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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. Where does Tyler ask Aunt Roxie and Uncle Tony to take him instead of Washington, D.C.?

2. What is the name of Ms. Ramirez's boyfriend?

3. In 2006, when is the last day of school?

4. How old does Mari think she will be before her father allows her to have a boyfriend?

5. In Vermont, when does spring arrive?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Tyler get a letter from Mari to Felipe?

2. What happens at the town meeting when a motion is made to round up anyone in the area who is there illegally?

3. How do Mari's grandparents learn that Felipe is in jail?

4. Why did Grandma and some of her church friends almost not get to sell baked goods for the youth group trip?

5. What does Mari write about her mother's condition in a letter dated April 22, 2006?

6. Why is Mrs. Cruz treated like a criminal when she is rounded up by ICE?

7. Why does Tyler believe this Christmas will be the worst ever?

8. What does Mari write about for a Valentine's Day assignment in Mr. Bicknell's class?

9. Who was the most relieved to hear Tio Felipe made it back to Las Margaritas?

10. How were the first two weeks in Mexico especially difficult for Ofie and Luby?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Alvarez reveals Tyler’s life during a pivotal time. How do the events in Return to Sender help Tyler mature and grow in the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Idioms are words that have a figurative, rather than a literal meaning. How does Alvarez use idioms in Return to Sender? Why are the idioms sometimes difficult to understand? Why do the idioms often require research to understand their meaning? Why are idioms especially difficult for Mari to understand?

Essay Topic 3

Grief is a feeling of loss, usually because of the death of a loved one. How do Tyler and his grandmother deal with the loss of Gramps? How do Tyler’s parents deal with their grief? How do each of them handle their grief differently? What is revealed about coping with grief and how it is an individual process?

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This section contains 973 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample