About a Boy Lesson Plans

About a Boy by Nick Hornby

(c)2015 BookRags, Inc. All rights reserved.
Contents
About a Boy Lesson Plans........................................................................................................... 1

Contents...................................................................................................................................... 2

Introduction.................................................................................................................................. 4

Lesson Calendar.......................................................................................................................... 8

Chapter Abstracts...................................................................................................................... 16

Character Descriptions.............................................................................................................. 20

Object Descriptions.................................................................................................................... 22

Daily Lessons............................................................................................................................ 24

Fun Activities.............................................................................................................................. 49

Essay Topics.............................................................................................................................. 53

Short Essay Questions.............................................................................................................. 56

Short Essay Questions Key....................................................................................................... 65

Multiple Choice.......................................................................................................................... 77

Multiple Choice Key................................................................................................................. 104

Short Answer Questions.......................................................................................................... 105

Short Answer Questions Key................................................................................................... 131

Oral Reading Evaluation Sheet................................................................................................ 157

Reading Assignment Sheet...................................................................................................... 158

Writing Evaluation Form........................................................................................................... 159

One Week Quiz A.................................................................................................................... 160

Two Week Quiz A..................................................................................................................... 163

Four Week Quiz A.................................................................................................................... 166

Four Week Quiz B.................................................................................................................... 169

Eight Week Quiz A................................................................................................................... 172

Eight Week Quiz B................................................................................................................... 175

2
Eight Week Quiz C................................................................................................................... 178

Eight Week Quiz D................................................................................................................... 181

Eight Week Quiz E................................................................................................................... 184

Eight Week Quiz F................................................................................................................... 187

Eight Week Quiz G.................................................................................................................. 190

Mid-Book Test - Easy............................................................................................................... 193

Final Test - Easy...................................................................................................................... 199

Mid-Book Test - Medium.......................................................................................................... 205

Final Test - Medium.................................................................................................................. 212

Mid-Book Test - Hard............................................................................................................... 219

Final Test - Hard....................................................................................................................... 226

3
Introduction
Teaching About a Boy
The About a Boy lesson plan contains a variety of teaching materials that cater to all
learning styles. Inside you'll find 30 Daily Lessons, 20 Fun Activities, 180 Multiple
Choice Questions, 60 Short Essay Questions, 20 Essay Questions, Quizzes/Homework
Assignments, Tests, and more. The lessons and activities will help students gain an
intimate understanding of the text, while the tests and quizzes will help you evaluate
how well the students have grasped the material.

Target Grade: 7th-12th (Middle School and High School)

Length of Lesson Plan: Approximately 128 pages. Page count is estimated at 300
words per page. Length will vary depending on format viewed.

Browse The About a Boy Lesson Plan:

 Introduction  Short Essay Questions

 Lesson Calendar  Multiple Choice
 Chapter Abstracts  Short Answer Questions
 Character Descriptions  Worksheets and Evaluation Forms
 Object Descriptions  Quizzes
 Daily Lessons  Tests
 Fun Activities  Quiz/Test Generator
 Essay Topics

4
Full Lesson Plan Overview
Completely Customizable!

The About a Boy lesson plan is downloadable in PDF and Word. The Word file is
viewable with any PC or Mac and can be further adjusted if you want to mix questions
around and/or add your own headers for things like "Name," "Period," and "Date." The
Word file offers unlimited customizing options so that you can teach in the most efficient
manner possible. Once you download the file, it is yours to keep and print for your
classroom.

Lesson Plan Calendars

The Lesson Plan Calendars provide daily suggestions about what to teach. They
include detailed descriptions of when to assign reading, homework, in-class work, fun
activities, quizzes, tests and more. Use the entire About a Boy calendar, or supplement
it with your own curriculum ideas. Calendars cover one, two, four, and eight week units.
Determine how long your About a Boy unit will be, then use one of the calendars
provided to plan out your entire lesson.

Chapter Abstracts

Chapter abstracts are short descriptions of events that occur in each chapter of About a
Boy. They highlight major plot events and detail the important relationships and
characteristics of important characters. The Chapter Abstracts can be used to review
what the students have read, or to prepare the students for what they will read. Hand
the abstracts out in class as a study guide, or use them as a "key" for a class
discussion. They are relatively brief, but can serve to be an excellent refresher of About
a Boy for either a student or teacher.

Character and Object Descriptions

Character and Object Descriptions provide descriptions of the significant characters as

well as objects and places in About a Boy. These can be printed out and used as an
individual study guide for students, a "key" for leading a class discussion, a summary
review prior to exams, or a refresher for an educator. The character and object
descriptions are also used in some of the quizzes and tests in this lesson plan. The
longest descriptions run about 200 words. They become shorter as the importance of
the character or object declines.

5
Daily Lessons

This section of the lesson plan contains 30 Daily Lessons. Daily Lessons each have a
specific objective and offer at least three (often more) ways to teach that objective.
Lessons include classroom discussions, group and partner activities, in-class handouts,
individual writing assignments, at least one homework assignment, class participation
exercises and other ways to teach students about About a Boy in a classroom setting.
You can combine daily lessons or use the ideas within them to create your own unique
curriculum. They vary greatly from day to day and offer an array of creative ideas that
provide many options for an educator.

Fun Classroom Activities

Fun Classroom Activities differ from Daily Lessons because they make "fun" a priority.
The 20 enjoyable, interactive classroom activities that are included will help students
understand About a Boy in fun and entertaining ways. Fun Classroom Activities include
group projects, games, critical thinking activities, brainstorming sessions, writing poems,
drawing or sketching, and countless other creative exercises. Many of the activities
encourage students to interact with each other, be creative and think "outside of the
box," and ultimately grasp key concepts from the text by "doing" rather than simply
studying. Fun activities are a great way to keep students interested and engaged while
still providing a deeper understanding of About a Boy and its themes.

Essay Questions/Writing Assignments

These 20 Essay Questions/Writing Assignments can be used as essay questions on a

test, or as stand-alone essay topics for a take-home or in-class writing assignment on
About a Boy. Students should have a full understanding of the unit material in order to
answer these questions. They often include multiple parts of the work and ask for a
thorough analysis of the overall text. They nearly always require a substantial response.
Essay responses are typically expected to be one (or more) page(s) and consist of
multiple paragraphs, although it is possible to write answers more briefly. These essays
are designed to challenge a student's understanding of the broad points in a work,
interactions among the characters, and main points and themes of the text. But, they
also cover many of the other issues specific to the work and to the world today.

Short Essay Questions

The 60 Short Essay Questions listed in this section require a one to two sentence
answer. They ask students to demonstrate a deeper understanding of About a Boy by
describing what they've read, rather than just recalling it. The short essay questions
evaluate not only whether students have read the material, but also how well they
understand and can apply it. They require more thought than multiple choice questions,
but are shorter than the essay questions.

6
Multiple Choice Questions

The 180 Multiple Choice Questions in this lesson plan will test a student's recall and
understanding of About a Boy. Use these questions for quizzes, homework assignments
or tests. The questions are broken out into sections, so they focus on specific chapters
within About a Boy. This allows you to test and review the book as you proceed through
the unit. Typically, there are 5-15 questions per chapter, act or section.

Evaluation Forms

Use the Oral Reading Evaluation Form when students are reading aloud in class. Pass
the forms out before you assign reading, so students will know what to expect. You can
use the forms to provide general feedback on audibility, pronunciation, articulation,
expression and rate of speech. You can use this form to grade students, or simply
comment on their progress.

Use the Writing Evaluation Form when you're grading student essays. This will help you
establish uniform criteria for grading essays even though students may be writing about
different aspects of the material. By following this form you will be able to evaluate the
thesis, organization, supporting arguments, paragraph transitions, grammar, spelling,
punctuation, etc. of each student's essay.

Quizzes/Homework Assignments

The Quizzes/Homework Assignments are worksheets that can be used in a variety of

ways. They pull questions from the multiple choice and short essay sections, the
character and object descriptions, and the chapter abstracts to create worksheets that
can be used for pop quizzes, in-class assignments and homework. Periodic homework
assignments and quizzes are a great way to encourage students to stay on top of their
assigned reading. They can also help you determine which concepts and ideas your
class grasps and which they need more guidance on. By pulling from the different
sections of the lesson plan, quizzes and homework assignments offer a comprehensive
review of About a Boy in manageable increments that are less substantial than a full
blown test.

Tests

Use the Test Summary page to determine which pre-made test is most relevant to your
students' learning styles. This lesson plan provides both full unit tests and mid-unit tests.
You can choose from several tests that include differing combinations of multiple choice
questions, short answer questions, short essay questions, full essay questions,
character and object matching, etc. Some of the tests are designed to be more difficult
than others. Some have essay questions, while others are limited to short-response
questions, like multiple choice, matching and short answer questions. If you don't find
the combination of questions that best suits your class, you can also create your own
test on About a Boy.

7
Lesson Calendar
Definitions

 Review Chapter Abstracts: Chapter abstracts are synopses of each chapter

that you can use to review the reading assignments with your students.
 Daily Lessons: There are 30 daily lessons detailed in this lesson plan. Select a
new daily lesson for each day.
 Fun Activities: There are 20 fun activities in this lesson plan. They serve as a
way for students to interact with the material in an enjoyable, educational way.
 Read Aloud in Class: Ask students to take turns reading aloud from where they
left off in their most recent reading assignment. Use the Oral Reading Evaluation
Form in this lesson plan to evaluate their reading skills.
 In-Class Handout: An in-class handout can be one of the quizzes/homework
assignments, vocabulary games, worksheets, or an essay/writing assignment. It's
something the students can complete and turn in during class, or begin in-class
and take home to finish as a homework assignment.

One Week Lesson Calendar

Before the unit begins:

 Homework Assignment: Read through Chapters 9-12

Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Quiz Day 4 - Day 5 - Test
Introduce Unit Review Unit Review Unit

Review Review Review Review Test

Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter
Abstracts up to Abstracts up to Abstracts up to Abstracts up to
Chapters 9-12 Chapters 17-20 Chapters 25-28 Chapters 32-36

1 Lesson from 1 Lesson from Quiz 1 Lesson from

Daily Lessons Daily Lessons Daily Lessons
1-8 9-15 1 Lesson from 24-30
Daily Lessons
1 Fun Activity 1 In-Class 16-23 1 In-Class
from Fun Handout Handout
Activities 1-10 1 In-Class
Homework Handout Homework
Students Read Assignment: Assignment:
Aloud in Class Read through 1 Fun Activity Study for the
Chapters 25-28 from Fun test
Homework and choose a Activities 11-20
Assignment: homework
Read through assignment Homework
Assignment:

8
Chapters 17-20 from one of the Read through
Daily Lessons Chapters 32-36
and assign an
essay, due the
week following
the test

Two Week Lesson Calendar

Before the unit begins:

 Homework Assignment: Read through Chapters 1-4

Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Day 4 - Day 5 - Quiz
Introduce Unit Review Unit Review Unit Review Unit

Review Review Review Review Review

Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter
Abstracts up to Abstracts up to Abstracts up to Abstracts up to Abstracts up to
Chapters 1-4 Chapters 5-8 Chapters 9-12 Chapters 13-16 Chapters 17-20

1 Lesson from 1 Lesson from 1 Lesson from 1 Lesson from Quiz

Daily Lessons Daily Lessons Daily Lessons Daily Lessons
1-4 5-8 9-12 13-15 Homework
Assignment:
Students Read 1 Fun Activity 1 In-Class 1 Fun Activity Read through
Aloud in Class from Fun Handout from Fun Chapters 21-24
Activities 1-5 Activities 6-10 and assign an
Homework Homework essay, due the
Assignment: Homework Assignment: Review for the week following
Read through Assignment: Read through quiz the final test
Chapters 5-8 Read through Chapters 13-16
Chapters 9-12 Homework
Assignment:
Read through
Chapters 17-20
and study for
the quiz
Day 6 - Day 7 - Day 8 - Day 9 - Day 10 - Final
Review Unit Review Unit Review Unit Review Unit Test

Review Review Review Review Test

Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter
Abstracts up to Abstracts up to Abstracts up to Abstracts up to
Chapters 21-24 Chapters 25-28 Chapters 29-32 Chapters 32-36

1 Lesson from 1 Lesson from 1 Lesson from 1 Lesson from

9
Daily Lessons Daily Lessons Daily Lessons Daily Lessons
16-19 20-23 24-27 28-30

1 Fun Activity 1 In-Class 1 In-Class 1 In-Class

from Fun Handout Handout Handout
Activities 11-15
Students Read 1 Fun Activity Review for the
Homework Aloud in Class from Fun test
Assignment: Activities 16-20
Read through Homework Homework
Chapters 25-28 Assignment: Homework Assignment:
and choose a Read through Assignment: Study for the
homework Chapters 29-32 Read through test
assignment and choose a Chapters 32-36
from one of the homework
Daily Lessons assignment
from one of the
Daily Lessons

Four Week Lesson Calendar

Before the unit begins:

 Homework Assignment: Read through Chapters 1-4

Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Day 4 - Day 5 - Quiz
Introduce Unit Review Unit Review Unit Review Unit

Review 1 Lesson from Review Review Review

Chapter Daily Lessons Chapter Homework Chapter
Abstracts up to 1-2 Abstracts up to Abstracts up to
Chapters 1-4 Chapters 5-8 1 Lesson from Chapters 9-12
1 In-Class Daily Lessons
Students Read Handout Review 5-6 Quiz
Aloud in Class Homework
Homework 1 Fun Activity 1 Lesson from
Assignment: 1 Lesson from from Fun Daily Lessons
Read through Daily Lessons Activities 4-5 7-8
Chapters 5-8 3-4
and choose a 1 In-Class Students Read
homework 1 Fun Activity Handout Aloud in Class
assignment from Fun
from one of the Activities 1-3 Homework Homework
Daily Lessons Assignment: Assignment:
Homework Read through Choose from
Assignment: Chapters 9-12 one of the
Choose from Daily Lessons

10
 one of the
Daily Lessons
Day 6 - Day 7 - Day 8 - Day 9 - Day 10 - Mid
Review Unit Review Unit Review Unit Review Unit Unit Test

Review Review Review Review Test

Homework Chapter Homework Chapter
Abstracts up to Abstracts up to Homework
Daily Lesson 9 Chapters 13-16 1 Lesson from Chapters 17-20 Assignment:
Daily Lessons Read through
1 Fun Activity Review 12-13 Review Chapters 21-24
from Fun Homework Homework and assign an
Activities 6-7 1 Fun Activity essay, due the
1 Lesson from from Fun 1 Lesson from week following
Homework Daily Lessons Activities 8-9 Daily Lessons the final test
Assignment: 10-11 14-15
Read through Homework
Chapters 13-16 1 In-Class Assignment: 1 In-Class
and choose a Handout Read through Handout
homework Chapters 17-20
assignment Students Read and choose a Review for the
from one of the Aloud in Class homework test
Daily Lessons assignment
Homework from one of the Homework
Assignment: Daily Lessons Assignment:
Choose from Study for the
one of the test
Daily Lessons
Day 11 - Day 12 - Day 13 - Day 14 - Day 15 - Quiz
Review Unit Review Unit Review Unit Review Unit

Review 1 Lesson from Review Review Review

Chapter Daily Lessons Chapter Homework Chapter
Abstracts up to 17-18 Abstracts up to Abstracts up to
Chapters 21-24 Chapters 25-28 1 Lesson from Chapters 29-32
1 Fun Activity Daily Lessons
Review the test from Fun Review 21-22 Quiz
Activities 10-12 Homework
Daily Lesson 1 Fun Activity Daily Lesson
16 Homework 1 Lesson from from Fun 23
Assignment: Daily Lessons Activities 13-14
Students Read Read through 19-20 Students Read
Aloud in Class Chapters 25-28 Homework Aloud in Class
and choose a 1 In-Class Assignment:
homework Handout Read through 1 Fun Activity
assignment Chapters 29-32 from Fun
Homework Activities 15-16

11
 from one of the Assignment: and choose a Homework
Daily Lessons Choose from homework Assignment:
one of the assignment Choose from
Daily Lessons from one of the one of the
Daily Lessons Daily Lessons
Day 16 - Day 17 - Day 18 - Day 19 - Day 20 - Final
Review Unit Review Unit Review Unit Review Unit Test

Review Review Review Daily Lesson Test

Homework Chapter Homework 30
Abstracts up to
1 Lesson from Chapters 32-36 1 Lesson from 1 In-Class
Daily Lessons Daily Lessons Handout
24-25 Review 28-29
Homework Homework
1 Fun Activity 1 In-Class Assignment:
from Fun 1 Lesson from Handout Study for the
Activities 17-18 Daily Lessons test
26-27 1 Fun Activity
Homework from Fun
Assignment: 1 In-Class Activities 19-20
Read through Handout
Chapters 32-36
and choose a Students Read
homework Aloud in Class
assignment
from one of the Homework
Daily Lessons Assignment:
Choose from
one of the
Daily Lessons

Eight Week Lesson Calendar

Before the unit begins:

 Homework Assignment: Read through Chapters 1-4

Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Day 4 - Day 5 - Quiz
Introduce Unit Review Unit Review Unit Review Unit

Review Daily Lesson 1 Review Review Quiz

Chapter Homework Chapter
Abstracts up to 1 In-Class Abstracts up to Fun Activity 2
Chapters 1-4 Handout Daily Lesson 2 Chapters 5-8
Students Read
Students Read Homework Fun Activity 1 Review Aloud in Class

12
Aloud in Class Assignment: Homework Homework
Complete the Assignment:
Daily Lesson Read through Daily Lesson 3
Chapters 5-8
and complete 1 In-Class
the Daily Handout
Lesson
Day 6 - Day 7 - Day 8 - Quiz Day 9 - Day 10 -
Review Unit Review Unit Review Unit Review Unit

Daily Lesson 4 Review Review Review Fun Activity 5

Homework Chapter Homework
Fun Activity 3 Abstracts up to 1 In-Class
Daily Lesson 5 Chapters 9-12 Daily Lesson 7 Handout
Homework
Assignment: 1 In-Class Quiz Fun Activity 4
Complete the Handout
Daily Lesson Review 1 In-Class
Students Read Homework Handout
Aloud in Class
Daily Lesson 6
Homework
Assignment: Students Read
Read through Aloud in Class
Chapters 9-12
and complete Homework
the Daily Assignment:
Lesson Complete the
Daily Lesson
Day 11 - Day 12 - Quiz Day 13 - Day 14 - Day 15 - Quiz
Review Unit Review Unit Review Unit

Daily Lesson 8 Review Review Review Quiz

Chapter Homework Homework
Students Read Abstracts up to Students Read
Aloud in Class Chapters 13-16 Daily Lesson Daily Lesson Aloud in Class
10 11
Homework Quiz Fun Activity 8
Assignment: 1 In-Class Fun Activity 7
Read through Daily Lesson 9 Handout Homework
Chapters 13-16 Homework Assignment:
and study for Fun Activity 6 Homework Assignment: Read through
the quiz Assignment: Complete the Chapters 17-20
Homework Complete the Daily Lesson and complete
Assignment: Daily Lesson the Daily
Complete the Lesson
Daily Lesson

13
Day 16 - Day 17 - Day 18 - Day 19 - Day 20 - Mid
Review Unit Review Unit Review Unit Review Unit Unit Test

Review Review Review Review Test

Chapter Homework Homework Homework
Abstracts up to Homework
Chapters 17-20 Daily Lesson Daily Lesson 1 In-Class Assignment:
13 14 Handout Assign an
Daily Lesson essay, due on
12 1 In-Class 1 In-Class Review for the day 38
Handout Handout test
Fun Activity 9
Students Read Fun Activity 10 Homework
Homework Aloud in Class Assignment:
Assignment: Homework Study for the
Complete the Assignment: test
Daily Lesson Complete the
Daily Lesson
Day 21 - Day 22 - Day 23 - Day 24 - Day 25 - Quiz
Review Unit Review Unit Review Unit Review Unit

Daily Lesson Review Review Review Quiz

15 Chapter Homework Homework
Abstracts up to Daily Lesson
Review the test Chapters 21-24 Daily Lesson Fun Activity 12 18
17
Homework Daily Lesson Fun Activity 13
Assignment: 16 Fun Activity 11
Read through Homework
Chapters 21-24 1 In-Class Homework Assignment:
Handout Assignment: Read through
Complete the Chapters 25-28
Homework Daily Lesson and complete
Assignment: the Daily
Complete the Lesson
Daily Lesson
Day 26 - Day 27 - Day 28 - Day 29 - Day 30 - Mid
Review Unit Review Unit Review Unit Review Unit Unit Test

Review Review Review Review Review

Chapter Homework Homework Homework Chapter
Abstracts up to Abstracts up to
Chapters 25-28 Daily Lesson Daily Lesson Daily Lesson Chapters 29-32
20 21 22
Review Quiz
Homework 1 In-Class Fun Activity 14 1 In-Class
Handout Handout Fun Activity 15
Homework

14
Daily Lesson Students Read Assignment: Homework
19 Aloud in Class Complete the Assignment:
Daily Lesson Read through
Homework Homework Chapters 29-32
Assignment: Assignment: and study for
Complete the Complete the the quiz
Daily Lesson Daily Lesson
Day 31 - Day 32 - Day 33 - Day 34 - Day 35 - Quiz
Review Unit Review Unit Review Unit Review Unit

Daily Lesson Daily Lesson Review Review Quiz

23 24 Homework Chapter
Abstracts up to Students Read
Students Read Fun Activity 16 Daily Lesson Chapters 32-36 Aloud in Class
Aloud in Class 25
Homework Review Daily Lesson
Assignment: 1 In-Class Homework 27
Complete the Handout
Daily Lesson Daily Lesson Fun Activity 18
Homework 26
Assignment: Homework
Read through Fun Activity 17 Assignment:
Chapters 32-36 Complete the
and complete Daily Lesson
the Daily
Lesson
Day 36 - Day 37 - Day 38 - Day 39 - Day 40 - Final
Review Unit Review Unit Review Unit Review Unit Test

Review 1 In-Class Collect essay Review Test

Homework Handout assignments Homework

Daily Lesson Homework Daily Lesson Daily Lesson

28 Assignment: 29 30
Finish the
Fun Activity 19 essay Fun Activity 20 1 In-Class
Handout
Homework Homework
Assignment: Assignment: Review for the
Complete the Complete the test
Daily Lesson Daily Lesson

15
Chapter Abstracts
Chapters 1-4
• Marcus is worried about his mother, who is unhappy because she recently broke up
with her boyfriend.

