Summer of My German Soldier

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

Multiple Choice

1. What is Ruth’s special way of showing pride in herself?

A) Never missing a day of work

B) Always dressing well

C) Speaking respectfully to all elders

D) Following all the rules

2. Which motivates the Jenkinsville townspeople to target Mr. Lee?

A) Misogyny

B) Homophobia

C) Sexism

D) Racism

3. Read this passage from Chapter 3: “[Patty] nudged Sharon. ‘Hey, sleepyhead, wake up.’ She looked at [Patty] reproachfully, like Cinderella being disturbed while waltzing with the prince.” Which of the following literary terms is used to describe Sharon in this quote?

A) Metaphor

B) Simile

C) Personification

D) Alliteration

4. Which of the following roles does Patty believe her mother excels at?

A) Taking care of her family

B) Giving to charity

C) Selling products

D) Baking bread

5. Which of the following does Patty do in an attempt to impress her father?

A) Prepare breakfast and dinner for the family daily

B) Tell him interesting pieces of news

C) Wear makeup and styling her hair

D) Raise her sister instead of leaving it to Ruth

6. Which of the following does Patty use consistently throughout the novel to escape her difficult home life?

A) Her friends

B) Her grandparents

C) Her imagination

D) Her money

7. What does Patty do several times that causes her father to respond with violence?

A) Ride in Charlene Madlee’s car

B) Visit her grandmother

C) Associate with Freddy

D) Attack an FBI agent

8. What culturally insensitive assumptions does Ruth make about African American people in her conversation with Anton?

A) She insults the intelligence of people who are African American.

B) She believes that African American people are responsible for cleaning houses.

C) She believes that African American people are better cooks than Jewish people.

D) She assumes that African American people are targeted for discrimination in all countries.

9. What does Anton’s ring symbolize?

A) Patty’s value as a person.

B) Anton’s bondage in the POW camp

C) Ruth’s bravery and loyalty

D) The romantic love Patty and Anton shared

10. How does the FBI prove Anton’s death to Patty?

A) They require her to view his body.

B) They present her with his ring.

C) The agent gives a lengthy description his death.

D) They show her the monogrammed shirt.

11. Which of the following incites Patty to act throughout the novel?

A) Her insistence on an education

B) Her search for understanding

C) Her battle against injustice

D) Her quest for adventure

12. How does Patty’s character influence the plot of the story?

A) Her loneliness provokes her to reach out to Anton.

B) Her stubbornness causes her to begin a crisis.

C) Her loneliness allows Ruth to take advantage of her.

D) Her stubbornness makes her disregard Anton’s solutions.

13. Which statement best expresses the author’s message in Summer of My German Soldier?

A) Home is not a safe place for all children.

B) Teamwork can solve practically any challenge.

C) Death is an inescapable part of loving someone.

D) Even small people can make a huge difference.

14. In her conversation with Ruth at the end of the novel, what does Patty realize about herself?

A) That she is not Jewish

B) That she is not loved by Anton

C) That she is a good person

D) That she is not worthy of her parents’ attention

15. Which best describes Patty’s attitude at the end of the novel?

A) Ashamed

B) Fearful

C) Playful

D) Content

Long Answer

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

1. What is the narration style of the novel? How does this connect with the author’s personal experience?

2. What is the setting of the novel? How does the setting relate to the content?