrs. Youngblood's bedroom?

3. How does Auntie feel about the budding friendship between Valek and Kneadus?

4. What motivation does the narrator say he has for wanting to be a storyteller?

5. How does Zuta react when Kopyrda sneaks through her bedroom window?

6. What does the narrator of the novel think about symmetry?

7. Why does Joey end up in a field at the end of the novel?

8. What does Joey see when he spies on the Youngblood family as they get ready for the morning in the bathroom?

9. How do Joey and Kneadus fare while searching for the farmhand in the city?

10. How does Mrs. Youngblood react when she realizes that Joey is in love with Zuta?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The narrator of this novel has very strong opinions of what art is in society and how to accomplish it. First, describe the difference between what the narrator calls "art" with a lowercase a and "Art" with an uppercase A. Then, describe the narrator's opinions of the art community as a whole. Do you agree with the narrator's opinions of art? Finally, describe how the narrator's opinions of art reflect his feeling about this novel. Be sure to choose at least two scenes from the novel that you think best exemplify and strengthen your argument and describe them in this essay.

Essay Topic 2

While the rest of the boys in school are busy battling each other, Kopyrda has other priorities. First, describe the character of Kopyrda. What makes him different than the other boys in his classroom? How do the other boys in the class treat Kopyrda? Then, explain what Kopydra's motivations in life are. What is he searching for? Does he have any chance of obtaining his desires? Choose at least two examples of scenes from the text that you believe best exemplify and strengthen your argument and describe those scenes in this essay.

Essay Topic 3

Throughout the novel, Joey struggles with issues of his own self maturity. First, describe what Joey's maturity level was like at the opening of the novel and compare that to his maturity level at the end of the novel. Then, choose at least two scenes in the novel that you believe showcase Joey's journey toward maturity. Describe these scenes, and explain how they exemplify Joey's journey.

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