• Will is introduced as an image-conscious man single man in his thirties who is afraid of
commitment.

• Marcus is bullied at school. He has thought of ways to avoid the bullies, such as going
to school earlier than required.

• Marcus partly blames his mother and his teachers for the bullying he faces.

• Will dates a woman named Angie who is a single mother. While dating her, he realizes
that he should always date single mothers.

Chapters 5-8
• Marcus is worried when he notices his mother crying in the mornings.

• Marcus tries to hang out with some boys in the computer club, but they ask him not to.

• Will attends a SPAT meeting and lies by saying he has a son named Ned.

• Marcus grows increasingly worried because of his mother when he returns home to
find her watching cartoons instead of going to work.

• Will is introduced to Marcus at a SPAT picnic. He finds him sullen and difficult to get
along with.

Chapters 9-12
• Will lies to the park keeper when Marcus kills a duck.

• Suzie, Marcus and Will find Fiona at home, overdosed on pills.

• Marcus worries that if his mother attempts suicide again, he will be left alone.

• Will becomes increasingly bored with his life.

16
• Will reaches out to Marcus, who tells him he will go out with him if his mother can
come along.

Chapters 13-16
• Will, Fiona and Marcus go out for lunch. Marcus imagines what it would be like if he
and his mother wed.

• Will goes over to Marcus' for dinner and does not have a good time.

• Will tries to avoid Fiona and Marcus but Marcus arrives at his house and accuses him
of lying about Ned.

• Marcus begins visiting Will often.

• Will tries to help Marcus with his problems at school by buying him some new shoes.

Chapters 17-20
• Fiona finds out about Marcus' visits to Will's house and tells Will to stay away from
Marcus.

• Marcus meets a girl named Ellie who lies to him about the man on her sweatshirt.

• Will tells Marcus about Kurt Cobain.

Chapters 21-24
• Marcus tells Ellie that he knows she lied to him.

• Marcus becomes friends with Ellie and Zoe, shocking his classmates.

• Will visits Marcus' house for Christmas. Fiona and Clive fight, and Suzie confronts Will
about Ned.

• Will falls in love on New Year's Eve with Rachel. He allows her to believe that Marcus
is his son.

17
Chapters 25-28
• Marcus sees Ellie at Suzie's New Year's Eve party. Ellie confesses that she knows
about his mother's suicide attempt.

• Marcus asks Ellie to dance, which scares her away.

• Will promises to help Marcus convince Ellie to be his girlfriend if Marcus will pretend to
be Will's son for the day.

• Rachel's son, Ali, threatens Marcus.

• Will admits everything to Rachel. He starts to think that he is ready to commit to one
person.

Chapters 29-32
• Marcus notices his mother crying in the mornings again. He reaches out to Will, but
Will tells him that he can't help.

• Ellie cries over Cobain's suicide attempt.

• Will wants to help Fiona, but he doesn't know how. Rachel tells him that she will talk to
Fiona.

• Marcus' father asks to see him. Marcus agrees to go when Ellie offers to go with him.

• On the day Marcus and Ellie are to visit Marcus' father, Kurt Cobain commits suicide.

• Will meets with Fiona and realizes all she ever needed was someone to talk to.

Chapters 32-36
• Ellie breaks the window of a music store and Ellie and Marcus are taken to a police
station.

• Marcus and Clive have a big fight but eventually make up.

• Will drives Fiona and Katrina (Ellie's mother) to the police station.

• Marcus realizes that family includes everyone that cares about you. He now feels
secure about his future.

18
• After a few months, Will has realized that he would rather have Rachel in his life and
risk being hurt than to not have her at all.

19
Character Descriptions
Marcus Brewer
This character is twelve-years-old and is one of the protagonists of the novel.

Will Freeman
This character is a protagonist and lives off his father's royalty checks.

Fiona Brewer
This character suffers from depression and tries to commit suicide. She cries in the
mornings.

Suzie
This character is a childhood friend of the younger protagonist's mother.

Ned Freeman
This character is invented by the older protagonist to pick up women.

Ellie McCrae
This character befriends the younger protagonist at school. She is a fan of a popular
musician who kills himself.

Rachel
The older protagonist meets this character on New Year's Eve.

Alistar 'Ali'
This character threatens the younger protagonist when the older protagonist begins to
date this character's mother.

20
Clive
This character is the father of the younger protagonist.

Kurt Cobain
This character is the lead singer of Nirvana.

21
Object Descriptions
Pills
Fiona attempts suicide by ingesting these.

Athletic Shoes
Will buys Marcus a pair of these but they are stolen soon after.

Ellie's Sweatshirt
Marcus asks this older student about what this character is wearing.

Car Seat
Will buys this and covers it in junk food in order to make it appear that he is the father of
a two-year-old boy.

Kurt Cobain Cutout

Ellie breaks a window in a music store and takes this item.

Magazines
Will reads these to make sure he keeps up with what is 'cool'.

Dead Duck Day

Marcus refers to the date of his mother's suicide attempt as this.

Santa's Super Sleigh

This is the name of the song Will's father wrote in the Thirties.

Nirvana
This is an alternative rock band.

22
Cambridge
This is where Marcus and Fiona lived before moving to their current city of residence.

Royston
This is the town where Ellie and Marcus get off the train and where they are arrested for
breaking a music store window.

London
This is the city where both Will and Marcus live.

23
Daily Lessons
Lesson 1 (from Chapters 1-4)
Objective

Chapters 1-4

Nick Hornby, the author of "About a Boy" is a novelist, memoirist, screenwriter and
essayist. He is best known for his novels "High Fidelity" and "About a Boy". This lesson
discusses the author of the novel "About a Boy", Nick Hornby.

Lesson

1) Library Research: Have the students research the author, Nick Hornby. Explore the
other works he has written, as well as his background. Take a look at interviews and
Hornby's website to gain information on his writing and where "About a Boy" fits in with
his other works.

2) Presentation: Have students get into pairs and prepare a presentation, using their
research on Hornby and his canon. Have each group read an excerpt from different
works written by Hornby during their presentation. At the end of the presentations, have
students compare the tone and style of "About a Boy" with Hornby's other works.

3) Class Discussion: Discuss the following questions with the class:

a) What can researching Hornby's background and his other works tell the reader about
the novel?

b) Does Hornby always write in the same genre?

c) Can a connection be made between Hornby's background and the issues he explores
in the novels?

4) Writing Assignment: Have students analyze the connections between the novel
"About a Boy" and Hornby's other novels. What are some common themes and issues
explored in his novels? Are there similarities between the protagonists? The plot? The
writing style?

Homework: How is Hornby's writing regarded in the literary world? Have students
research Hornby's reputation amongst his peers and write a paragraph with their
answers.

24
Lesson 2 (from Chapters 1-4)
Objective

Chapters 1-4

"About a Boy" is set in London, England in the years 1993 to 1994. This lesson
discusses the setting of the novel, "About a Boy".

Lesson

1) Library Research: a) Have students research the principle setting of the novel,
London, England.

b) Give each student a topic to research in regards to London, England for activity #2.
Some examples may be: youth culture, restaurant/food culture, sports, history, nightlife,
music scene, geography, tourism, architecture, economy, fashion, politics, social
classes and manners, religion, art and literature, etc.

2) Presentation: After researching the topic assigned to them for #1b, have students
give a short presentation to the class. After all the students have presented, give
students a short pop quiz based on the presentations.

3) Writing Assignment: Discuss Will's home and Marcus' home. What do these settings
tell the reader about the protagonists and their backgrounds? Have students write a
short paper with their answer.

Homework: Is the London setting important to the novel? Would the plot or tone of the
novel differ if the novel were set in a rural location, or perhaps a different city? Have
students write a paragraph with their answers.

Lesson 3 (from Chapters 1-4)

Objective

Chapters 1-4

Exposition is a narrative device that is usually used at the beginning of the novel to give
the reader necessary background information about the characters. An example of
exposition in the first chapter is when the narrator explains that Marcus and his mother
have recently moved to London from Cambridge. This lesson discusses the use of
exposition in the novel "About a Boy".

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Lesson

1) Class Discussion: As a class, create a definition for exposition. Write the definition on
the board and have students copy it into their notebooks. Discuss examples of
exposition from other works, and compare the effectiveness of Hornby's use of
exposition to these other works. Discuss the importance of the background information
given in Chapter 1. Would the reader's understanding of the characters and their
present circumstances be affected if the reader was not given the background
information?

2) Identification and Discussion: Photocopy the first chapter of the novel. Have students
underline or highlight the parts of the chapter which contains exposition. Then, have
students discuss the following questions:

a) How does Hornby's use of exposition affect our understanding of Marcus?

b) What do we learn of Marcus' family life?

c) Why might this information be important later on?

3) Writing Assignment: a) Have students write a summary of the background information

given in the story thus far. b) Answer the following in regards to the summary written in
a). Does a complete story form? Is all of the information essential to the reader's
understanding of the characters and/or plot?

Homework: Have students look up the meaning of the words "infodumping" and
"incluing". Have students write a short paper on whether or not Hornby provides the
background information using one of these methods.

Lesson 4 (from Chapters 1-4)

Objective

Chapters 1-4

The novel, "About a Boy" by Nick Hornby is an example of urban male fiction, for it is
set in an urban location and follows the lives of two male characters. This lesson
discusses the genre of the novel "About a Boy".

Lesson

1) Library Research: Have students research the urban male genre. What are the
characteristics of this genre? What makes "About a Boy" an example of urban male
fiction? Have students write a short paper on the genre and why "About a Boy" is an
example of it.

26
2) Group Work: Have students create a two-column chart. In one column have students
list the elements of urban male fiction. In the second column, list examples from "About
a Boy" that correspond with the listed elements. Have each group share their charts
with the class.

3) Writing Assignment: Have students choose other examples of urban male fiction,
preferably ones studied in class. What makes these novels similar? Are there any
fundamental differences between the novels? Have students write a short paper on the
topic.

Homework: Have students read the following section and summarize.

Lesson 5 (from Chapters 5-8)

Objective

Chapters 5-8

A protagonist is the main character of a story. The novel "About a Boy" has two
protagonists, Will and Marcus. Marcus is a twelve-year old student who has to deal with
a suicidal mother and bullying at school. This lesson discusses one of the protagonists
of the novel, Marcus Brewer.

Lesson

1) Class Discussion: Discuss the term "protagonist" with the class. Then, discuss the
following questions with the class:

a) The reader almost always comes to empathize with the protagonist. Do you
empathize with Marcus? Why or why not?

b) What issues or problems does Marcus deal with throughout the novel?

c) Are Marcus' reactions to events or circumstances in the novel surprising? Is the

reader privy to his thought process or does the reader have to make assumptions
regarding his motivations and emotions?

2) Partner Work: Have students discuss Marcus' defining character traits. After they
have compiled a brief list of traits, have the class compare their lists. Create a master
list on the board and discuss why each trait was chosen using evidence from the novel.

3) Writing Assignment: Have students imagine that they are describing Marcus to
someone who has not yet read the novel. How would they describe him? Have students
write a short description of Marcus as if they are telling someone about the character.
Make sure students do not simply list the traits from activity #2, but also describe his
family life and living situation.

27
Homework: Have students create a character chart. List the characters on the left side
of the chart (leaving room for additions). On the right side, list defining and significant
information about the character. For this particular lesson, have students pay particular
attention to the character Marcus Brewer.

Lesson 6 (from Chapters 5-8)

Objective

Chapters 5-8

The point of view is the perspective from which a story, or narrative, is told. "About a
Boy" is told in the third person, omniscient point of view. This allows the reader to gain
insight into the minds of a number of the characters, including Marcus and Will.

Lesson

1) Class Work: Assign each student a character in the book. Have students skim the
book for a passage that indicates the thoughts or feelings of that character. As a class,
discuss each student's passage and what is learned about the character from it.

2) Group Work: Have each group choose their favorite scene (that features at least two
characters) from what they have read thus far. Have the students re-write the scene
from the perspective of one of the other characters in the scene. Have one student from
each group share their re-write with the class. Discuss how the change of perspective
changes the scene.

3) Writing Assignment: Have students write a paragraph on why Hornby might have
chosen to tell the story from the third person point of view. Then, have students write a
paragraph that discusses the advantages and disadvantages of writing in the third
person.

Homework: The perspective alternates between the two protagonists from chapter to
chapter. What are the advantages and disadvantages of telling a story in this style?
Have students write a paragraph with their answers.

Lesson 7 (from Chapters 5-8)

Objective

Chapters 5-8

There are a number of examples of irony in the novel "About a Boy". One example is
when Will begins to agree with the women at the SPAT meeting that men are

28
despicable; while all the while he is acting just like the other men did and is lying to their
faces. This lesson discusses the use of irony in the novel "About a Boy".

Lesson

1) Class Discussion: Discuss the term "irony" with the class. Explain the definition of
situational, dramatic and verbal irony. Have students come up with examples of each
type of irony. Discuss examples of irony in previously read texts to better understand the
literary technique. As a class, create a definition of the term "irony" and write the
definition on the board. Have the students copy the definition into their notebooks.

2) Group Work: Have students create a three table chart with the three types of irony
listed (situational, dramatic and verbal). Have students skim the story for examples of
irony. Have students list the examples under the appropriate heading on the chart. Have
each group share a few of the examples they have found and discuss the purpose of
the irony (ie. humor, fear, suspense).

3) Writing assignment: What is ironic about Will's decision to date single mothers? Have
students write a paragraph with their answers.

Homework: What is ironic about Will's observation of men while attending his first SPAT
meeting? Have students write a paragraph with their answers.

Lesson 8 (from Chapters 5-8)

Objective

Chapters 5-8

Humor is often used as a way to entertain the reader and set the tone of a book. Will's
behavior early on in the novel is often depicted in a humorous light. This lesson
discusses the use of humor in the novel "About a Boy".

Lesson

1) Class Discussion:

a) What type(s) of humor is used in the novel? What is the purpose of this humor?

b) Overall, is "About a Boy" a comedic novel? If so, have students give examples to
support their conclusion.

c) Do you find the humor in the story amusing? Does Hornby use of humor enhance the
reader's experience?

d) Are some characters written in a more comedic way than others? If so, who?

29
2) Group Discussion: In groups, have students write a list of the ten funniest jokes or
anecdotes in the novel. In their groups, have students discuss why the examples are
funny, and why perhaps some students find them funnier than other students do. Then,
have each student in the group rate their top five examples from most funny to least
funny. Have students discuss the reasons behind the different rankings.

3) Writing Assignment: Discuss whether the novel would be significantly different if the
tone of the book was different and humor was not used.

Homework: Have students choose their favorite scene of the novel thus far and rewrite
the scene in a serious tone, sans humor. Then, have students write a paragraph on how
the scene changes without the light-hearted humor that is throughout the novel.

Lesson 9 (from Chapters 9-12)

Objective

Chapters 9-12

Symbolism is used to convey complex ideas without going into lengthy explanations.
The novel "About a Boy" uses symbolism to reiterate prominent themes and motifs of
the novel, such as suicide and growth of character. This lesson discusses symbolism in
"About a Boy".

Lesson

1) Class Discussion:

a) Create a definition of symbolism as a class, and then have students copy the
definition into their notebooks.

b) Discuss the use of symbolism in other novels so the students gain a broader
understanding of what symbolism is. How was symbolism used in these examples
compared to the use of symbolism in the novel "About a Boy"?

c) What might Hornby's purpose be for using symbolism in the novel? Is he trying to
reiterate the meaning of one of the novel's themes? Can the symbolism used in the
novel be interpreted in different ways?

d) Describe the symbols used. Are they people, places or objects? Are they cultural,
religious or national symbols? Are other objects (or people/places) which symbolize the
same things?

2) Pair Work: Have students skim the novel for examples of symbolism. Discuss what
the examples symbolize. Have students create a 2-column chart. On one side, students
should list the people, places and objects that hold symbolic meaning, and on the other

30
side students should list the meaning behind the people, places and objects. Have
students share what they found with the other students.

3) Writing Assignment: What might the dead duck and Dead Duck Day symbolize?
Have students write a paragraph with their answers.

Homework: As the novel progresses, the changing of the seasons is noted. What might
this symbolize? Have students write a paragraph with their answers.

Lesson 10 (from Chapters 9-12)

Objective

Chapters 9-12

Most of the fear in the novel is experienced by Marcus. When his mother attempts
suicide, Marcus fears that he will not only lose his mother, but that he will also be left
alone. This lesson discusses the motif of fear in "About a Boy".

Lesson

1) Class Discussion:

a) What does Marcus fear throughout the novel?

b) Are Marcus' fears rational? Why or why not?

c) Does Marcus face his fears or does he bury them? Are his fears a handicap? If so,
how?

d) Does Will experience fear at any point in the novel? Why or why not?

2) Speech: Have students write and present a speech in Marcus' voice. The speech
should affirm his fears and also his determination to overcome his fears. The speech
should have a positive and uplifting tone and provide examples of how he will overcome
his fears.

3) Writing Assignment: What does Marcus' fear of being alone lead him to conclude in
Chapter 11? How does this conclusion influence his actions later on? Have students
write a paragraph with their answers.

Homework: Read the following section and summarize.

