Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Part 1, Chapters 1-2

Reading Check

1. Why is Jack Gantos incarcerated?

2. According to Gantos, what is the single goal of a prisoner?

3. What does Gantos want to pursue a career in?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What is Jack Gantos’s purpose in reflecting on the image of his face in the opening chapter?

2. What prompts Gantos to pursue thrilling experiences?

Paired Resource

“Embracing the Impact of Personal Experiences on Your Writing”

• This article describes the use of personal experiences in writing.
• This text connects to the memoir’s theme of The Desire for Lived Experience in Order to Write.
• What experience influenced Danielle Wong’s writing process? What surprised her about the way her writing responded to this life event? What advice does the author give to writers who may be reluctant to share personal feelings?

Part 1, Chapters 3-4

Reading Check

1. Whom does the motel owner claim to be a descendant of?

2. Where does Gantos work while living in the motel?

3. What was Gantos’s school building used for before it became a school?

4.