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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. In all, how many relatives does Penny have whom she refers to as uncles?

2. How are Penny and Mr. Mulligan supposed to spend quality time together?

3. What is the fight that Penny gets in at the ball field based upon?

4. What does Penny attempt to lead Mr. Mulligan into believing about her mother?

5. Whose house grounds were supposed to be stashed with money?

Short Essay Questions

1. According to the text in the first couple of chapters in the book, why does Penny's maternal grandmother, Me-me, do most of the cooking for Penny and her mother?

2. Based on the focus upon it in the first chapter of the book, what type of lifestyle is that of Penny Falucci's?

3. According to the text in Chapters 4 and 5 of the book, what action by Penny's mother leads Penny to believe that her mother is now in a happier mood than Penny has ever known her to be?

4. Based on the narrative in the first chapter of the book, how are Penny and her Uncle Dominic "different" from other baseball fans in their community?

5. Based on the narrative at the beginning of Chapter 9, how does Penny's mother's relationship with Mr. Mulligan become more apparent to Penny upon her return home from Nonny's?

6. According to the text in the eleventh chapter of the book, what does Mr. Mulligan do to try to make a good impression on Penny's mother and her family when he stops by to have dinner with them?

7. Based on the narrative in Chapter 9 of the book, how does Uncle Dominic try to guide Penny toward resolving her discontent when she runs from her house to him sobbing uncontrollably?

8. According to the text in Chapters 7 and 8, what is discussed between Frankie and Penny while they are in the basement helping Nonny with the laundry?

9. Based on the narrative in Chapters 7 and 8 of the book, how does Frankie show real concern for his family when his father loses his job?

10. Based on the narrative in the eleventh chapter of the book, what does Penny do that causes her mother to be disappointed with her?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In retrospect, how does the magic bean that used to belong to Penny's father, that was given to her by Uncle Dominic come to symbolize the passing of legacy from father to daughter? Did the bean's "magical" qualities illustrate that type of connection in any way? Why or why not? Cite text and/or paraphrase scenarios from the book in support of your position.

Essay Topic 2

We see a little contrast in color in the story as Pop-pop is painting everything in the house with black lacquer because it makes Me-me happy; and in the process, Penny experiences a streak of bad luck with the black paint. Was Me-me's belief that painting everything black would make everything nicer based on superstition? Or was it based on reality? What about Penny's accident with the black paint? Was that merely coincidence based on reality, or was it a streak of bad luck brought about by some element of superstition associated with the black paint? Cite text and/or paraphrase scenarios from the book to support your position.

Essay Topic 3

There is within the story, a flashback of Penny dreaming about being with her father at the beach - an obvious illusion of sorts. She is awakened by water from a leaky toilet leaking on her face. She calls on her Uncle Dominic to fix the leaky toilet; and he does - just as he has always done before. Does the leaky toilet wake up Penny to the fact that her biological father now only exists in her dreams, while the role that her Uncle Dominic has in her life is more that of a real father? Cite text and/or paraphrase scenarios from the book to support your position.

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