31
Lesson 11 (from Chapters 9-12)
Objective

Chapters 9-12

Marcus' mother suffers from depression and even goes so far as to attempt suicide.
Marcus struggles with his mother's depression, just as Fiona does, as Marcus is too
young to understand his mother's feelings. Following Fiona's suicide attempt, Marcus
fears that he will be left alone. This lesson discusses the motif of suicide and depression
in the novel "About a Boy".

Lesson

1. Class Discussion:

a) Who is depressed in the novel?

b) Who attempts suicide in the novel?

c) How does Marcus react to his mother's suicide attempt? How does he try to make her
feel better when she exhibits signs of depression?

d) What does Will do for Marcus after Fiona tries to commit suicide?

e) What does Marcus think will happen if his mother succeeds and commits suicide?
What does he wonder about his mother's feelings for him because of her attempted
suicide?

2. Group Work: Have students skim the novel for examples of when Fiona's depression
is illustrated in either her behaviour or her words. Are they interpreted as signs of
depression by those around her? Have students discuss the examples they find and
share their conclusions with the class.

3. Writing Assignment: What does the reader know in regards to Fiona's recent past?
What might have triggered her suicide attempt? Have students write a paragraph with
their answers.

Homework: Have students update their character charts, particularly in regards to Fiona
and Marcus.

Lesson 12 (from Chapters 9-12)

Objective

Chapters 9-12

32
Foreshadowing is a technique used by Hornby to give hints or clues about future events
in the narrative. These future events may be hinted at through description, dialogue or
the behavior of the characters. An example of foreshadowing in Chapter 11 is when
Marcus decides that he must make his family bigger, which hints at new relationships
developing in his life later on in the novel. This lesson discusses foreshadowing in
"About a Boy".

Lesson

1) Class Discussion: Discuss the technique of foreshadowing. What is foreshadowing?

What is its purpose? What are some examples of foreshadowing in other works that the
class has read? As a class, create a definition for foreshadowing. Write the definition on
the board and have students copy the definition in their notebooks.

2) Group Discussion:

a) What are some examples of foreshadowing in "About a Boy"?

b) Why do you think Hornby chooses to use foreshadowing when he does?

c) How does Hornby's use of foreshadowing affect the tone of the novel?

d) What other purpose could foreshadowing serve besides giving the reader hints about
future events?

3) Group Work: In groups, have students skim the novel and find as many examples of
foreshadowing as they can. Have a student from each group read a passage containing
foreshadowing. Interpret the passage as a class.

Homework: What is suggested of Fiona's behavior at the beginning of the novel (ie.
crying in the mornings, watching T.V. instead of going to work)? Because of these hints,
is her suicide attempt still surprising? Have students write a paragraph with their
answers.

Lesson 13 (from Chapters 13-16)

Objective

Chapters 13-16

Family is an important element of the novel "About a Boy". While Will dislikes the idea of
starting a family, Marcus desperately hopes to make his own family larger, due to his
fear of losing his mother to suicide. This lesson discusses the motif of family in "About a
Boy".

33
Lesson

1) Class Discussion:

a) Who are the members of Marcus' family and what sort of relationship does he have
with each one?

b) What does Will think of family? Why is he hesitant to start a family of his own?

c) What does the reader learn of Will's father? How has Will's father influenced Will's
life?

d) How do Will's and Marcus' family lives differ? Are these differences reflected in the
characters themselves?

2) Group Discussion:

a) Why does Marcus want Will and Fiona to marry? What might Fiona and Will think of
this idea?

b) What does the reader know of Marcus' father? Is he a big part of Marcus' life? Why or
why not?

c) How does Marcus' family life make life harder for him?

d) In your opinion, why is Will against the idea of having a family?

3) Writing Assignment: Why does Marcus decide that his family should be bigger? Have
students write a paragraph with their answers.

Homework: Have students update their character charts.

Lesson 14 (from Chapters 13-16)

Objective

Chapters 13-16

The writing style of "About a Boy" can be described as witty, casual and simplistic.
Hornby uses a number of pop culture references in the novel, such as references to
Nirvana and Kurt Cobain etc. This lesson discusses the writing style of "About a Boy".

Lesson

1) Class Discussion: As a class, discuss the writing style of "About a Boy". Compare the
writing style of "About a Boy" with other books that have been read in class. How are
they similar? How are they different?

34
2) Pair Work: Have students ask themselves the following questions in regards to the
writing style of "About a Boy":

a) What is the tone of the novel and what techniques are used to convey this tone?

b) How is sentence structure and vocabulary used to illustrate the tone and setting of
the novel?

c) What are some pop culture references that Hornby makes in the novel?

Have each pair find examples from the text that relate to the questions above and share
them with the class.

3) Group Work: Have students choose a passage from the book to discuss. Discuss as
a group what techniques and style of writing are used in the chosen passage. How does
Hornby's writing style in this passage affect the reader's experience? Is Hornby
attempting to invoke any sort of reaction from the reader? What sort of language is
Hornby using and why?

Homework: Does the author use irony, metaphors, symbolism, or imagery to convey
what he is trying to say? If so, what are some examples from the text? If not, why might
Hornby have chosen not to? Have students write a short paper with their answers.

Lesson 15 (from Chapters 13-16)

Objective

Chapters 13-16

Will Freeman is a middle-aged man who is afraid of commitment and who dislikes
children. He lives off the work of his father and lacks ambition and drive. This lesson
discusses one of the two protagonists of the novel, Will Freeman.

Lesson

1) Class Discussion:

a) The reader almost always comes to empathize with the protagonist. Do you
empathize with Will? Why or why not?

b) What issues or problems does Will deal with in the novel?

c) How does Will make a living? What does this tell the reader about his character?

d) What are Will's thoughts on commitment? On children?

35
2) Partner Work: Have students discuss Will's defining character traits. After they have
compiled a brief list of traits, have the class compare their lists. Create a master list on
the board and discuss why each trait was chosen using evidence from the novel.

3) Writing Assignment: Describe Will's relationships with women. What do these

relationships reveal about his character? Have students write a paragraph with their
answers.

Homework: Have students update their character chart.

Lesson 16 (from Chapters 17-20)

Objective

Chapters 17-20

Marcus is constantly tormented by bullies at his school, largely because he is the new
student and has a few quirks that are considered strange to the other students. Marcus
feels he receives no support from the authority figures around him; his headmistress'
only advice to him is to stay away from bullies, even though they follow Marcus home.
This lesson discusses bullying in the novel "About a Boy".

Lesson

1. Class Discussion:

a) Which character is experiencing bullying?

b) Why is Marcus being bullied at school?

c) How does Marcus handle the bullies? How does he avoid them?

d) What do Marcus' parents and teachers do to help Marcus with his bullying problem?

2. Group Work: Have students skim the novel for examples of bullying. Discuss how
Marcus handles the situations and how the bullying might affect him in the long run. Call
on each group to share their conclusions with the class.

3. Writing Assignment: Why does Marcus partly blame his mother and his English
teacher for the bullying? Have students write two to three paragraphs with their
answers.

Homework: What does Will do to try and help Marcus' bullying problem? Is he
successful in making a difference for the tormented boy? Have students write a
paragraph with their answers.

36
Lesson 17 (from Chapters 17-20)
Objective

Chapters 17-20

Marcus is very close to his mother, as it is just the two of them living together. Because
of Fiona's depression and suicide attempts, Marcus is constantly worried and scared
that he will be left alone without anyone to care about him. He also wonders why his
mother doesn't love him enough to want to stay alive. This lesson discusses the
relationship between Marcus and his mother.

Lesson

1. Class Discussion:

a) Describe Marcus' and Fiona's relationship. Are they close? Do they have a good
relationship?

b) What does Marcus find hard to accept about his mother? What problems is she
dealing with that are affecting Marcus as well?

c) What do Marcus and Fiona argue about?

d) What similarities do these characters share? How are they different?

2. Group Discussion: Fiona's depression and suicide attempt do not just impact her own
life, but her son's life as well. Find examples from the book and discuss how Fiona's
behaviour impacts her son. Call on each group to share their conclusions with the class.

3. Writing Assignment: How does Will, and his presence in Marcus' life, lead to conflict
between Marcus and his mother? Have students write two to three paragraphs with their
answers.

Homework: What lifestyle choices does Fiona force upon Marcus? How does he feel
about being forced to live the way she does? Have students write a paragraph with their
answers.

Lesson 18 (from Chapters 17-20)

Objective

Chapters 17-20

A recurring motif of the novel "About a Boy" is guilt. Every character feels guilt at some
point in the novel. For example, when Fiona finds out that Marcus has been spending

37
time with Will, she feels guilty that she has moved her son away from his father. This
lesson discusses the motif of guilt in the novel "About a Boy".

Lesson

1. Class Discussion:

a) What is 'guilt'? Ask students to write a definition of the term. Choose a few students
to share their definitions with the class.

b) What are some examples of guilt in the novel "About a Boy"?

c) Is guilt ever the driving force for a character's actions or decisions?

2. Group Work: Have students skim the novel for examples of guilt. Have each group
discuss the examples of guilt; who is feeling guilty? Why is this person feeling guilty?
How does this guilt impact the character's relationships with others? Call on each group
to share their conclusions with the class.

3. Writing Assignment: Why does Fiona feel guilty when Marcus tells her that he wants
to be friends with Will because he needs a father figure? Have students write a
paragraph with their answers.

Homework: Does Fiona feel guilty for trying to commit suicide? Why or why not? Have
students write a paragraph with their answers.

Lesson 19 (from Chapters 21-24)

Objective

Chapters 21-24

There are a number of contrasts in the novel "About a Boy". An example of contrast in
Chapter 22 is the marked difference between Fiona's Christmas gifts for Marcus and
Clive's Christmas gifts for Marcus. This lesson discusses contrast in the novel "About a
Boy".

Lesson

1) Class Discussion:

a) What does 'contrast' mean? Have students write a definition of the term. Have a few
students share their definitions with the class.

b) What are some examples of contrast in the novel?

c) What theme(s) might Hornby be illustrating through the contrasts of the novel?
38
2) Group Work: Have students create a comparison chart which compares the following
contrasts in the novel:

a) The contrast of the hardships and lifestyle of the protagonists.

b) The contrast of Marcus' desire for family and Will's avoidance of forming one.

c) The contrast between the presents given to Marcus by his parents.

3) Free Writing: Give students an allotted amount of time to think of contrasts in the
novel. Have students write down any examples they think of. Afterwards, have students
share their examples with the class.

Homework: Have students write two to three paragraphs illustrating the contrasts found
in the novel in regards to the characters Fiona and Will.

Lesson 20 (from Chapters 21-24)

Objective

Chapters 21-24

A conflict is a fight or struggle between two forces. In Chapter 23 of the novel "About a
Boy", a conflict arises between both Fiona and Clive, as well as between Will and Suzie.

This lesson discusses conflict in "About a Boy".

Lesson

1) Class Discussion:

a) Who is in conflict with whom and why? How do the characters deal with these
conflicts?

b) Why might Hornby include conflict? What affect does it have on the plot and on the
reader? What sort of tone does conflict bring to the novel?

c) Does the conflict that arises after Fiona finds out about her son's visits to Will's house
advance the relationships between these three characters? If so, how?

d) As the reader, what sort of emotions do the conflicts Marcus experiences at school
bring forth?

2) Class Work: Discuss the four types of conflicts with the class (Man versus man, man
versus nature, man versus society and man versus himself). Have students think of
examples of each type from novels and works which have been read in class. Then,
have students create a four-table chart which lists the four types of conflicts. As the

39
novel progresses, have students record any conflicts in the novel under the appropriate
headings.

3) Writing assignment: What do Will and Fiona disagree over in Chapter 18? Have
students write a paragraph with their answers.

Homework: Do the conflicts experienced by the characters during the Christmas dinner
in Chapter 23 ruin the day? Why or why not? Have students write a paragraph with their
answers.

Lesson 21 (from Chapters 21-24)

Objective

Chapters 21-24

Deception is a recurring motif in the novel "About a Boy", particularly with the Will
character. Will deceives almost every other character that he comes into contact with in
the novel. For example, he allows Rachel to believe that Marcus is his son because he
realizes that Marcus is the only interesting part of his life. This lesson discusses
deception in the novel "About a Boy".

Lesson

1) Class Discussion:

a) What is "deception"? Have students write a definition of the word in their books and
choose a few students to share their definitions with the class.

b) Which characters have deceived others in the novel? Why do these characters
deceive others? How does this deception affect the lives of the deceiver and the
deceived? Are all of the examples of deceit damaging or are there harmless examples
as well (for example, a white lie)?

c) How does the deception affect the tone of the novel?

d) Does Hornby use deception in a humorous way or as a tool to create conflict?

2) Group Work: Divide the class into small groups and have students skim the novel for
examples of deception. Have students make a list of examples of deception in the
novel. Discuss as a group what the motivation is behind the deceit, as well as the
repercussions of the deceit. Have one student from each group share their examples
and why they are examples of deception.

3) Writing assignment: a) Why does Will deceive Rachel, Suzie and the SPAT meeting
attendees? How do his lies negatively impact his life? Have students write a paragraph
with their answers.

40
b) What lie does Ellie tell Marcus when they first meet? Why does she tell him this lie?
Have students write a paragraph with their answers.

Homework: Is Will a deceitful character? Why or why not? Have students write a
paragraph using examples from the text.

Lesson 22 (from Chapters 25-28)

Objective

Chapters 25-28

Will is a habitual dater who shies away from commitment. Early on in the novel, Will
even goes so far as to exclusively date single mothers because he believes they have a
fear of commitment as well. Later, when he meets Rachel, Will realizes that he would
rather be with Rachel than alone, suggesting a desire to be in a committed relationship
with her. This lesson discusses Will's fear of commitment.

Lesson

1) Class Discussion:

a) What does 'fear of commitment' mean? Have students write a definition and choose a
few students to write their definitions on the board.

b) Who has a fear of commitment in the novel? What are some examples of this
character's fear of commitment?

c) Does Will's fear of commitment affect his relationships and life in general?

c) What might be the root causes of Will's commitment issues?

2) Group Work: Divide the class into small groups. Have students skim the novel for
examples of when Will's fear of commitment are illustrated. Have the groups compile a
list of examples. Beside the examples, have students write the reason for his fear of
commitment, as well as the effect that it has on his relationship(s). Have each group
share three of their examples. Discuss the significance of the examples with the class.

3) Writing Assignment: How does Rachel's presence in Will's life lead him to work on his
commitment issues? What strides has he made by Chapter 28 in this regard? Have
students write a paragraph with their answers.

Homework: Why does Will become interested in single mothers? What does this reveal
about his character? Have students write a paragraph with their answers.

41
Lesson 23 (from Chapters 25-28)
Objective

Chapters 25-28

Both Will and Marcus fall in love with another throughout the novel. Will falls in love with
Rachel, and eventually considers the idea of commitment because of this love, while
Marcus experiences his first love with Ellie. This lesson discusses love and romance in
"About a Boy".

Lesson

1) Class Discussion:

a) What romantic pairings can be found in the novel?

b) Describe the relationship between Will and Rachel. Describe the relationship
between Marcus and Ellie.

c) What does Will feel for Rachel? What does Marcus feel for Ellie?

d) How do Will's and Marcus' relationships with Rachel and Ellie change them?

2) Group Discussion:

a) Why does Will lie to Rachel (about Marcus being his son)?

b) What does Rachel like about Will? Does Ellie feel the same way for Marcus as he
feels for her?

c) What do Will and Rachel bond over? What similar interests do they have? What do
Marcus and Ellie bond over? What similar interests do they have?

3) Writing Assignment: Will's decision to come clean about his past deceptions to
Rachel is a testament to his feelings for her. Have students write two to three
paragraphs discussing Will's confession and what this indicates of Will's growth as a
character and his feelings for Rachel.

Homework: Have students update their character charts, particularly in regards to the
romantic relationships in the novel.

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Lesson 24 (from Chapters 25-28)
Objective

Chapters 25-28

Both Marcus and Will experience feelings of loneliness throughout the novel. Marcus is
without friends in a strange city, while Will is a commitment-phobe that has pushed
everyone in his life away. This lesson discusses loneliness in the novel "About a Boy".

Lesson

1) Class Discussion:

a) What evidence suggests that both Will and Marcus are lonely?

b) Why is Marcus lonely? Why is Will lonely?

c) In what ways are their feelings of loneliness conveyed to the reader? How do Will and
Marcus convey their feelings of loneliness to other characters?

d) How does the loneliness felt by Marcus influence the tone of the novel?

2) Group Work: Are Marcus and Will the only characters suffering from loneliness? Have
students skim the novel for examples of loneliness, whether it be from the protagonists
or from other characters. Have students compile a list of examples and discuss the
cause for the character's loneliness. Have each group share their conclusions with the
class.

3) Writing Assignment: How do both Marcus' and Will's feelings of loneliness contribute
to the forming of their friendship? Have students write a paragraph with their answers.

Homework: Have students write a short paper which explores either Will's or Marcus'
ability to deal with loneliness. Does he fight it and try to overcome it? Or does he allow it
to overwhelm and depress him?

Lesson 25 (from Chapters 29-32)

Objective

Chapters 29-32

By the end of the novel, both Marcus and Will have grown as characters. Marcus has
become more resilient and his relationships have become stronger, while Will has
opened up to the possibility of commitment. This lesson discusses character growth in
"About a Boy".

43
Lesson

1) Class Discussion:

a) Examine Marcus' emotional state at the beginning of the novel. How has he grown
since?

b) What issues were Marcus and Will dealing with when the novel began? Have these
issues been resolved?

c) What or who helped Will grow emotionally?

d) What areas must Will still work on?

e) Describe Will and Marcus when the reader first meets them in. Describe Marcus and
Will at the end of the novel. How have they changed? Why have they changed? Are
there any other characters who have grown throughout the novel? If so, who? How?

2) Pair Work: Have students find a partner. Create a timeline of emotional growth in
"About a Boy". During what events or moments do Marcus or Will experience emotional
growth? Do they suffer any setbacks? Have students share their timelines with the
class.

3) Writing Assignment: Have students write a speech similar to those heard at weddings
and graduations (students may write the speech as if it were for Will's wedding to
Rachel or Marcus' graduation). Students should write the speech in honor of either
protagonist, and it should highlight the personal milestones and personal growth that the
character has experienced throughout the novel. Have students highlight some of the
examples of growth from the novel in an entertaining and congratulatory manner.
Students should stress how far either Marcus or Will have come since the beginning of
the novel.

When the students are done writing their speeches, choose a few students to share
theirs with the class.

Homework: Have students update their character charts.

Lesson 26 (from Chapters 29-32)

Objective

Chapters 29-32

Will and Marcus are unlikely friends as they are very different in a number of ways.
Marcus is an awkward teen who struggles with social ineptness and loneliness, while
Will is a self-assured and relaxed middle-aged man who hasn't a care in the world.
While Marcus deals with decidedly adult issues, such as his mother's depression and

44
bullying at school, Will's life is quite childlike, as he avoids responsibility and refuses to
take on anything that would bring discomfort to his life. When Marcus and Will meet and
become friends, though, they are able to help each other to become better people and
deal with the issues in their lives. This lesson discusses the relationship between Will
and Marcus.

Lesson

1. Class Discussion:

a) How do Marcus and Will meet? What are their first impressions of one another?

b) Why do Marcus and Will begin spending time with one another?

c) What does Marcus like about hanging out at Will's place after school?

d) Why does Will allow Marcus to visit him?

e) What does Fiona think of Marcus' friendship with Will?

2. Group Work: In groups, have students make a timeline of Will's and Marcus'
friendship and the important moments in their relationship. Analyze the timeline and
discuss how each major moment impacted their friendship.

