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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. What does Addie remember about Grandio's friend?

2. What is Soula doing when Addie finds her?

3. Who is Pete?

4. Where does the sentence "Dory is a numbskull" appear?

5. What does Addie's mother do on the internet?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Addie learn about Soula's illness?

2. What are the two vocabulary words Addie is learning that day, and why is she learning them?

3. What does Denise say about the new car she is driving?

4. What were the reactions of Dwight and Grandio when they learned about Denise's disappearance when Addie is nine?

5. What does Addie do for Halloween?

6. Where is Addie moving, why and how does she feel about it?

7. Why does Helena have to see the school nurse?

8. Why isn't Addie afraid to be home alone?

9. How does Denise feel about the trailer and why?

10. How does Addie learn that Soula and Elliot are not romantically involved?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Waiting for Normal belongs to the young teen novel genre. Discuss the following:

1. Define the literary term "genre" and give several examples of three other genres in addition to the young teen novel genre.

2. Discuss two reasons why it might be useful to label a text by genre and two reasons it might be disadvantageous to label a text by genre.

3. What do you think is the difference between a young teen novel and a mystery?

Essay Topic 2

Choose one of the following to discuss:

1. Choose two significant symbols and trace and analyze their appearance in "Waiting for Normal". Are these universal symbols? Would they be understood in any culture? Are there other symbols that would portray the same idea? What are they? Why do you think Connor chooses the symbols he does?

2. Choose two important metaphors and trace and analyze their appearance in the novel. Are these universal metaphors? Would they be understood in any culture? Are there other metaphors that would portray the same idea? What are they? Why do you think Connor chooses the metaphors she does?

3. Discuss Connor's use (or lack ) of literary device (such as foreshadowing, cliffhangers, deux ex machina, etc.), and how they add or detract from the story. Does Connor use too many or too little literary techniques? State which of the five major elements of fiction the literary device is related to (style, character, plot, setting, theme).

Essay Topic 3

1. What is foreshadowing? How many incidences of foreshadowing are in "Waiting for Normal"? How does foreshadowing contribute to a book's suspense?

2. Discuss an example of foreshadowing in "Waiting for Normal" including why you believe it is foreshadowing. Include examples from the book and your own life to illustrate your answer.

3. How do you think most people react to uncertainty in their lives? Use examples from "Waiting for Normal" and your own live to support your opinion.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,086 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample