Son of a Trickster

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-book review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following is a sign that Jared’s family might be considered dysfunctional?

A) His stepsister lives with his father and her child.

B) Jared and his mother drink together.

C) Baby Killer dies of heartworms.

D) Anita tells Maggie that Jared is the trickster.

2. What does the raven in the novel symbolize?

A) Jared’s father

B) A trickster

C) A broken family dynamic

D) Evil

3. Which statement represents Nana Sophia’s role in Jared’s life in contrast to his other family members?

A) Strict and reliable

B) Reasonable and hard

C) Stable and responsible

D) Nagging and angry

4. How does Jared’s attitude toward magic change throughout the novel?

A) From indifference to interest

B) From ignorance to hallucinations

C) From curiosity to disgust

D) From disbelief to belief

5. What inference can be drawn when Jared lies to his mother about helping Phil?

A) Maggie doesn’t want Jared to be disappointed by his father again.

B) Maggie doesn’t want Jared’s father back in their life.

C) Maggie doesn’t think Jared’s father deserves them.

D) Maggie doesn’t want Jared to help the man who deserted them.

6. Which of the following best describes what Nana Sophia means when she tells Jared not to be an enabler for his parents?

A) Jared should not give them the tools to continue to live in a way that is destructive.

B) She doesn’t want Jared to allow his mother to abuse him or use drugs anymore.

C) She doesn’t want Phil to borrow money from Jared because he already has enough.

D) Jared should leave his parents and live with her so he will be protected.

7. What does a Norman Rockwell painting symbolize for Jared and Sophia?

A) What a family should be

B) What Jared’s family is

C) The way their family used to be

D) The opposite of Jared’s family

8. What is Jared’s relationship like with the Jaks family?

A) Volatile and argumentative

B) Monotonous and obligatory

C) Nurturing and familial

D) Serene and minimal

9. What is Mrs. Jaks’s perspective compared to Maggie’s following David’s abuse?

A) Mrs. Jaks believes in forgiveness, while Maggie believes in being harder.

B) Mrs. Jaks believes David is bad news, but Maggie believes in redemption.

C) Mrs. Jaks thinks Maggie should kick David out, but Maggie doesn’t want to.

D) Mrs. Jaks thinks it’s wrong to pass judgment, while Maggie thinks Mrs. Jaks is too soft.

10. Which statement best describes the relationship between Sarah and Jared?

A) Despite having different family backgrounds, their personalities are similar.

B) Despite having different interests, their personalities are similar.

C) Despite having different personalities, their family situations are similar.

D) Despite having different family backgrounds, their interests are similar.

11. How does Jared’s mother weaponize love?

A) She leaves for long periods of time and makes fun of him for worrying.

B) She reminds Jared of how much she loves him and has done for him.

C) She leaves him alone when she is mad at him.

D) She asks Jared to help her abuse David after he attacked Jared.

12. Which event serves as a turning point for Jared’s perspective on magic?

A) He meets a man on a bus who says he is Jared’s father.

B) He has a dream about orcas and the woman with magic on her face.

C) His grandmother Anita calls him a trickster.

D) Crows steal salmon from the grill.

13. Which plot detail represents Jared’s maturity?

A) He learns to shoot a gun for the first time.

B) He drinks with his mother in the basement.

C) He pays his father’s bills.

D) He apologizes to his mother when she is mad at him.

14. Which of the following is the best example of the novel’s theme of Addiction in Dysfunctional Families?

A) Sarah’s family forces her to go to rehab.

B) Sophia tells Jared not to support his father financially.

C) Jared’s friends reject him after he joins AA.

D) Maggie is angry with Jared for joining AA.

15. How does Granny Anita’s perspective on Jared change by the conclusion of the novel?

A) From suspicious to apologetic

B) From abusive to encouraging

C) From loving to volatile

D) From angry to kind

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. How does Jared exhibit a maturity beyond his years?

2. How does Jared maintain a compassionate and empathetic attitude toward people despite his mother’s advice that he needs to be harder?