3. Writing Assignment: In Chapter 29, Will tells Marcus he is unable to help him when
Marcus comes to him worried about his mother. How does Will feel after telling Marcus
this, and how does Marcus react? What does this tell the reader about the characters
and their friendship? Have students write two to three paragraphs with their answers.

Homework: Have students update their character charts.

Lesson 27 (from Chapters 29-32)

Objective

Chapters 29-32

Friendship is a recurring motif in the novel "About a Boy". The novel depicts the
friendship between Marcus and Ellie, as well as the friendship between Will and
Marcus. This lesson discusses friendship in "About a Boy".

Lesson

1) Class Discussion: Discuss the friendship between Marcus and Will. What do these
characters seek and desire from one another? How do they help one another? Are they
open with one another? Do they trust one another?

45
As a class, find examples from the novel which depict their friendship. Discuss the
examples and what they tell us about their friendship.

2) Group Discussion: Discuss the importance of friendship. How do Marcus' friendships

help him to overcome the struggles he faces throughout the novel? How might he be
affected if he no longer had a friend to turn to? Have students discuss the importance of
friendship, particularly for Marcus, and share their conclusions with the class.

3) Writing Assignment: a) What does Will mean when he tells Marcus that he is not the
kind of friend who can help him when it comes to Marcus' mother's depression? Have
students write a paragraph with their answers.

b) How does Marcus' school life change when he becomes friends with Ellie? Have
students write a paragraph with their answers.

Homework: Have students update their character chart to include new information about
the characters, particularly in regards to their friendships with one another.

Lesson 28 (from Chapters 32-36)

Objective

Chapters 32-36

The climax of a story is usually when emotions are highest and the narrative is at a
turning point. The climax of the novel "About a Boy" is when Marcus and Ellie get into
trouble with the police. Both Marcus and Will make discoveries about their lives and
their relationships during this time. This lesson discusses the climax of the novel "About
a Boy".

Lesson

1) Class Discussion: Discuss the term "climax" with the students. In terms of plot
structure, what is the climax? Create a definition of climax with the class and write it on
the board. Have students copy the definition into their notebooks.

Discuss the following questions with the class:

a) What happens in Chapter 34 that is climactic? What possible outcomes could arise
because of this occurrence? What tone is this part of the story written in?

b) What discoveries do Will and Marcus make during this time?

c) How does Hornby convey the protagonists' emotions in Chapter 34?

2) Group work: Divide the class into smaller groups. Have the groups choose what they
feel is the exact moment where emotions are highest in the novel. Have someone from

46
each group read a short excerpt aloud from the passage their group chose. Have the
group share with the class why they chose the passage as the climax of the novel.

3) Writing assignment: What changes occur in regards to Marcus' relationship with his
father during the climax?

Homework: The climax signals a turning point in the narrative. Based on the climactic
event, what sort of ending do you anticipate at this point in the novel? Have students
write a paragraph with their opinions.

Lesson 29 (from Chapters 32-36)

Objective

Chapters 32-36

Marcus' relationship with his father is a rocky one, but by the end of the novel they are
able to talk through their differences and come to an understanding. This lesson
discusses the relationship between father and son in the novel "About a Boy".

Lesson

1. Class Discussion:

a) Describe Marcus' relationship with his father. Do they have a good relationship? Why
or why not?

b) What issues does Marcus deal with in regards to his father?

c) How might Marcus' separation from his father have impacted him? Who does he turn
to when he needs a father figure?

d) What is known of Will's relationship with his father? What legacy of his father's
annoys Will?

2. Pair Work: Have students write a profile of the character Clive. What are his defining
character traits? What do we know of his background and family life? What similarities
does he share with Marcus? Have students share their profile with the class.

3. Writing Assignment: How does Marcus' relationship with his father improve by the
end of the novel? Have students write a paragraph with their answers.

Homework: Have students update their character charts.

47
Lesson 30 (from Chapters 32-36)
Objective

Chapters 32-36

By the conclusion of the novel, Marcus and Will are both content in their lives: Marcus
has made some friends and has become more confident, while Will has become more
dependable and is beginning to open up to the idea of committing to another person.
This lesson discusses the conclusion of the novel "About a Boy".

Lesson

1) Class Discussion:

a) What happens at the end of the novel?

b) Are you satisfied with the ending? Are there any unanswered questions? Is there
anything you would change about the ending?

c) In what way is the ending unrealistic? In what way is it realistic?

d) In what ways have the protagonists' lives improved since the beginning of the novel?

e) Is the ending of "About a Boy" a happy one? What happens to the principle
characters at the end of the novel?

f) Does the ending seem rushed or unrealistic or is the flow of the novel consistent
throughout?

2) Class Work: Give each student a few minutes to choose their favorite scene of the
novel. Choose a few students to read a passage from their favorite scene and share
with the class why the scene is their favorite. Next, choose a few students to read a
passage from the last section of the novel. Discuss with the class if and why they
enjoyed the ending of the story.

3) Pair Work: Have students create a graph recording the highs and lows of the both
Will's and Marcus' life since the beginning of the novel. How do their lives at the
beginning of the novel compare to the end of the novel? Have students present their
graphs to the class.

Homework: a) Have students write a review of the novel "About a Boy".

b) Have students complete their character charts. Make sure students pay particular
attention to how the main characters have shown personal growth and self-awareness
throughout the novel.

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Fun Activities
Watch the Movie
Have a movie day and watch the movie version of "About a Boy". Compare the movie to
the book and discuss whether the actors in the movie were well cast.

1990's Pop CultureTime Warp

Hornby uses many pop culture references in the novel which brings the reader back to
the mid 1990's. Create a collage or visual report of pop culture references in the novel.

Fashion Research
Design outfits that would have been worn by Marcus, Will or Fiona (such as Marcus'
school uniform, sneakers or Will's stylish mid 1990's apparel).

Work of Art
Create an artistic work in any medium depicting an interesting scene, setting or
character in "About a Boy".

Short Story
Research life in 1990s London and compose a short story that is set during that time.

Alternate Ending/Epilogue
Have students rewrite the end of the novel so that it concludes differently, or, write an
epilogue which further explains what happens to Will and Marcus after the end of the
novel.

Performance
Choose an interesting section from the novel and perform it as a dramatic scene or
comedic skit.

Book Cover
Design a new book cover which depicts the novel in an interesting and creative way.

49
Storyboard/Comic book
Choose a scene from the novel and present it visually as a film storyboard or comic
book.

Character Trading Cards

Assign each student in the class a character (or two) with a significant role in the novel.
In the format of a baseball trading card, each student should create an artistic depiction
of the character to go on the front of the card, and gather vital information about the
characters role, family, beliefs, etc. to go on the back of the card. Photocopy (or
otherwise reproduce) and distribute the cards so that each student will have a full set for
reference.

Diorama
Have students choose their favorite scene in the novel "About a Boy" and create a
diorama based on this scene.

Movie Casting
Have students select a cast of actors and actresses for a film version of "About a Boy".
Use photographs and/or drawings of the selected cast members to create a movie
poster for the film.

Game Show
Divide class into two teams. Have each team come up with a set number of questions
about "About a Boy" (Roughly 10-20. Each team should have the same number of
questions). Have the students divide their questions into categories and have the
opposing team select a category to be read a corresponding question. Assign a value to
each question and make a point system. Whichever team has the most points at the
end of the game is the winner.

Advice Column
Have students create a "Dear Abby" type letter in the voice of Marcus, Will or Fiona,
asking for advice concerning any aspect of her/his life, at any point in her/his life. Once
every student has come up with a question, distribute the questions randomly among
the students and have them write responses in an advice column style.

50
Acrostic
An acrostic poem is a poem in which the first letters of a line or paragraph combine
together to spell another word or message.

Create an acrostic poem using one of the following as the topic of the poem as well as
the word which each line/paragraph of the poem will join to spell out:

"London",

"Marcus Brewer"

"Will Freeman"

"About a Boy"

"Kurt Cobain"

Creative Writing
Choose a favorite scene from the novel and rewrite it set in another time and/or place,
or written in a different literary style.

Timeline
Create a timeline mapping out important events in the story. Illustrate (with a photo,
clipping, drawing, etc.) each point you add to the timeline.

Travel Brochure
Create a travel brochure relevant to the early 1990s London.

Guess Who Game

Write the names of characters onto a small square card and give one to each student
(try not to duplicate the character names if possible). Have the students attach the card
to their foreheads or backs but don't let them see the card! Have students go around the
room asking yes or no questions to each other about their characters. Whoever is able
to guess their character first is the winner!

51
Collage
Create a collage of images which are relevant to the story, "About a Boy". For example,
the setting of the novel is London, England, so a picture of London monuments, such as
Big Ben or London Bridge, would be relevant.

52
Essay Topics
Essay Topic 1
Who is the author of the novel? What are some other works he has written? Describe
his writing style.

Essay Topic 2
Discuss the use of humor in the novel "About a Boy". What are some examples of
humor used in the novel? What types of humor does Hornby use? Why might he use
humor?

Essay Topic 3
Discuss depression and suicide as depicted in the novel "About a Boy". Why does
Fiona attempt suicide? How does her depression and attempted suicide impact
Marcus? How is Kurt Cobain's suicide and depression depicted in the novel?

Essay Topic 4
Analyze the fear felt by the main characters of the novel, particularly with the
protagonists. What is Marcus afraid of? What is Will afraid of?

Essay Topic 5
Marcus struggles with bullying throughout the novel. Why might he be an easy target for
bullies? What does Marcus do to try and avoid the bullies? Who does he blame for the
bullying? What do the authority figures in his life do to help him?

Essay Topic 6
Describe Marcus' relationships with his parents. Does he have good relationships with
them? Why or why not? How do his relationships with his parents evolve as the novel
progresses?

Essay Topic 7
Discuss Will's fear of commitment. Why does he fear commitment? How does this fear
of commitment impact his life?? What or who leads him to consider commitment by the
end of the novel?

53
Essay Topic 8
Discuss the motif of love and romance in the novel "About a Boy", particularly between
Will and Rachel and Marcus and Ellie.

Essay Topic 9
Analyze and interpret the relationship between Marcus and Will. Why do they become
friends? Why do they like spending time with each other? How do they help each other?
How do they help one another grow?

Essay Topic 10
Discuss the motif of family in the novel "About a Boy". Describe both Marcus' and Will's
family. Is family important to Marcus? What does Marcus realize about family by the end
of the novel? Why is this realization important for his character?

Essay Topic 11
Analyze the character Will. Who is Will and what are his defining character traits? How
does he influence the life of the other protagonist, Marcus? Is he a good friend? How
does he grow as a character by the end of the novel?

Essay Topic 12
Analyze and interpret the character Marcus. What are his defining character traits?
What is most important to him and why? What important events take place during his
life in the novel? How does he grow as a character as the novel progresses?

Essay Topic 13
Discuss the setting of the novel. In what way is the setting an important aspect of this
story? How might either Will's or Marcus' life have been different if they had not lived in
London during this time?

Essay Topic 14
Discuss the struggles faced by Marcus throughout the novel. How does he deal with
these obstacles and how does he overcome them? What causes these problems for
him?

54
Essay Topic 15
Analyze symbolism in the novel "About a Boy". What are some examples of
symbolism??

Essay Topic 16
Discuss the conclusion of the novel "About a Boy". Are you satisfied with the ending?
Why or why not? Is the conclusion a happy one? Are there any unanswered questions?
Would you change anything?

Essay Topic 17
Discuss Hornby's use of foreshadowing. What are some examples of foreshadowing in
the novel? Why does Hornby use foreshadowing?

Essay Topic 18
Analyze and interpret the secondary characters of the novel. Who are they and what are
their defining character traits? How are they related to the protagonists? What are their
roles in the novel?

Essay Topic 19
Discuss conflict in the novel "About a Boy". Who is in conflict with whom and why? How
do these conflicts affect the plot and the characters?

Essay Topic 20
Analyze Hornby's use of irony. What are some examples of irony in the novel? How do
these examples affect the reader's experience when reading the novel?

55
Short Essay Questions
1. From whose perspective is the novel "About a Boy" told from?

2. What happens to Marcus' mother in Chapter 1? How does this affect Marcus and how
does he try to make his mother feel better?

3. Describe Will as depicted in Chapter 2.

4. What does Will think of marriage and children?

5. Why is Marcus bullied and how does he handle the bullying?

6. Why does Marcus blame his mother and teachers for the bullying he faces at school?

7. Who is Angie?

56
8. How does Will come to the realization that single mothers are the perfect companions
for men with commitment issues?

9. What frightens Marcus is Chapter 5?

10. What happens when Marcus tries to hang out with some boys in Chapter 5?

11. What lie does Will tell at the SPAT meeting?

12. What does Will almost wish at the SPAT meeting? Why does he almost wish this?

13. What happens to Marcus at the news agent's store in Chapter 7?

14. How does Marcus find his mother when he returns home in Chapter 7? What does
she tell him?

57
15. What lie does Will tell in Chapter 8?

16. Who is Will introduced to in Chapter 8? What is Will's first impression of this person?

17. What happens to a duck at the SPAT picnic? How does Will cover up for Marcus
because of the duck?

18. What do Marcus, Suzie and Will discover at the end of Chapter 9?

19. How does Will feel about the drama at the hospital and being there for it?

20. What does Marcus find at home in Chapter 11?

21. What does Marcus conclude about his family in Chapter 11?

58
22. Why does Marcus try to turn off the film in Chapter 11?

23. How is Will feeling about his life in Chapter 12?

24. How does Will become involved again with Marcus in Chapter 12?

25. Describe Will's lunch with Marcus and Fiona in Chapter 13.

26. Describe Will's night at Fiona's and Marcus' home in Chapter 14.

27. What happens after Will ignores Fiona's message in Chapter 14?

28. How do Marcus and Will become closer in Chapter 15?

59
29. What does Will find himself looking forward to?

30. Why does Will buy Marcus shoes?

31. How does Fiona react when she finds out about Marcus' visits to Will's house?

32. How does Marcus defend his visits to Will's house in Chapter 17?

33. What makes Will unhappy enough to skip Christmas in Chapter 18?

34. What do Will and Fiona discuss over a drink in Chapter 18?

35. Who is Ellie? What do Ellie and Marcus talk about in Chapter 19?

60
36. What does Will tell Marcus in Chapter 20 when Marcus tells Will about his run-in
with Ellie?

37. How do Ellie and Zoe react in Chapter 21 when Marcus tells them that he knows
Ellie was lying to him before?

38. What shocks Marcus' classmates in Chapter 21?

39. Describe the Christmas dinner in Chapter 22.

40. Who argues in Chapter 23?

41. Who is Rachel?

42. What lie does Will tell Rachel?

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43. What do Ellie and Marcus talk about at the party in Chapter 25?

44. What does the reader learn about Ellie's mother in Chapter 25?

45. What deal do Marcus and Will make in Chapter 26?

46. Why does Marcus run out of the house in Chapter 26?

47. What happens outside a news agent in Chapter 27?

48. What does Will confess to Rachel in Chapter 28?

49. What disappoints Marcus in Chapter 29?

62
50. Why does Marcus become angry at Ellie in Chapter 29?

51. Why does Will feel hesitant about helping Fiona in Chapter 30?

52. Why does Fiona suggest that Marcus visit his father? What makes Marcus agree to
go?

53. Why does Marcus try to keep Ellie from reading the papers in Chapter 31?

54. What do Will and Fiona discuss in Chapter 32?

55. What does Ellie do when she disembarks at Royston?

56. What does Marcus realize about Ellie in Chapter 32?

63
57. What shocks Ellie in Chapter 34?

58. What is Marcus' new theory about family in Chapter 35?

59. What news does Clive tell Marcus in Chapter 35?

60. What is Fiona concerned about in Chapter 36? How does Will make her feel better?

64
Short Essay Questions Key
1. From whose perspective is the novel "About a Boy" told from?

The novel is told from the point of view of the two main characters, Will and Marcus,
who switch off from chapter to chapter to tell not only the story of their own lives, but
also the story they share.

2. What happens to Marcus' mother in Chapter 1? How does this affect Marcus
and how does he try to make his mother feel better?

In chapter 1, Marcus feels badly for his mother when he realizes her current boyfriend,
Roger, has just ended their relationship moments before dinner is due to arrive. This
new stress is added to the stress that Marcus and his mother have been under since
their recent move to London from Cambridge. Marcus tries to cheer his mother up, but
finds himself able to only distract her.

3. Describe Will as depicted in Chapter 2.

Will is depicted as someone who is "cool" and who cares very much about image. Will
does not work, but instead lives off the royalty checks from a song his father wrote in
the thirties. Will is a habitual dater, preferring not to tie himself down to one woman, and
he dislikes children.

4. What does Will think of marriage and children?

Will is afraid of commitment and dislikes children. In fact, during a visit to an old friend
who has just had his second child, Will finds himself making the decision to never have
a child.

5. Why is Marcus bullied and how does he handle the bullying?

In Chapter 3, Marcus is having trouble at school because as the new kid, and a kid with
some strange quirks, he finds that he stands out among his homogeneous schoolmates.
Marcus has developed ways to avoid the bullies, such as arriving early and remaining

65
indoors during recess breaks, but these tactics do not always work.

6. Why does Marcus blame his mother and teachers for the bullying he faces at
school?

Marcus blames his mother in part for his trouble because she does not allow him to
listen to music beyond Joni Mitchell and prefers if he not play the same video games
most of his schoolmates play. The teachers are also to blame, such as the English
teacher who tries to better herself in the eyes of the students by suggesting Marcus is
crazy because he sometimes sings out loud to himself in inappropriate situations.

7. Who is Angie?

In Chapter 4, Will dates a woman named Angie, who is a single mother he meets by
accident in a diner one afternoon. Angie does not tell Will she has children until their first
date and by then he is so enamored with her that he decides to stick with her anyway.
For several weeks they date, including the children on most of their outings. When Will
decides it is time to end the relationship, he is surprised to find Angie doing it first.

8. How does Will come to the realization that single mothers are the perfect
companions for men with commitment issues?

Will decides that dating single mothers is the perfect solution to his commitment phobia.
Single mothers, Will has decided, are jaded against men because of their past
relationships, and they only need a man like Will to fill a hole until they have healed from
their hurts and are ready to go on with their lives. For this reason, Will has decided he
should only date single mothers, suggesting to the reader a way in which Will and
Marcus might one day meet.

9. What frightens Marcus is Chapter 5?

In Chapter 5, Marcus is frightened to note that his mother's crying began with breakfast
this morning, but he still does not know what to do about it.

66
10. What happens when Marcus tries to hang out with some boys in Chapter 5?

At school, Marcus attempts to hang out with a couple of boys from the computer club,
but when a group of older boys teases them all, the other boys ask Marcus not to hang
out with them again.

11. What lie does Will tell at the SPAT meeting?

In Chapter 6, Will attends a SPAT meeting for the first time. Will makes up a two year
old son named Ned, but finds himself having trouble keeping track of the details of
Ned's life.

12. What does Will almost wish at the SPAT meeting? Why does he almost wish
this?

During the meeting, Will hears so many horror stories about men who have lied,
cheated, and abandoned their families that he almost wishes he were not a man.

13. What happens to Marcus at the news agent's store in Chapter 7?

In Chapter 7, Marcus continues to be teased by local children, including a group of boys

who happen to come to the same news agent's store as him. These boys try to make it
look like Marcus tried to steal a bunch of candy, but the counter man knows Marcus and
knows it was the boys who did it.

14. How does Marcus find his mother when he returns home in Chapter 7? What
does she tell him?

When Marcus returns home, he finds his mom lying on the couch watching cartoons
even though she should have been at work. Marcus' mother tells him that she has
arranged for him to go to a picnic with her friend Suzie on Saturday so that she might
have some time to herself.

67
15. What lie does Will tell in Chapter 8?

In Chapter 8, Will makes up a story about his ex-wife coming and taking Ned for the day
when Suzie comes to pick him up for the SPAT picnic.

