The Book of Unknown Americans

 Which statement best describes the narrator’s internal conflict in the story?

• The narrator is pressured by his family about feeling Panamanian and by his peers about not being American enough.

• The narrator implies feeling confused when his family appears proud to become American citizens at the courthouse.

• The narrator discusses feeling more American than Panamanian, yet his father gets angry when accused of being an American.

• The narrator states that he cannot remember anything about living in Panama like his brother who reminisces about his memories.

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.6.6

Which sentence from the selection best represents its main message?

• I was less than a year old when my parents brought my brother and me to the United States. (paragraph 1)

• I spent a lot of time trying to find it in me, but usually I couldn’t. I felt more American than anything, but even that was up for debate. . . . (paragraph 3)

• I let her, too, even though every time she did, instead of comforting me, it only made me more scared. (paragraph 24)

• That year around the holidays we were all miserable. Holidays were always bad. . . . (paragraph 26)

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Which sentence from paragraphs 1 to 5 foreshadows that the family will not return to Panamá?

• They needed to believe they’d done the right thing and that it made sense.

• But while they waited for that day, they started making friends.

• Enrique was in school, and I started, too.

• And before they knew it, we had a life here.

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.5.6

Panamá.

Read these sentences from paragraph 12.

They think we're Americans now. And maybe we are! Maybe we don't belong there anymore after all.

What causes the father to make this statement?

• The father regrets leaving Panamá because he now knows that his classmates are angry that he left.

• The class president accuses the father of being better than everyone who stayed in Panamá because the father left and became an American citizen.

• The class president suggests that an American citizenship has no value.

• The father respects the class president and wants to return to Panamá.

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.6.6

How does paragraph 10 advance the plot?

• It foreshadows the terrorist attack of September 11.

• It demonstrates how hard life is for people in Panamá.

• It emphasizes the tension between the old and new cultures.

• It introduces the conflict between the narrator’s mother and father.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.4.4

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.2.3

CCSS.RL.2.10

As used in paragraph 25, what does the word recruit mean?

• To hire

• to strengthen

• to enlist

• to renew

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

What lesson does the narrator learn when his family goes to the beach?

• Enrique is shallow because he is only concerned about his sneakers.

• His mother likes living in America even though she misses her old home.

• American beaches are more beautiful than beaches in Panamá.

• His family now feels more at home in Delaware than in Panamá.

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

Which word best describes how the narrator’s mother feels about the place the family calls home?

• conflicted

• bored

• resigned

• satisfied

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.6.3