16. Who is Will introduced to in Chapter 8? What is Will's first impression of this
person?

In Chapter 8, Will is introduced to Marcus, but finds him to be sullen and difficult to get
along with.

17. What happens to a duck at the SPAT picnic? How does Will cover up for
Marcus because of the duck?

In Chapter 9, Marcus takes Will and Suzie to the pond where he shows them the duck
he hit with some bread. Will insists that Marcus must have wanted to kill the duck by the
size of the bread he hit it with. However, when the park keeper comes over, Will lies and
insists that Marcus was trying to hit the duck with the bread after it was dead to keep
Suzie's daughter from seeing it.

18. What do Marcus, Suzie and Will discover at the end of Chapter 9?

In Chapter 9, instead of dropping Marcus off outside like she usually does, Suzie insists
on walking Marcus in. When they enter the apartment, they find that Marcus' mother,
Fiona, has taken an overdose of pills.

19. How does Will feel about the drama at the hospital and being there for it?

In Chapter 10, Will accompanies Suzie and Marcus to the hospital and waits while they
learn Fiona's fate. Will tries unsuccessfully to console Marcus. It is arranged for Marcus
to spend the night with Suzie and Will gratefully goes home to wash his hands of the
unpleasant business.

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20. What does Marcus find at home in Chapter 11?

In Chapter 11, Marcus finds a suicide note from his mother while he cleans the
apartment in anticipation of his mother's homecoming. The note does not clarify things,
but leaves Marcus wondering why he was not enough to give his mother a reason to
live.

21. What does Marcus conclude about his family in Chapter 11?

Marcus begins to think that his family should be bigger, more than two people, so that
he might not be alone if his mother were to succeed next time.

22. Why does Marcus try to turn off the film in Chapter 11?

Marcus tries to turn off the film in Chapter 11 because the main character attempts
suicide over and over again. To his disappointment, Marcus' mother insists on finishing
the film anyway.

23. How is Will feeling about his life in Chapter 12?

In Chapter 12, Will finds himself bored with his normal routine even though he tells
himself it is nice to be able to fill his days anyway he wants. Will even occasionally
applies for a job, but he never gets any offers because of his lack of job history.

24. How does Will become involved again with Marcus in Chapter 12?

Thinking of Fiona and Marcus, Will calls Suzie and asks if she thinks it would be
appropriate for him to take Marcus out one afternoon. Suzie promises to ask. However,
Marcus calls Will and tells him he will only go out with him if they can invite his mother
along.

25. Describe Will's lunch with Marcus and Fiona in Chapter 13.

In Chapter 13, Marcus insists that Will take him and his mother to Planet Hollywood, but

69
when they arrive the lines are so long Will convinces Marcus to go elsewhere. Over
lunch, Marcus tries to force his mother and Will into conversation, but the more he
pushes them, the less they talk. Finally, Fiona and Will talk about Ned and Marcus
begins to imagine what it will be like when his mother and Will wed.

26. Describe Will's night at Fiona's and Marcus' home in Chapter 14.

Fiona calls and invites Will to dinner and they spend the evening eating a vegetarian
meal Will finds unappetizing and singing romantic ballads he has no interest in.

27. What happens after Will ignores Fiona's message in Chapter 14?

Although Will ignores Fiona's message, Marcus proves harder to ignore when he shows
up at Will's apartment and accuses Will of lying about Ned.

28. How do Marcus and Will become closer in Chapter 15?

In Chapter 15, Marcus visits Will again and manages to get into the apartment even
though Will tries to keep him out. They watch television together for a short time and
then Marcus explores the flat. Marcus tells Will about some of the trouble he has at
school and Will suggests he might change his appearance to make it easier. Marcus
continues to visit Will frequently through the autumn. After a time, Will stops blocking
him at the door and even invites him to remain longer.

29. What does Will find himself looking forward to?

In Chapter 16, Will finds himself looking forward to Marcus' visits in the afternoons. They
talk a lot, sometimes about school, sometimes about Marcus' father.

30. Why does Will buy Marcus shoes?

One day when Marcus arrives at Will's home, there are a group of older kids pelting him
with hard candies. Will chases them off and then asks Marcus about it. That day Will
decides to buy Marcus some new shoes, hoping more popular athletic shoes will help
Marcus fit in at school better. Unfortunately, the shoes are stolen the next day.

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31. How does Fiona react when she finds out about Marcus' visits to Will's
house?

In Chapter 17, Marcus is forced to tell his mother everything about Will, his visits, and
the shoes when he comes home without any shoes on. Fiona is angry when she learns
Will lied about his son, Ned, and about the visits Marcus has made unsupervised to his
flat. Fiona tells Will to stay away from Marcus.

32. How does Marcus defend his visits to Will's house in Chapter 17?

Marcus argues with his mother about his right to choose to do certain things that she
does not approve of, such as eat meat and visit Will. In the end, Marcus tells Fiona he
needs to see Will because he is a father-figure, something he needs in his life.

33. What makes Will unhappy enough to skip Christmas in Chapter 18?

In Chapter 18, Will is unhappy because he hears his father's Christmas song five weeks
before Christmas. Will decides he will not celebrate Christmas this year, but will stay in
and drink.

34. What do Will and Fiona discuss over a drink in Chapter 18?

They discuss Marcus. Will convinces Fiona that Marcus only wants to be friends with
Will because Will is cool and can help him with his troubles at school. Fiona decides
that Will is self-centered and again she asks him to stay away from Marcus.

35. Who is Ellie? What do Ellie and Marcus talk about in Chapter 19?

In Chapter 19, Marcus is forced to visit with the headmistress at his school because his
mother filed a complaint about the stolen sneakers. While he waits, Marcus finds
himself alone with Ellie, the school trouble maker. Ellie is wearing a sweatshirt with a
picture of a man who looks kind of like Jesus. When Marcus asks who it is, Ellie tells
him that it is Kirk O'Bane and that he plays for the Manchester United soccer team.

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36. What does Will tell Marcus in Chapter 20 when Marcus tells Will about his run-
in with Ellie?

When Marcus describes the picture on Ellie's shirt, Will informs him that Ellie was
making fun of him by saying Kirk O'Bane was a soccer player. Will then tells Marcus that
the man's name is actually Kurt Cobain and he is the lead singer of the punk group
Nirvana.

37. How do Ellie and Zoe react in Chapter 21 when Marcus tells them that he
knows Ellie was lying to him before?

In Chapter 21, Marcus runs into Ellie at school and tells her that he knows the man on
her sweatshirt is Kurt Cobain. When Ellie pretends to not know this fact, Marcus tells
her everything Will told him, making Ellie and her friend, Zoe, laugh.

38. What shocks Marcus' classmates in Chapter 21?

When Zoe and Ellie come and get Marcus to take him to the ninth year classroom, it
shocks Marcus' classmates to see that Marcus has friends.

39. Describe the Christmas dinner in Chapter 22.

In Chapter 22, Marcus invites Will to Christmas and Will cannot find a polite way out of
it. The meal is a disaster because it is some vegetarian loaf created by Fiona. The gifts
are good, but there is a marked difference between the type of gift Marcus' mother gives
Marcus and the ones his father gives him. Will gives him a Nirvana album.

40. Who argues in Chapter 23?

In Chapter 23, there is a fight between Fiona and Marcus' father, Clive that causes
tension between Fiona and Clive's girlfriend, Lindsey. Then Suzie shows up and yells at
Will for lying about Ned.

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41. Who is Rachel?

In Chapter 24, Will falls in love at a New Year's Eve party with a woman named Rachel.
Will lies to her about having a son.

42. What lie does Will tell Rachel?

Will realizes the only thing interesting about him is Marcus. Therefore, Marcus allows
Rachel to believe Marcus is his son. This leads to a long conversation that ends with
hope of a future meeting.

43. What do Ellie and Marcus talk about at the party in Chapter 25?

In Chapter 25, Marcus and Ellie hang out and Ellie confesses that he knows Marcus'
mother attempted suicide some months before. To help Marcus out, she makes him an
alcoholic drink. Later, Marcus scares Ellie away by asking her to dance.

44. What does the reader learn about Ellie's mother in Chapter 25?

While at the party, Ellie spots her mother making out with a man at the back of the
house. Ellie finds it disgusting, but her mother insists it's her right to do whatever she
wants.

45. What deal do Marcus and Will make in Chapter 26?

In Chapter 26, Will promises to help Marcus convince Ellie to be his boyfriend if Marcus
will pretend to be Will's son for the day. Marcus reluctantly agrees.

46. Why does Marcus run out of the house in Chapter 26?

In Chapter 26, just as Rachel and Will are settling down to have a conversation, Marcus
runs out of the house. It is revealed in Chapter 27 that Ali threatened to kill Marcus and
that is why he left. Will, however, convinces Marcus he is safe and to go back to the
house with him.

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47. What happens outside a news agent in Chapter 27?

Marcus and Ellie go to a news agent, but Marcus decides to wait outside because the
clerk does not want too many people in the store. Outside, Marcus runs into the bullies
who have been bothering him all along. One of the boys steals Marcus' glasses. Ellie
comes out and not only gets the glasses back, but punches the boy too.

48. What does Will confess to Rachel in Chapter 28?

In Chapter 28, Will decides to tell Rachel the truth about his relationship with Marcus. In
fact, Will admits to everything, including SPAT and Ned. Rachel is confused at first, but
realizes that the lies made her interested in Will and the truth will keep her coming back
to him.

49. What disappoints Marcus in Chapter 29?

In Chapter 29, Marcus goes to Will when his mother begins crying in the mornings
again. Will tells Marcus there is nothing he can do because he is not the kind of friend
who can interfere in that kind of situation. Marcus is disappointed, but not surprised by
Will's response.

50. Why does Marcus become angry at Ellie in Chapter 29?

After Marcus finds Ellie crying at school because of Kurt Cobain's attempted suicide, he
becomes angry with her when she suggests that Kurt Cobain would try again and most
likely succeed. Ellie finally realizes her blunder and apologizes.

51. Why does Will feel hesitant about helping Fiona in Chapter 30?

Will does not know what the point of life is, so he feels that he cannot give advice to
Fiona on that subject.

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52. Why does Fiona suggest that Marcus visit his father? What makes Marcus
agree to go?

In Chapter 31, Fiona tells Marcus that his father had an accident and he wants to see
Marcus. Fiona says that the accident made his father reflect on his life and that includes
Marcus. Marcus refuses to go, but when he tells Ellie about it, she suggests that she go
with him and tell Marcus' father all the things Marcus cannot. Imagining an hour alone
with Ellie on the train, Marcus quickly arranges it.

53. Why does Marcus try to keep Ellie from reading the papers in Chapter 31?

On the day that Marcus and Ellie are planning to go visit Marcus' father, Marcus learns
that Kurt Cobain killed himself. Marcus tries to keep Ellie from seeing the papers,
fearing that she will be upset and won't want to go with him, but she tells him she
already knew.

54. What do Will and Fiona discuss in Chapter 32?

In Chapter 32, Will meets Fiona in a bar where they are supposed to be joined by
Rachel. However, when Rachel fails to show, Will realizes that Rachel set him up to
make him talk with Fiona. Will takes Fiona to a pizza parlor and Fiona begins to talk
about all the things in her life that have made her depressed. After a while, Will realizes
that all Fiona needs is someone to talk to, almost like what he does when he is trying to
seduce a woman.

55. What does Ellie do when she disembarks at Royston?

In Chapter 32, Ellie becomes drunk on the train and suddenly disembarks in Royston.
As she and Marcus walk down the street, Ellie sees a Kurt Cobain cut-out in a music
store window and becomes convinced that the store owner is trying to make money off
of Kurt Cobain's tragic death. Ellie breaks the window with her boot and steals the cut-
out.

56. What does Marcus realize about Ellie in Chapter 32?

As Ellie and Marcus wait for the police to come, Marcus realizes that Ellie is to blame for
most of the trouble and pain that comes down on her.

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57. What shocks Ellie in Chapter 34?

Shortly after arriving at the police station, the owner of the music store comes in to
confront Ellie. Ellie is shocked to find the owner is a young woman who is just as big a
Kurt Cobain fan as she is. Ellie apologizes.

58. What is Marcus' new theory about family in Chapter 35?

In Chapter 35, Marcus goes home with his father and they have a long talk about their
relationship. Marcus explains his new theory on family. Marcus believes that family is
not just parents and children, but all the people around you who care about what
happens to you. In this definition, Marcus includes Will and Ellie in his family, a fact that
makes him feel much more secure about himself and his future.

59. What news does Clive tell Marcus in Chapter 35?

After father and son work through their differences in Chapter 35, Clive then tells
Marcus that Lindsey wants to have a baby and Marcus tells him that he thinks that
would be nice.

60. What is Fiona concerned about in Chapter 36? How does Will make her feel
better?

When Will drops Marcus off at home, he talks with Fiona about him. Fiona is concerned
that Marcus is growing up too fast, but Will assures him that he is a normal, healthy
child who is growing up right.

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Multiple Choice
Chapters 1-4
1. Who is the author of "About a Boy"?
(a) John Grisham.
(b) Nick Hornby.
(c) Douglas Coupland.
(d) David Sedaris.

2. Who are the two protagonists of the novel "About a Boy"?

(a) Marcus and Fiona.
(b) Will and Marcus.
(c) Will and Fiona.
(d) Roger and Will.

3. Who is Roger?
(a) Will's father.
(b) Will's best friend.
(c) Fiona's most recent boyfriend.
(d) Fiona's brother.

4. Why is dinner stressful in Chapter 1?

(a) Fiona has just lost her job.
(b) Marcus is sick.
(c) Marcus failed a class.
(d) Fiona has just been dumped.

5. Where do Marcus and Fiona live?

(a) Liverpool.
(b) Bristol.
(c) London.
(d) Brighton.

6. Where did Marcus live before his most recent move?

(a) Eastbourne.
(b) Windsor.
(c) Bath.
(d) Cambridge.

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7. Instead of being able to cheer his mother up in Chapter 1, what is Marcus only
able to do?
(a) Frustrate her.
(b) Make her cry.
(c) Distract her.
(d) Make her angry.

8. What is Will's last name?

(a) Franklin.
(b) Frederick.
(c) Farnsworth.
(d) Freeman.

9. What kind of test is Will taking in Chapter 2?

(a) A coolness test in a magazine.
(b) A driving test.
(c) A breathalyzer test.
(d) A home pregnancy test.

10. How does Will get by if he doesn't work?

(a) He sponges off his older sister.
(b) He still lives with his parents.
(c) He uses the royalty checks from a song his father wrote.
(d) He lives off alimony checks from his successful ex-wife.

11. What does Will dislike?

(a) Idleness.
(b) Children.
(c) Football.
(d) Women.

12. What does Will prefer not to do when it comes to women?

(a) Lie to them.
(b) Tie himself down to just one.
(c) Treat them casually.
(d) Spend longer than one evening with one woman.

13. What does Will decide when he visits an old friend in Chapter 2?
(a) To start a family.
(b) To move to the coast.
(c) To propose to his highschool sweetheart.
(d) Never to have a child.

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14. Why is Marcus having trouble at school in Chapter 3?
(a) He is the new kid.
(b) He keeps skipping classes.
(c) He is rude to the teachers.
(d) He is not very smart.

15. How does Marcus try to avoid bullies in Chapter 3?

(a) He joins a club that gathers before and after school.
(b) He helps the teachers clean after school.
(c) He arrives early and remains inside at recess.
(d) He skips classes.

16. Why does Marcus partly blame his mother for the trouble he faces at school?
(a) She always tells off his bullies.
(b) She makes him wear her hand-me-downs.
(c) She cuts his hair strangely.
(d) She doesn't let him listen to music or play video games that the other children like.

17. Why does the English teacher sometimes call Marcus crazy?
(a) Because he laughs and cries at random moments.
(b) Because he sings out loud to himself at inappropriate times.
(c) Because he likes to eat glue.
(d) Because his creative writing is filled with death and murder.

18. Who does Will date in Chapter 4?

(a) Annabelle.
(b) Amelie.
(c) Angie.
(d) Anne.

19. Where does Will meet the woman he dates in Chapter 4?

(a) In a diner.
(b) At the library.
(c) At the grocery store.
(d) At a basketball match.

20. What does Will's date tell him on their first date?
(a) That she has children.
(b) That she is forty-five.
(c) That she is dying.
(d) That she is in school.

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21. How old is Will in Chapter 4?
(a) Thirty-six.
(b) Twenty-nine.
(c) Thirty-two.
(d) Forty.

22. How long does Will date this woman in Chapter 4?

(a) One month.
(b) One week.
(c) Several weeks.
(d) Three months.

23. What surprises Will when he tries to break it off with the woman in Chapter 4?
(a) She giggles.
(b) She ends the relationship first.
(c) She weeps uncontrollably.
(d) She pretends not to hear him.

24. What does Will realize at the end of Chapter 4?

(a) He should try to date a married woman.
(b) He is bored with dating.
(c) He should never date single mothers.
(d) Single mothers are the perfect partner for a man afraid of commitment.

Chapters 5-8
25. What is Marcus frightened by in Chapter 5?
(a) Showing his mother his grades.
(b) A spider.
(c) A bully lurking outside his house.
(d) His mother started crying at breakfast.

26. What does Marcus not have a solution for in Chapter 5?

(a) How to get better grades.
(b) How to make his mother feel better.
(c) How to lose weight.
(d) How to become cool.

27. Who does Marcus try to hang out with at school in Chapter 5?
(a) The `cool kids`.
(b) Boys from the computer club.
(c) The football team.
(d) A girl in his French class.

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28. Why do the students ask Marcus not to hang out with them in Chapter 5?
(a) They already have too many friends.
(b) He has a strange odor.
(c) He is mean to them.
(d) They are being teased because Marcus is around.

29. What does SPAT stand for?

(a) Science Psycology, Abstract Thinking
(b) Single Parents, Alone Together.
(c) Sandwiches, Pizza And Tacos.
(d) Single Parents, Always Tired.

30. Who is Ned?

(a) Will's son.
(b) Will's father.
(c) Will's nephew.
(d) Will's made-up son.

31. How old is Ned?

(a) Four years old.
(b) Two years old.
(c) Five years old.
(d) One year old.

32. What does Will have trouble doing in Chapter 6?

(a) Taking care of Ned.
(b) Keeping track of the details of Ned's life.
(c) Falling asleep.
(d) Making small talk with mothers.

33. Who does Will become interested in in Chapter 6?

(a) Mary.
(b) Suzie.
(c) Isabella.
(d) Joan.

34. Will believes that he has convinced the woman he is interested in

____________________.
(a) That he is childless.
(b) That he is rich.
(c) That he is a single parent.
(d) That he is a gourmet cook.

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35. Why does Will almost wish he weren't a man in Chapter 6?
(a) He hears horror stories about men who have lied, cheated and abandoned their
families.
(b) Women don't have to do the wooing in romantic relationships.
(c) He thinks women are amazing parents.
(d) His gender is far too competitive.

36. Where does Marcus run into bullies in Chapter 7?

(a) Outside his house.
(b) At Church.
(c) The local news agent's store.
(d) In a graveyard.

37. What do the bullies do to Marcus in Chapter 7?

(a) Try to trash his house.
(b) Try to throw him in a newly-dug grave.
(c) Try to give him a weggie.
(d) Try to make it look like he stole candy.

38. Why aren't the bullies successful in getting Marcus in trouble in Chapter 7?
(a) Marcus is a fast runner.
(b) A passerbyer stops them.
(c) The man at the counter knows Marcus.
(d) Marcus throws dirt in their faces.

39. What is Fiona doing when Marcus returns home in Chapter 7?

(a) Eating cookie dough and staring at the wall.
(b) Sleeping in her coat.
(c) Watching cartoons.
(d) Crying violently.

40. Where should Fiona have been instead of at home in Chapter 7?

(a) Running errands.
(b) Picking Marcus up at school.
(c) Enjoying the outdoors.
(d) At work.

41. Where has Fiona arranged for Marcus to go on Saturday in Chapter 7?

(a) On a picnic with Suzie.
(b) To the shop to run errands.
(c) To Will's house.
(d) A pottery class.

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42. What does Fiona say is the reason that she has arranged for Marcus to go out
on Saturday?
(a) So that she can have a gentleman caller over.
(b) So that she can sleep soundly.
(c) So that she might have some time to herself.
(d) So that Marcus can make friends.

43. What does Will make up a story about in Chapter 8?

(a) His ex-wife looking after Ned for the day.
(b) His career.
(c) His favorite music.
(d) His dying father.

44. What does Suzie pick up Will for in Chapter 8?

(a) Neighborhood watch.
(b) Babysitting Marcus.
(c) A date.
(d) The SPAT picnic.

45. Who does Suzie introduce Will to in Chapter 8?

(a) Peter.
(b) Marcus.
(c) Nick.
(d) Fiona.

46. Who does Will find sullen and difficult to get along with in Chapter 8?
(a) Nick.
(b) Peter.
(c) Fiona.
(d) Marcus.

47. Who does Marcus interrupt at the end of Chapter 8?

(a) Fiona and her boyfriend.
(b) Will and Fiona.
(c) Nick and Suzie.
(d) Will and Suzie.

48. What does Marcus believe he has done at the end of Chapter 8?
(a) Lost three pounds.
(b) Killed a duck.
(c) Made a friend.
(d) Stepped in gum.

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Chapters 9-12
49. Where does Marcus take Will and Suzie at the beginning of Chapter 9?
(a) Church.
(b) The pond.
(c) His flat.
(d) A diner.

50. What has Marcus hit a duck with at the SPAT picnic?
(a) A bottle.
(b) His shoe.
(c) Some bread.
(d) A ball.

51. What does Will suggest of Marcus' intent with the duck in Chapter 9?
(a) He must not have seen it.
(b) He must have been trying to catch it.
(c) He must have been trying to kill the duck.
(d) He must have been trying to shoo it away.

52. What lie does Will tell the park keeper in Chapter 9?
(a) Marcus was trying to keep Suzie's daughter from seeing the dead duck.
(b) The duck was attacking Will.
(c) the duck attack was a hit and run.
(d) Will thew the object at the duck.

53. What does Suzie insist on doing in Chapter 9?

(a) Walking Marcus into his house when she drops him off.
(b) Inviting Fiona to brunch the following day.
(c) Making Fiona some lunch.
(d) Checking to see that Marcus has done his homework.

54. What do Suzie and Marcus discover when they walk inside Marcus' home in
Chapter 9?
(a) Fiona has overdosed on pills.
(b) Fiona is entertaining a gentleman.
(c) Fiona is sleeping.
(d) Fiona is drunk.

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55. Where does Will accompany Suzie and Marcus in Chapter 10?
(a) A restaurant.
(b) Church.
(c) The gym.
(d) The hospital.

56. What do Will, Suzie and Marcus wait for in Chapter 10?
(a) News of how Fiona is doing.
(b) A table at the restaurant.
(c) Fiona to shower and dress so they can go out.
(d) A taxi.

57. What is Will unsuccessful at doing in Chapter 10?

(a) Catching some sleep.
(b) Making a gourmet dinner.
(c) Making Suzie laugh with his best gag.
(d) Consoling Marcus.

58. Where does Marcus spend the night in Chapter 10?

(a) At his house.
(b) In a hotel.
(c) At Suzie's.
(d) At Will's.

59. What is Will grateful for at the end of Chapter 10?

(a) His new friend.
(b) His health.
(c) That he can go home and separate himself from the events of the day.
(d) His outlook on life.

60. What does Marcus find at his house in Chapter 11?

(a) A dead rat.
(b) A letter from Will.
(c) A gift for him from his father.
(d) His mother's suicide note.

61. What does Marcus do in anticipation of his mother's homecoming?

(a) He cleans the apartment.
(b) He does all his homework.
(c) He hides all the sharp objects.
(d) He makes her favorite dinner.

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62. What does Marcus wonder in regard to his mother in Chapter 11?
(a) Why she lives him so much.
(b) Why she smiles at the strangest moments.
(c) Why he is not a big enough reason for his mother to want to live.
(d) Why she is so forgetful.

63. What does Marcus decide of his family?

(a) It is dysfunctional.
(b) It is strong.
(c) It should be bigger.
(d) It is big.

64. Why does Marcus come to this conclusion about his family in Chapter 11?
(a) He and his mother are drifting apart.
(b) So he would not be alone if his mother died.
(c) Because he and his mother have never been closer.
(d) Because the needs of each member often fall to the wayside.

65. What kind of film do Marcus and his mother begin to watch in Chapter 11?
(a) An action-adventure.
(b) A mystery.
(c) A comedy.
(d) A family drama.

66. Why does Marcus turn off the film in Chapter 11?
(a) The movie is boring and predictable.
(b) There are embarassing sex scenes.
(c) The main character attempts suicide repeatedly.
(d) The actors can't act.

67. What does Fiona insist on at the end of Chapter 11?

(a) Finishing the film.
(b) Singing.
(c) Praying as a family.
(d) Having a drink.

68. What is Will bored of in Chapter 12?

(a) His friends.
(b) His neighborhood.
(c) His normal routine.
(d) The weather.

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69. What does Will tell himself is nice about his life in Chapter 12?
(a) That he is attractive to women.
(b) That he is still young.
(c) That he is rich.
(d) That he is able to fill his days anyway he wants.

70. Why does Will never get any job offers?

(a) He has no job history.
(b) He only applies for jobs he is unqualified for.
(c) He is always late for interviews.
(d) He has bad work references.

71. What does Will ask Suzie in Chapter 12?

(a) If it would be appropriate to take Marcus out for an afternoon.
(b) If Marcus is adopted.
(c) If she would go out with him.
(d) If she needs him to babysit.

72. What does Will buy at the end of Chapter 12?

(a) A backpack for Marcus.
(b) An expensive suit.
(c) A car seat.
(d) A new television.

Chapters 13-16
73. Where does Marcus want Will to take him and Fiona in Chapter 13?
(a) Planet Hollywood.
(b) To buy new clothes.
(c) To the zoo.
(d) The Olive Garden.

74. What does Marcus try to force Will and Fiona to do over lunch in Chapter 13?
(a) Discuss their futures.
(b) Flirt.
(c) Converse.
(d) Argue.

75. What does Marcus begin to imagine during lunch in Chapter 13?
(a) What it would be like if he weren't there.
(b) What it would be like to be Will's biological son.
(c) What it would be like to live with his father.
(d) What it would be like if Will and Fiona wed.

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76. What is Will convinced of in Chapter 14?
(a) That Fiona is crazy.
(b) That Fiona is in love with him.
(c) That Fiona is his soulmate.
(d) That Fiona is not his type.

77. What does Will find unappetizing in Chapter 14?

(a) Fiona's apple dish.
(b) Fiona's spinach omelet.
(c) Fiona's vegetarian meal.
(d) Fiona's fish platter.

78. What do Fiona and Marcus do that Will has no interest in in Chapter 14?
(a) They sing romantic ballads.
(b) Pray before eating.
(c) Play a board game.
(d) Look at an old photo album.

79. What does Will do when Fiona calls him again in Chapter 14?
(a) He tells her he is busy.
(b) He arranges a date.
(c) He ignores the message.
(d) He calls her back the following day.

80. What does Marcus accuse Will of in Chapter 14?

(a) Resting on his laurels.
(b) Lying about Ned.
(c) Breaking his mother's heart.
(d) Stealing his CD player.

81. What does Marcus manage to do in Chapter 15?

(a) Get into Will's apartment.
(b) Make Will feel guilty.
(c) Recite all the monarchs in British history.
(d) Convince Will to date Marcus' mother.

82. What does Marcus do at Will's apartment in Chapter 15?

(a) He throws a tennis ball against a wall.
(b) He moves the furniture.
(c) He cleans the kitchen.
(d) He watches TV and explores Will's flat.

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83. What does Will suggest when Marcus tells him about his troubles at school?
(a) He suggests changing his appearance.
(b) He suggests writing a letter to the administration.
(c) He suggests telling the principal.
(d) He suggests ignoring his bullies.

84. After many visits from Marcus, what does Will stop doing?
(a) Cleaning up for him.
(b) Calling Fiona to pick him up.
(c) Trying to block him at the door.
(d) Making his food.

85. What does Will find himself looking forward to in Chapter 16?
(a) Marcus going off to college.
(b) Marcus' fish and chips.
(c) Marcus' visits.
(d) His birthday.

86. What do Marcus and Will often talk about in Chapter 16?
(a) Girls.
(b) Music.
(c) Fiona and Marcus' wish for a bigger family.
(d) School and Marcus' father.

87. What does a group of older kids throw at Marcus in Chapter 16?
(a) Hard candies.
(b) Mud.
(c) Snowballs.
(d) Their shoes.

88. What does Will do when he sees the older kids going after Marcus in Chapter
16?
(a) He laughs.
(b) He chases them away.
(c) He calls the police.
(d) He pretends not to see.

89. What does Will buy for Marcus in Chapter 16?

(a) A new wardrobe.
(b) New shoes.
(c) New school supplies.
(d) A baseball glove and ball.

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90. What happens to the item(s) that Will buys for Marcus in Chapter 16?
(a) They are stolen.
(b) They are lost.
(c) They break.
(d) They are confiscated by Fiona.

Chapters 17-20
91. Why is Marcus forced to tell his mother about his visits to Will's in Chapter
17?
(a) Will has to drive Marcus home when he becomes sick.
(b) He breaks curfew.
(c) He comes home without shoes.
(d) He forgets his schoolbag at Will's.

92. What does Fiona tell Will in Chapter 17?

(a) About Marcus' childhood.
(b) To stay away from his son.
(c) To be Marcus' father figure.
(d) About her depression.

93. What does Marcus argue with his mother about in Chapter 17?
(a) His mother's habit of shutting herself in.
(b) His right to choose to do certain things she does not approve of.
(c) The things they eat.
(d) His curfew.

94. Why is Will unhappy in Chapter 18?

(a) He is sick for the first time in three years.
(b) Marcus has broken an expensive vase in his home.
(c) His date has stood him up.
(d) He has heard his father's song a full five weeks before Christmas.

95. What does Will decide about Christmas in Chapter 18?

(a) He will stay in and drink instead of celebrating Christmas.
(b) He will invite Marcus and Fiona over.
(c) He will volunteer with a charity.
(d) It is his favorite holiday of the year.

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96. What does Fiona ask Will to do in Chapter 18 when she calls him?
(a) Check up on Marcus occasionally.
(b) To see Marcus again.
(c) Avoid Marcus.
(d) Adopt Marcus.

97. How does Will feel about Fiona's request in Chapter 18?
(a) He is dumbfounded.
(b) He is delighted.
(c) He is annoyed.
(d) He is uncomfortable.

98. What does Fiona conclude of Will when they go out for a drink in Chapter 18?
(a) He is charitable.
(b) He is a mystery.
(c) He is self-centered.
(d) He is dangerous.

99. Who is Marcus forced to visit with in Chapter 19?

(a) His father.
(b) The headmistress at his school.
(c) Will.
(d) His smelly aunt.

100. What does Fiona file a complaint about at Marcus' school in Chapter 19?
(a) The lack of supervision during recess.
(b) The stolen sneakers.
(c) Marcus' falling grades.
(d) The cafeteria lunches.

101. Who is Ellie?

(a) The smartest kid at school.
(b) Marcus' cousin.
(c) The school troublemaker.
(d) A teacher's assistant.

102. Who does Ellie say is on the front of her sweatshirt when Marcus asks about
it?
(a) Karl Kobain.
(b) Kirk O'Bane.
(c) Kent Coburn.
(d) Kev O'Base.

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103. Why does Marcus walk out of school in Chapter 19?
(a) He is mad that the headmistress told him to stay away from bullies.
(b) Bullies throw eggs at him.
(c) He is taunted in gym class.
(d) He forgot his homework at school.

104. Why is Will driving around in Chapter 20?

(a) To pick-up women.
(b) To listen to Nirvana at a loud volume.
(c) To run errands.
(d) To try and find a gas station.

105. Who does Will see when he is driving around in Chapter 20?
(a) Ellie.
(b) Suzie.
(c) Marcus.
(d) Fiona.

106. What does Marcus tell Will about when he gets to his apartment in Chapter
20?
(a) His grades at school.
(b) His birthday party.
(c) His meeting with the headmistress.
(d) His future goals.

107. What does Marcus ask Will about in Chapter 20?

(a) The image on Ellie's shirt.
(b) Sex.
(c) How to be cool.
(d) His biology homework.

108. What does Will tell Marcus about what Ellie told him in Chapter 20?
(a) She isn't as smart as she thinks she is.
(b) She was making fun of him by telling him a lie.
(c) She was telling him the truth.
(d) She was protecting Marcus.

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Chapters 21-24
109. What does Marcus tell Ellie in Chapter 21?
(a) That she has nice eyes.
(b) That she is a mean person.
(c) That he knows that the man on her sweatshirt is Kurt Cobain.
(d) That he has a crush on her.

110. What makes Ellie and Zoe laugh in Chapter 21?

(a) When Marcus trips and then cries.
(b) When Marcus talks about Kurt Cobain.
(c) When Marcus tells Ellie she has nice eyes.
(d) When Marcus insults Ellie.

111. Why is Ellie called to the headmistress' office in Chapter 21?

(a) For making a fire in a garbage can.
(b) For cheating on a test.
(c) For punching Marcus.
(d) For wearing Kurt Cobain's sweatshirt.

112. Where does Ellie and Zoe take Marcus in Chapter 21?
(a) To the ninth year classroom.
(b) To a club.
(c) To a secret spot where they smoke.
(d) To a diner.

113. What shocks Marcus' classmates in Chapter 21?

(a) Marcus' new friends.
(b) His insolence towards the teacher.
(c) His new hairstyle.
(d) His use of curse words.

114. What can Will not find a polite way out of in Chapter 22?
(a) His mother's engagement party.
(b) Marcus' Christmas invitation.
(c) His neighbor's Sunday brunch.
(d) His friend's baby shower.

115. Why is the Christmas dinner a disaster?

(a) Fiona serves a vegetarian loaf.
(b) The main course gets burned.
(c) Will and Fiona have a big fight.
(d) Fiona has the flu.

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116. What is there a marked difference between in Chapter 22?
(a) The gifts that Marcus' mother and father give him.
(b) The atmosphere at the dinner before and after presents are opened.
(c) Fiona's love of Christmas and Will's.
(d) Marcus' reaction to Fiona's and Will's gifts.

117. What does Will give Marcus for Christmas?

(a) A pair of sneakers.
(b) A Nirvana album.
(c) A guitar.
(d) Namebrand clothes.

118. Who is Clive?

(a) Marcus' friend.
(b) Fiona's new boyfriend.
(c) Marcus' father.
(d) Will's brother.

119. Who is Lindsey?

(a) Will's date.
(b) Fiona's best friend.
(c) Fiona's sister.
(d) Clive's girlfriend.

120. What creates tension between Fiona and Lindsey in Chapter 23?
(a) A fight between Fiona and Clive.
(b) A twenty-year old feud.
(c) Fiona taunts Lindsey's outfit.
(d) Lindsey forgot a present for Fiona.

121. Why does Suzie yell at Will in Chapter 23?

(a) For being irresponsible with Marcus.
(b) For not getting a job.
(c) For lying about Ned.
(d) For dumping her.

122. Who is Megan?

(a) Marcus' friend.
(b) Will's date.
(c) Clive's girlfriend.
(d) Suzie's daughter.

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123. What does Megan try to do with her Christmas gift from Marcus?
(a) Eat it.
(b) Break it.
(c) Share it with Will.
(d) Throw it away.

124. When does Will fall in love?

(a) On Christmas Day.
(b) On his birthday.
(c) On Valentine's Day.
(d) On New Year's Eve.

125. Who does Will fall in love with?

(a) Penny.
(b) Anna.
(c) Bridget.
(d) Rachel.

126. What does Will realize is the only interesting thing about him?
(a) His past.
(b) His wealth.
(c) His style.
(d) Marcus.

Chapters 25-28
127. How does Marcus react when he sees Ellie at Suzie's New Year's Eve party?
(a) He is angered.
(b) He is surprised.
(c) He is nervous.
(d) He is scared.

128. What does Ellie confess to Marcus in Chapter 25?

(a) That she likes Marcus.
(b) That she knows about Fiona's suicide attempt.
(c) That she is moving.
(d) That Marcus is her best friend.

129. What does Ellie make for Marcus in Chapter 25?

(a) An alcoholic drink.
(b) A shirt with Kurt Cobain's face on it.
(c) A sandwich.
(d) A card.

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130. How does Marcus scare Ellie off in Chapter 25?
(a) By asking her to dance.
(b) By laughing too much at her jokes.
(c) By crying.
(d) By trying to kiss her.

131. What do Ellie and Marcus see Ellie's mother doing in Chapter 25?
(a) Stealing jewelry.
(b) Taking drugs.
(c) Puking.
(d) Making out with a man.

132. What does Ellie think of her mother's behavior in Chapter 25?
(a) She thinks its funny.
(b) She doesn't mind her mother's antics.
(c) She thinks it's disgusting.
(d) She is unfazed.

133. What does Will promise he will do for Marcus in Chapter 26?
(a) Help him improve his grades.
(b) Teach him how to be cool.
(c) Bring his parents back together.
(d) Convince Ellie to be Marcus' girlfriend.

134. What does Marcus promise to do for Will in Chapter 26?

(a) Cook for him.
(b) Pretend to be his son.
(c) Clean his house.
(d) Keep Fiona away.

135. Who is Ali?

(a) Marcus' bully.
(b) Rachel's son.
(c) Marcus' neighbor.
(d) Will's nephew.

136. What does Marcus do at the end of Chapter 26?

(a) He sets a stuffed animal on fire.
(b) He yells at his mother.
(c) He runs out of the house.
(d) He throws up.

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137. Where does Will find Marcus at the beginning of Chapter 27?
(a) At the bus stop.
(b) At Will's house.
(c) At Marcus' house.
(d) At the park.

138. What does Marcus tell Will Ali did in Chapter 27?
(a) That Ali cheated.
(b) That Ali told a lie about Marcus.
(c) That Ali threatened to kill him.
(d) that Ali took his new CD.

139. What does Ali do while crying in Chapter 27?

(a) He beats his chest with his fist.
(b) He tries to hide in his room.
(c) He grins slyly when others aren't looking.
(d) He apologizes to Marcus.

140. Why does Marcus wait outside the news agent's in Chapter 27?
(a) He is scared of the clerk.
(b) He is meeting someone there.
(c) He has no money to spend.
(d) The clerk does not want too many people in the store.

141. What does a bully steal from Marcus in Chapter 27?

(a) His shoes.
(b) His hat.
(c) His glasses.
(d) His schoolbag.

142. What does Ellie do to the bully who steals from Marcus?
(a) She punches him.
(b) She pours a large carton of milk on him.
(c) She hits him with a bat.
(d) She steals his shoes and hat.

143. What does Will tell Rachel in Chapter 28?

(a) That he wants to break-up.
(b) That he has decided to move to America.
(c) That he doesn't want to get married.
(d) The truth of his relationship with Marcus.

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144. What does Will wonder at the end of Chapter 28?
(a) If he is perhaps finally ready for a commitment.
(b) If he should get a job.
(c) If he will ever truly be happy.
(d) If he would make a good father.

Chapters 29-32
145. What does Fiona begin doing in the mornings again in Chapter 29?
(a) Vacuuming.
(b) Crying.
(c) Jogging.
(d) Singing.

146. How does Will disappoint Marcus in Chapter 29?

(a) He gets drunk and tells off Fiona.
(b) He does not try to help Marcus and his mother.
(c) He cheats on Rachel.
(d) He forgets an important event.

147. What makes Ellie cry in Chapter 29?

(a) Kurt Cobain's attempted suicide.
(b) Her mother leaves home.
(c) Marcus tells her he doesn't want to be friends.
(d) Her teacher yells at her.

148. Why does Marcus become angry at Ellie in Chapter 29?

(a) She suggests that Kurt Cobain will try to commit suicide again.
(b) She laughs at his mother.
(c) She insults Will.
(d) She cheats on a test.

149. Why does Will feel guilty in Chapter 30?

(a) Because he forgot an important event.
(b) Because he did not help Marcus with his mother.
(c) Because he insulted Fiona.
(d) Because he cheated on Rachel.

150. What does Will not know about life?

(a) What the point of it is.
(b) When it will end.
(c) What makes a good one.
(d) Why he is so bad at it.

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151. Why does Will feel he cannot help Fiona?
(a) Because he does not get along well with her.
(b) Because he cannot imagine himself trying to tell Fiona the point.
(c) Because he has too many problems of his own to worry about others'.
(d) Because she needs professional help.

152. What happens between Will and Rachel that he doesn't expect in Chapter
30?
(a) They break-up.
(b) They decide to move in together.
(c) They become engaged.
(d) They end up in bed together.

153. What does Rachel suggest she do in Chapter 30?

(a) Go back to school.
(b) Spend some time on herself.
(c) Move in with Will.
(d) Talk to Fiona.

154. What does Fiona tell Marcus about his father in Chapter 31?
(a) That he is having a child with his girlfriend.
(b) That he is emigrating.
(c) That he is not Marcus' real father.
(d) That his father had an accident.

155. Where does Marcus refuse to go in Chapter 31?

(a) To Will's.
(b) To his house.
(c) To school.
(d) To see his father.

156. Where does Ellie offer to go with Marcus in Chapter 31?

(a) To the principal's office.
(b) To the dentist's office.
(c) To Will's.
(d) To visit his father.

157. Why does Marcus try to keep Ellie from seeing the newspapers in Chapter
31?
(a) Her mother is in the news.
(b) There is an article about suicide in Britain in the paper.
(c) He has written a public confession to Ellie and he desides not to show her.
(d) He doesn't want her to learn about Kurt Cobain's death.

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158. Where does Will meet Fiona in Chapter 32?
(a) At the park.
(b) At Fiona's house.
(c) At Marcus' school.
(d) In a bar.

159. Besides Fiona, who does Will expect to meet in Chapter 32?
(a) Rachel.
(b) Ellie.
(c) Marcus.
(d) Clive.

160. Where do Will and Fiona go to eat in Chapter 32?

(a) A cafe.
(b) A four-star restaurant.
(c) A 50's-style diner.
(d) A pizza parlor.

161. During Will's and Fiona's meal in Chapter 32, what does Will realize is the
only thing Fiona needs?
(a) Someone to talk to.
(b) A bit of peace and quiet.
(c) A man in her life.
(d) A new job.

162. Why is Will concerned for Marcus in Chapter 32?

(a) He is failing school.
(b) Because of Kurt Cobain's death.
(c) He has been sick lately.
(d) Fiona's depression is a constant worry to Marcus.

Chapters 32-36
163. Where does Ellie disembark in Chapter 33?
(a) Royston.
(b) Milton Keynes.
(c) Baldock.
(d) Felixstowe.

100
164. What does Ellie see in a store window that upsets her?
(a) A sign with grammatical mistakes.
(b) A picture of a KKK member.
(c) Puppies in cages.
(d) A cut-out of Kurt Cobain.

165. What does Marcus realize about Ellie in Chapter 33?

(a) She is very sensitive.
(b) She is a very complex person.
(c) She is to blame for most of her problems.
(d) She is a troubled teen.

166. What does Marcus tell his father at the end of Chapter 33?
(a) He is a useless father.
(b) He is a wonderful father.
(c) Will is his real father.
(d) He wants to move in with him.

167. Who does Will drive to the police station?

(a) Fiona and Ellie's mother.
(b) Rachel and Ali.
(c) Ellie's mother.
(d) Fiona and Rachel.

168. Who is Katrina?

(a) Fiona's friend.
(b) Ellie's mother.
(c) The music store owner.
(d) Rachel's sister.

169. What shocks Ellie about the music store owner?

(a) She is as much a fan of Kurt Cobain as Ellie is.
(b) She is happy with Ellie's behavior.
(c) She knows Ellie's mother.
(d) She is a famous musician.

170. Where does the group go for dinner in Chapter 34?

(a) A bistro.
(b) A pizza parlor.
(c) A cafe.
(d) A hamburger joint.

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171. What is Marcus' theory on family near the end of the novel?
(a) Family cannot be trusted.
(b) Families should be small.
(c) It is not just parents and children, but everyone who cares about you.
(d) Families should be large.

172. What does Clive tell Marcus about Lindsey in Chapter 35?
(a) That she is moving away.
(b) That she wants to have a baby.
(c) That she is going to work at Marcus' school.
(d) That she is going to become a musician.

173. What does Marcus think of Lindsey's plan?

(a) He doesn't have any thoughts on the matter.
(b) He thinks it is a silly idea.
(c) He hates the idea.
(d) He thinks it would be nice.

174. What habit has developed over recent months as explained in Chapter 36?
(a) Will taking Marcus and Ali out for the afternoon.
(b) Ali, Marcus and Ellie playing music for the parents.
(c) Will, Rachel and Fiona taking the boys bowling.
(d) Will and Marcus watching sports every Sunday afternoon.

175. What does Marcus tell Will he had wanted at one time but has since given up
hope of?
(a) To be a cool kid.
(b) To live with his father.
(c) Will marrying Fiona.
(d) For his mother to marry again.

176. What does Ali ask Will in Chapter 36?

(a) If Will is cheating on his mother.
(b) If Will will marry his mother one day.
(c) If Will will ever get a job.
(d) If Will can buy him some shoes.

177. What does Marcus tell Ali about Will in Chapter 36?
(a) That he will never love Rachel enough to marry.
(b) That he has a good heart despite his cold exterior.
(c) That he gets stranger the closer you get to him.
(d) That he could do worse for a stepfather.

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178. What has Will realized about Rachel?
(a) She is a good influence on him.
(b) She is his soulmate.
(c) He isn't being fair to her; he should set her free.
(d) He would rather have her in his life than not.

179. What concerns Fiona about Marcus at the end of the novel?
(a) That he is growing up too fast.
(b) He spends too much time with Will.
(c) He seems to be neglecting his school work.
(d) He does not care about family anymore.

180. What does Will tell Fiona about Marcus at the end of the novel?
(a) He is a normal, healthy child who is growing up right.
(b) He is getting weaker.
(c) Marcus is making friends, but Will is unsure of whether they are the right kind.
(d) He got an A+ on his most recent test.

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Multiple Choice Key
1. B 11. B 21. A 31. B 41. A 51. C
2. B 12. B 22. C 32. B 42. C 52. A
3. C 13. D 23. B 33. B 43. A 53. A
4. D 14. A 24. D 34. C 44. D 54. A
5. C 15. C 25. D 35. A 45. B 55. D
6. D 16. D 26. B 36. C 46. D 56. A
7. C 17. B 27. B 37. D 47. D 57. D
8. D 18. C 28. D 38. C 48. B 58. C
9. A 19. A 29. B 39. C 49. B 59. C
10. C 20. A 30. D 40. D 50. C 60. D

61. A 71. A 81. A 91. C 101. C 111. D

62. C 72. C 82. D 92. B 102. B 112. A
63. C 73. A 83. A 93. B 103. A 113. A
64. B 74. C 84. C 94. D 104. B 114. B
65. C 75. D 85. C 95. A 105. C 115. A
66. C 76. D 86. D 96. B 106. C 116. A
67. A 77. C 87. A 97. A 107. A 117. B
68. C 78. A 88. B 98. C 108. B 118. C
69. D 79. C 89. B 99. B 109. C 119. D
70. A 80. B 90. A 100. B 110. B 120. A

121. C 131. D 141. C 151. B 161. A 171. C

122. D 132. C 142. A 152. D 162. B 172. B
123. C 133. D 143. D 153. D 163. A 173. D
124. D 134. B 144. A 154. D 164. D 174. A
125. D 135. B 145. B 155. D 165. C 175. C
126. D 136. C 146. B 156. D 166. A 176. B
127. B 137. A 147. A 157. D 167. A 177. D
128. B 138. C 148. A 158. D 168. B 178. D
129. A 139. D 149. B 159. A 169. A 179. A
130. A 140. D 150. A 160. D 170. D 180. A

104
Short Answer Questions
1. Who is the author of "About a Boy"?

2. Who are the two protagonists of the novel "About a Boy"?

3. Who is Roger?

4. Why is dinner stressful in Chapter 1?

5. Where do Marcus and Fiona live?

6. Where did Marcus live before his most recent move?

7. Instead of being able to cheer his mother up in Chapter 1, what is Marcus only able to
do?

105
8. What is Will's last name?

9. What kind of test is Will taking in Chapter 2?

10. How does Will get by if he doesn't work?

11. What does Will dislike?

12. What does Will prefer not to do when it comes to women?

13. What does Will decide when he visits an old friend in Chapter 2?

14. Why is Marcus having trouble at school in Chapter 3?

106
15. How does Marcus try to avoid bullies in Chapter 3?

16. Why does Marcus partly blame his mother for the trouble he faces at school?

17. Why does the English teacher sometimes call Marcus crazy?

18. Who does Will date in Chapter 4?

19. Where does Will meet the woman he dates in Chapter 4?

20. What does Will's date tell him on their first date?

21. How old is Will in Chapter 4?

107
22. How long does Will date this woman in Chapter 4?

23. What surprises Will when he tries to break it off with the woman in Chapter 4?

24. What does Will realize at the end of Chapter 4?

25. What is Marcus frightened by in Chapter 5?

26. What does Marcus not have a solution for in Chapter 5?

27. Who does Marcus try to hang out with at school in Chapter 5?

28. Why do the students ask Marcus not to hang out with them in Chapter 5?

108
29. What does SPAT stand for?

30. Who is Ned?

31. How old is Ned?

32. What does Will have trouble doing in Chapter 6?

33. Who does Will become interested in in Chapter 6?

34. Will believes that he has convinced the woman he is interested in

____________________.

35. Why does Will almost wish he weren't a man in Chapter 6?

109
36. Where does Marcus run into bullies in Chapter 7?

37. What do the bullies do to Marcus in Chapter 7?

38. Why aren't the bullies successful in getting Marcus in trouble in Chapter 7?

39. What is Fiona doing when Marcus returns home in Chapter 7?

40. Where should Fiona have been instead of at home in Chapter 7?

41. Where has Fiona arranged for Marcus to go on Saturday in Chapter 7?

42. What does Fiona say is the reason that she has arranged for Marcus to go out on
Saturday?

110
43. What does Will make up a story about in Chapter 8?

44. What does Suzie pick up Will for in Chapter 8?

45. Who does Suzie introduce Will to in Chapter 8?

46. Who does Will find sullen and difficult to get along with in Chapter 8?

47. Who does Marcus interrupt at the end of Chapter 8?

48. What does Marcus believe he has done at the end of Chapter 8?

49. Where does Marcus take Will and Suzie at the beginning of Chapter 9?

111
50. What has Marcus hit a duck with at the SPAT picnic?

51. What does Will suggest of Marcus' intent with the duck in Chapter 9?

52. What lie does Will tell the park keeper in Chapter 9?

53. What does Suzie insist on doing in Chapter 9?

54. What do Suzie and Marcus discover when they walk inside Marcus' home in
Chapter 9?

55. Where does Will accompany Suzie and Marcus in Chapter 10?

56. What do Will, Suzie and Marcus wait for in Chapter 10?

112
57. What is Will unsuccessful at doing in Chapter 10?

58. Where does Marcus spend the night in Chapter 10?

59. What is Will grateful for at the end of Chapter 10?

60. What does Marcus find at his house in Chapter 11?

61. What does Marcus do in anticipation of his mother's homecoming?

62. What does Marcus wonder in regard to his mother in Chapter 11?

63. What does Marcus decide of his family?

113
64. Why does Marcus come to this conclusion about his family in Chapter 11?

65. What kind of film do Marcus and his mother begin to watch in Chapter 11?

66. Why does Marcus turn off the film in Chapter 11?

67. What does Fiona insist on at the end of Chapter 11?

68. What is Will bored of in Chapter 12?

69. What does Will tell himself is nice about his life in Chapter 12?

70. Why does Will never get any job offers?

114
71. What does Will ask Suzie in Chapter 12?

72. What does Will buy at the end of Chapter 12?

73. Where does Marcus want Will to take him and Fiona in Chapter 13?

74. What does Marcus try to force Will and Fiona to do over lunch in Chapter 13?

75. What does Marcus begin to imagine during lunch in Chapter 13?

76. What is Will convinced of in Chapter 14?

77. What does Will find unappetizing in Chapter 14?

115
78. What do Fiona and Marcus do that Will has no interest in in Chapter 14?

79. What does Will do when Fiona calls him again in Chapter 14?

80. What does Marcus accuse Will of in Chapter 14?

81. What does Marcus manage to do in Chapter 15?

82. What does Marcus do at Will's apartment in Chapter 15?

83. What does Will suggest when Marcus tells him about his troubles at school?

84. After many visits from Marcus, what does Will stop doing?

116
85. What does Will find himself looking forward to in Chapter 16?

86. What do Marcus and Will often talk about in Chapter 16?

87. What does a group of older kids throw at Marcus in Chapter 16?

88. What does Will do when he sees the older kids going after Marcus in Chapter 16?

89. What does Will buy for Marcus in Chapter 16?

90. What happens to the item(s) that Will buys for Marcus in Chapter 16?

91. Why is Marcus forced to tell his mother about his visits to Will's in Chapter 17?

117
92. What does Fiona tell Will in Chapter 17?

93. What does Marcus argue with his mother about in Chapter 17?

94. Why is Will unhappy in Chapter 18?

95. What does Will decide about Christmas in Chapter 18?

96. What does Fiona ask Will to do in Chapter 18 when she calls him?

97. How does Will feel about Fiona's request in Chapter 18?

98. What does Fiona conclude of Will when they go out for a drink in Chapter 18?

118
99. Who is Marcus forced to visit with in Chapter 19?

100. What does Fiona file a complaint about at Marcus' school in Chapter 19?

101. Who is Ellie?

102. Who does Ellie say is on the front of her sweatshirt when Marcus asks about it?

103. Why does Marcus walk out of school in Chapter 19?

104. Why is Will driving around in Chapter 20?

105. Who does Will see when he is driving around in Chapter 20?

119
106. What does Marcus tell Will about when he gets to his apartment in Chapter 20?

107. What does Marcus ask Will about in Chapter 20?

108. What does Will tell Marcus about what Ellie told him in Chapter 20?

109. What does Marcus tell Ellie in Chapter 21?

110. What makes Ellie and Zoe laugh in Chapter 21?

111. Why is Ellie called to the headmistress' office in Chapter 21?

112. Where does Ellie and Zoe take Marcus in Chapter 21?

120
113. What shocks Marcus' classmates in Chapter 21?

114. What can Will not find a polite way out of in Chapter 22?

115. Why is the Christmas dinner a disaster?

116. What is there a marked difference between in Chapter 22?

117. What does Will give Marcus for Christmas?

118. Who is Clive?

119. Who is Lindsey?

121
120. What creates tension between Fiona and Lindsey in Chapter 23?

121. Why does Suzie yell at Will in Chapter 23?

122. Who is Megan?

123. What does Megan try to do with her Christmas gift from Marcus?

124. When does Will fall in love?

125. Who does Will fall in love with?

126. What does Will realize is the only interesting thing about him?

122
127. How does Marcus react when he sees Ellie at Suzie's New Year's Eve party?

128. What does Ellie confess to Marcus in Chapter 25?

129. What does Ellie make for Marcus in Chapter 25?

130. How does Marcus scare Ellie off in Chapter 25?

131. What do Ellie and Marcus see Ellie's mother doing in Chapter 25?

132. What does Ellie think of her mother's behavior in Chapter 25?

133. What does Will promise he will do for Marcus in Chapter 26?

123
134. What does Marcus promise to do for Will in Chapter 26?

135. Who is Ali?

136. What does Marcus do at the end of Chapter 26?

137. Where does Will find Marcus at the beginning of Chapter 27?

138. What does Marcus tell Will Ali did in Chapter 27?

139. What does Ali do while crying in Chapter 27?

140. Why does Marcus wait outside the news agent's in Chapter 27?

124
141. What does a bully steal from Marcus in Chapter 27?

142. What does Ellie do to the bully who steals from Marcus?

143. What does Will tell Rachel in Chapter 28?

144. What does Will wonder at the end of Chapter 28?

145. What does Fiona begin doing in the mornings again in Chapter 29?

146. How does Will disappoint Marcus in Chapter 29?

147. What makes Ellie cry in Chapter 29?

125
148. Why does Marcus become angry at Ellie in Chapter 29?

149. Why does Will feel guilty in Chapter 30?

150. What does Will not know about life?

151. Why does Will feel he cannot help Fiona?

152. What happens between Will and Rachel that he doesn't expect in Chapter 30?

153. What does Rachel suggest she do in Chapter 30?

154. What does Fiona tell Marcus about his father in Chapter 31?

126
155. Where does Marcus refuse to go in Chapter 31?

156. Where does Ellie offer to go with Marcus in Chapter 31?

157. Why does Marcus try to keep Ellie from seeing the newspapers in Chapter 31?

158. Where does Will meet Fiona in Chapter 32?

159. Besides Fiona, who does Will expect to meet in Chapter 32?

160. Where do Will and Fiona go to eat in Chapter 32?

161. During Will's and Fiona's meal in Chapter 32, what does Will realize is the only
thing Fiona needs?

127
162. Why is Will concerned for Marcus in Chapter 32?

163. Where does Ellie disembark in Chapter 33?

164. What does Ellie see in a store window that upsets her?

165. What does Marcus realize about Ellie in Chapter 33?

166. What does Marcus tell his father at the end of Chapter 33?

167. Who does Will drive to the police station?

168. Who is Katrina?

128
169. What shocks Ellie about the music store owner?

170. Where does the group go for dinner in Chapter 34?

171. What is Marcus' theory on family near the end of the novel?

172. What does Clive tell Marcus about Lindsey in Chapter 35?

173. What does Marcus think of Lindsey's plan?

174. What habit has developed over recent months as explained in Chapter 36?

175. What does Marcus tell Will he had wanted at one time but has since given up hope
of?

129
176. What does Ali ask Will in Chapter 36?

177. What does Marcus tell Ali about Will in Chapter 36?

178. What has Will realized about Rachel?

179. What concerns Fiona about Marcus at the end of the novel?

180. What does Will tell Fiona about Marcus at the end of the novel?

130
Short Answer Questions Key
1. Who is the author of "About a Boy"?

Nick Hornby.

2. Who are the two protagonists of the novel "About a Boy"?

Will and Marcus.

3. Who is Roger?

Fiona's most recent boyfriend.

4. Why is dinner stressful in Chapter 1?

Fiona has just been dumped.

5. Where do Marcus and Fiona live?

London.

6. Where did Marcus live before his most recent move?

Cambridge.

7. Instead of being able to cheer his mother up in Chapter 1, what is Marcus only
able to do?

Distract her.

131
8. What is Will's last name?

Freeman.

9. What kind of test is Will taking in Chapter 2?

A coolness test in a magazine.

10. How does Will get by if he doesn't work?

He uses the royalty checks from a song his father wrote.

11. What does Will dislike?

Children.

12. What does Will prefer not to do when it comes to women?

Tie himself down to just one.

13. What does Will decide when he visits an old friend in Chapter 2?

Never to have a child.

14. Why is Marcus having trouble at school in Chapter 3?

He is the new kid.

132
15. How does Marcus try to avoid bullies in Chapter 3?

He arrives early and remains inside at recess.

16. Why does Marcus partly blame his mother for the trouble he faces at school?

She doesn't let him listen to music or play video games that the other children like.

17. Why does the English teacher sometimes call Marcus crazy?

Because he sings out loud to himself at inappropriate times.

18. Who does Will date in Chapter 4?

Angie.

19. Where does Will meet the woman he dates in Chapter 4?

In a diner.

20. What does Will's date tell him on their first date?

That she has children.

21. How old is Will in Chapter 4?

Thirty-six.

133
22. How long does Will date this woman in Chapter 4?

Several weeks.

23. What surprises Will when he tries to break it off with the woman in Chapter 4?

She ends the relationship first.

24. What does Will realize at the end of Chapter 4?

Single mothers are the perfect partner for a man afraid of commitment.

25. What is Marcus frightened by in Chapter 5?

His mother started crying at breakfast.

26. What does Marcus not have a solution for in Chapter 5?

How to make his mother feel better.

27. Who does Marcus try to hang out with at school in Chapter 5?

Boys from the computer club.

28. Why do the students ask Marcus not to hang out with them in Chapter 5?

They are being teased because Marcus is around.

134
29. What does SPAT stand for?

Single Parents, Alone Together.

30. Who is Ned?

Will's made-up son.

31. How old is Ned?

Two years old.

32. What does Will have trouble doing in Chapter 6?

Keeping track of the details of Ned's life.

33. Who does Will become interested in in Chapter 6?

Suzie.

34. Will believes that he has convinced the woman he is interested in

____________________.

That he is a single parent.

35. Why does Will almost wish he weren't a man in Chapter 6?

He hears horror stories about men who have lied, cheated and abandoned their
families.

135
36. Where does Marcus run into bullies in Chapter 7?

The local news agent's store.

37. What do the bullies do to Marcus in Chapter 7?

Try to make it look like he stole candy.

38. Why aren't the bullies successful in getting Marcus in trouble in Chapter 7?

The man at the counter knows Marcus.

39. What is Fiona doing when Marcus returns home in Chapter 7?

Watching cartoons.

40. Where should Fiona have been instead of at home in Chapter 7?

At work.

41. Where has Fiona arranged for Marcus to go on Saturday in Chapter 7?

On a picnic with Suzie.

42. What does Fiona say is the reason that she has arranged for Marcus to go out
on Saturday?

So that she might have some time to herself.

136
43. What does Will make up a story about in Chapter 8?

His ex-wife looking after Ned for the day.

44. What does Suzie pick up Will for in Chapter 8?

The SPAT picnic.

45. Who does Suzie introduce Will to in Chapter 8?

Marcus.

46. Who does Will find sullen and difficult to get along with in Chapter 8?

Marcus.

47. Who does Marcus interrupt at the end of Chapter 8?

Will and Suzie.

48. What does Marcus believe he has done at the end of Chapter 8?

Killed a duck.

49. Where does Marcus take Will and Suzie at the beginning of Chapter 9?

The pond.

137
50. What has Marcus hit a duck with at the SPAT picnic?

Some bread.

51. What does Will suggest of Marcus' intent with the duck in Chapter 9?

He must have been trying to kill the duck.

52. What lie does Will tell the park keeper in Chapter 9?

Marcus was trying to keep Suzie's daughter from seeing the dead duck.

53. What does Suzie insist on doing in Chapter 9?

Walking Marcus into his house when she drops him off.

54. What do Suzie and Marcus discover when they walk inside Marcus' home in
Chapter 9?

Fiona has overdosed on pills.

55. Where does Will accompany Suzie and Marcus in Chapter 10?

The hospital.

56. What do Will, Suzie and Marcus wait for in Chapter 10?

News of how Fiona is doing.

138
57. What is Will unsuccessful at doing in Chapter 10?

Consoling Marcus.

58. Where does Marcus spend the night in Chapter 10?

At Suzie's.

59. What is Will grateful for at the end of Chapter 10?

That he can go home and separate himself from the events of the day.

60. What does Marcus find at his house in Chapter 11?

His mother's suicide note.

61. What does Marcus do in anticipation of his mother's homecoming?

He cleans the apartment.

62. What does Marcus wonder in regard to his mother in Chapter 11?

Why he is not a big enough reason for his mother to want to live.

63. What does Marcus decide of his family?

It should be bigger.

139
64. Why does Marcus come to this conclusion about his family in Chapter 11?

So he would not be alone if his mother died.

65. What kind of film do Marcus and his mother begin to watch in Chapter 11?

A comedy.

66. Why does Marcus turn off the film in Chapter 11?

The main character attempts suicide repeatedly.

67. What does Fiona insist on at the end of Chapter 11?

Finishing the film.

68. What is Will bored of in Chapter 12?

His normal routine.

69. What does Will tell himself is nice about his life in Chapter 12?

That he is able to fill his days anyway he wants.

70. Why does Will never get any job offers?

He has no job history.

140
71. What does Will ask Suzie in Chapter 12?

If it would be appropriate to take Marcus out for an afternoon.

72. What does Will buy at the end of Chapter 12?

A car seat.

73. Where does Marcus want Will to take him and Fiona in Chapter 13?

Planet Hollywood.

74. What does Marcus try to force Will and Fiona to do over lunch in Chapter 13?

Converse.

75. What does Marcus begin to imagine during lunch in Chapter 13?

What it would be like if Will and Fiona wed.

76. What is Will convinced of in Chapter 14?

That Fiona is not his type.

77. What does Will find unappetizing in Chapter 14?

Fiona's vegetarian meal.

141
78. What do Fiona and Marcus do that Will has no interest in in Chapter 14?

They sing romantic ballads.

79. What does Will do when Fiona calls him again in Chapter 14?

He ignores the message.

80. What does Marcus accuse Will of in Chapter 14?

Lying about Ned.

81. What does Marcus manage to do in Chapter 15?

Get into Will's apartment.

82. What does Marcus do at Will's apartment in Chapter 15?

He watches TV and explores Will's flat.

83. What does Will suggest when Marcus tells him about his troubles at school?

He suggests changing his appearance.

84. After many visits from Marcus, what does Will stop doing?

Trying to block him at the door.

142
85. What does Will find himself looking forward to in Chapter 16?

Marcus' visits.

86. What do Marcus and Will often talk about in Chapter 16?

School and Marcus' father.

87. What does a group of older kids throw at Marcus in Chapter 16?

Hard candies.

88. What does Will do when he sees the older kids going after Marcus in Chapter
16?

He chases them away.

89. What does Will buy for Marcus in Chapter 16?

New shoes.

90. What happens to the item(s) that Will buys for Marcus in Chapter 16?

They are stolen.

91. Why is Marcus forced to tell his mother about his visits to Will's in Chapter
17?

He comes home without shoes.

143
92. What does Fiona tell Will in Chapter 17?

To stay away from his son.

93. What does Marcus argue with his mother about in Chapter 17?

His right to choose to do certain things she does not approve of.

94. Why is Will unhappy in Chapter 18?

He has heard his father's song a full five weeks before Christmas.

95. What does Will decide about Christmas in Chapter 18?

He will stay in and drink instead of celebrating Christmas.

96. What does Fiona ask Will to do in Chapter 18 when she calls him?

To see Marcus again.

97. How does Will feel about Fiona's request in Chapter 18?

He is dumbfounded.

98. What does Fiona conclude of Will when they go out for a drink in Chapter 18?

He is self-centered.

144
99. Who is Marcus forced to visit with in Chapter 19?

The headmistress at his school.

100. What does Fiona file a complaint about at Marcus' school in Chapter 19?

The stolen sneakers.

101. Who is Ellie?

The school troublemaker.

102. Who does Ellie say is on the front of her sweatshirt when Marcus asks about
it?

Kirk O'Bane.

103. Why does Marcus walk out of school in Chapter 19?

He is mad that the headmistress told him to stay away from bullies.

104. Why is Will driving around in Chapter 20?

To listen to Nirvana at a loud volume.

105. Who does Will see when he is driving around in Chapter 20?

Marcus.

145
106. What does Marcus tell Will about when he gets to his apartment in Chapter
20?

His meeting with the headmistress.

107. What does Marcus ask Will about in Chapter 20?

The image on Ellie's shirt.

108. What does Will tell Marcus about what Ellie told him in Chapter 20?

She was making fun of him by telling him a lie.

109. What does Marcus tell Ellie in Chapter 21?

That he knows that the man on her sweatshirt is Kurt Cobain.

110. What makes Ellie and Zoe laugh in Chapter 21?

When Marcus talks about Kurt Cobain.

111. Why is Ellie called to the headmistress' office in Chapter 21?

For wearing Kurt Cobain's sweatshirt.

112. Where does Ellie and Zoe take Marcus in Chapter 21?

To the ninth year classroom.

146
113. What shocks Marcus' classmates in Chapter 21?

Marcus' new friends.

114. What can Will not find a polite way out of in Chapter 22?

Marcus' Christmas invitation.

115. Why is the Christmas dinner a disaster?

Fiona serves a vegetarian loaf.

116. What is there a marked difference between in Chapter 22?

The gifts that Marcus' mother and father give him.

117. What does Will give Marcus for Christmas?

A Nirvana album.

118. Who is Clive?

Marcus' father.

119. Who is Lindsey?

Clive's girlfriend.

147
120. What creates tension between Fiona and Lindsey in Chapter 23?

A fight between Fiona and Clive.

121. Why does Suzie yell at Will in Chapter 23?

For lying about Ned.

122. Who is Megan?

Suzie's daughter.

123. What does Megan try to do with her Christmas gift from Marcus?

Share it with Will.

124. When does Will fall in love?

On New Year's Eve.

125. Who does Will fall in love with?

Rachel.

126. What does Will realize is the only interesting thing about him?

Marcus.

148
127. How does Marcus react when he sees Ellie at Suzie's New Year's Eve party?

He is surprised.

128. What does Ellie confess to Marcus in Chapter 25?

That she knows about Fiona's suicide attempt.

129. What does Ellie make for Marcus in Chapter 25?

An alcoholic drink.

130. How does Marcus scare Ellie off in Chapter 25?

By asking her to dance.

131. What do Ellie and Marcus see Ellie's mother doing in Chapter 25?

Making out with a man.

132. What does Ellie think of her mother's behavior in Chapter 25?

She thinks it's disgusting.

133. What does Will promise he will do for Marcus in Chapter 26?

Convince Ellie to be Marcus' girlfriend.

149
134. What does Marcus promise to do for Will in Chapter 26?

Pretend to be his son.

135. Who is Ali?

Rachel's son.

136. What does Marcus do at the end of Chapter 26?

He runs out of the house.

137. Where does Will find Marcus at the beginning of Chapter 27?

At the bus stop.

138. What does Marcus tell Will Ali did in Chapter 27?

That Ali threatened to kill him.

139. What does Ali do while crying in Chapter 27?

He apologizes to Marcus.

140. Why does Marcus wait outside the news agent's in Chapter 27?

The clerk does not want too many people in the store.

150
141. What does a bully steal from Marcus in Chapter 27?

His glasses.

142. What does Ellie do to the bully who steals from Marcus?

She punches him.

143. What does Will tell Rachel in Chapter 28?

The truth of his relationship with Marcus.

144. What does Will wonder at the end of Chapter 28?

If he is perhaps finally ready for a commitment.

145. What does Fiona begin doing in the mornings again in Chapter 29?

Crying.

146. How does Will disappoint Marcus in Chapter 29?

He does not try to help Marcus and his mother.

147. What makes Ellie cry in Chapter 29?

Kurt Cobain's attempted suicide.

151
148. Why does Marcus become angry at Ellie in Chapter 29?

She suggests that Kurt Cobain will try to commit suicide again.

149. Why does Will feel guilty in Chapter 30?

Because he did not help Marcus with his mother.

150. What does Will not know about life?

What the point of it is.

151. Why does Will feel he cannot help Fiona?

Because he cannot imagine himself trying to tell Fiona the point.

152. What happens between Will and Rachel that he doesn't expect in Chapter
30?

They end up in bed together.

153. What does Rachel suggest she do in Chapter 30?

Talk to Fiona.

154. What does Fiona tell Marcus about his father in Chapter 31?

That his father had an accident.

152
155. Where does Marcus refuse to go in Chapter 31?

To see his father.

156. Where does Ellie offer to go with Marcus in Chapter 31?

To visit his father.

157. Why does Marcus try to keep Ellie from seeing the newspapers in Chapter
31?

He doesn't want her to learn about Kurt Cobain's death.

158. Where does Will meet Fiona in Chapter 32?

In a bar.

159. Besides Fiona, who does Will expect to meet in Chapter 32?

Rachel.

160. Where do Will and Fiona go to eat in Chapter 32?

A pizza parlor.

161. During Will's and Fiona's meal in Chapter 32, what does Will realize is the
only thing Fiona needs?

Someone to talk to.

153
162. Why is Will concerned for Marcus in Chapter 32?

Because of Kurt Cobain's death.

163. Where does Ellie disembark in Chapter 33?

Royston.

164. What does Ellie see in a store window that upsets her?

A cut-out of Kurt Cobain.

165. What does Marcus realize about Ellie in Chapter 33?

She is to blame for most of her problems.

166. What does Marcus tell his father at the end of Chapter 33?

He is a useless father.

167. Who does Will drive to the police station?

Fiona and Ellie's mother.

168. Who is Katrina?

Ellie's mother.

154
169. What shocks Ellie about the music store owner?

She is as much a fan of Kurt Cobain as Ellie is.

170. Where does the group go for dinner in Chapter 34?

A hamburger joint.

171. What is Marcus' theory on family near the end of the novel?

It is not just parents and children, but everyone who cares about you.

172. What does Clive tell Marcus about Lindsey in Chapter 35?

That she wants to have a baby.

173. What does Marcus think of Lindsey's plan?

He thinks it would be nice.

174. What habit has developed over recent months as explained in Chapter 36?

Will taking Marcus and Ali out for the afternoon.

175. What does Marcus tell Will he had wanted at one time but has since given up
hope of?

Will marrying Fiona.

155
176. What does Ali ask Will in Chapter 36?

If Will will marry his mother one day.

177. What does Marcus tell Ali about Will in Chapter 36?

That he could do worse for a stepfather.

178. What has Will realized about Rachel?

He would rather have her in his life than not.

179. What concerns Fiona about Marcus at the end of the novel?

That he is growing up too fast.

180. What does Will tell Fiona about Marcus at the end of the novel?

He is a normal, healthy child who is growing up right.

156
Oral Reading Evaluation Sheet
Name: _________________________ Period: _______________________

5 = Above Average 3 = Average 1 = Below Average

Audibility - Projecting your voice so your audience can hear and understand you.

5 4 3 2 1

Pronunciation - Ability to recognize words before you say them and pronounce all the
sounds correctly.

5 4 3 2 1

Articulation - Using your tongue, mouth and lips to pronounce all the sounds correctly.

5 4 3 2 1

Vocal Variety/Expression - Using appropriate pitch, volume and flow.

5 4 3 2 1

Rate - Reading a speed, or pace that is easy to follow.

5 4 3 2 1

Comments:

157
Reading Assignment Sheet
Name: _________________________ Period: _______________________

Reading Date Assigned Date Due Date Completed

Assignment

To Page: _____ __________ __________ __________

To Page: _____ __________ __________ __________

To Page: _____ __________ __________ __________

To Page: _____ __________ __________ __________

To Page: _____ __________ __________ __________

To Page: _____ __________ __________ __________

To Page: _____ __________ __________ __________

To Page: _____ __________ __________ __________

To Page: _____ __________ __________ __________

158
Writing Evaluation Form
Name: _________________________ Period: _______________________

5 = Above Average 3 = Average 1 = Below Average

Clear thesis or position Strong conclusion

5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1

Relevant supporting arguments Grammar

5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1

Transitions between paragraphs Spelling

5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1

Clarity of expression Punctuation

5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1

Comments:

159
One Week Quiz A
Name: _________________________ Period: ___________________

This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapters
25-28.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who is Ellie?
(a) Marcus' cousin.
(b) The school troublemaker.
(c) The smartest kid at school.
(d) A teacher's assistant.

2. What is Will unsuccessful at doing in Chapter 10?

(a) Making a gourmet dinner.
(b) Making Suzie laugh with his best gag.
(c) Consoling Marcus.
(d) Catching some sleep.

3. What does Fiona file a complaint about at Marcus' school in Chapter 19?
(a) The lack of supervision during recess.
(b) Marcus' falling grades.
(c) The stolen sneakers.
(d) The cafeteria lunches.

4. What does Will ask Suzie in Chapter 12?

(a) If Marcus is adopted.
(b) If she would go out with him.
(c) If it would be appropriate to take Marcus out for an afternoon.
(d) If she needs him to babysit.

5. What does Marcus wonder in regard to his mother in Chapter 11?

(a) Why she smiles at the strangest moments.
(b) Why he is not a big enough reason for his mother to want to live.
(c) Why she lives him so much.
(d) Why she is so forgetful.

160
Short Answer Questions
1. Where does Will accompany Suzie and Marcus in Chapter 10?

2. What does Fiona conclude of Will when they go out for a drink in Chapter 18?

3. What does Marcus tell Will Ali did in Chapter 27?

4. Why does Marcus wait outside the news agent's in Chapter 27?

5. What does Marcus tell Will about when he gets to his apartment in Chapter 20?

161
Multiple Choice Questions Key
1. B
2. C
3. C
4. C
5. B

Short Answer Questions Key

1. Where does Will accompany Suzie and Marcus in Chapter 10?

The hospital.

2. What does Fiona conclude of Will when they go out for a drink in Chapter 18?

He is self-centered.

3. What does Marcus tell Will Ali did in Chapter 27?

That Ali threatened to kill him.

4. Why does Marcus wait outside the news agent's in Chapter 27?

The clerk does not want too many people in the store.

5. What does Marcus tell Will about when he gets to his apartment in Chapter 20?

His meeting with the headmistress.

162
Two Week Quiz A
Name: _________________________ Period: ___________________

This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapters
17-20.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Will tell himself is nice about his life in Chapter 12?
(a) That he is able to fill his days anyway he wants.
(b) That he is attractive to women.
(c) That he is still young.
(d) That he is rich.

2. How does Marcus try to avoid bullies in Chapter 3?

(a) He arrives early and remains inside at recess.
(b) He helps the teachers clean after school.
(c) He skips classes.
(d) He joins a club that gathers before and after school.

3. Where did Marcus live before his most recent move?

(a) Cambridge.
(b) Eastbourne.
(c) Windsor.
(d) Bath.

4. What kind of film do Marcus and his mother begin to watch in Chapter 11?
(a) A mystery.
(b) A family drama.
(c) A comedy.
(d) An action-adventure.

5. What does Will have trouble doing in Chapter 6?

(a) Falling asleep.
(b) Taking care of Ned.
(c) Keeping track of the details of Ned's life.
(d) Making small talk with mothers.

163
Short Answer Questions
1. What is Fiona doing when Marcus returns home in Chapter 7?

2. What does Will make up a story about in Chapter 8?

3. Why is Marcus having trouble at school in Chapter 3?

4. What does Marcus find at his house in Chapter 11?

5. What does a group of older kids throw at Marcus in Chapter 16?

164
Multiple Choice Questions Key
1. A
2. A
3. A
4. C
5. C

Short Answer Questions Key

1. What is Fiona doing when Marcus returns home in Chapter 7?

Watching cartoons.

2. What does Will make up a story about in Chapter 8?

His ex-wife looking after Ned for the day.

3. Why is Marcus having trouble at school in Chapter 3?

He is the new kid.

4. What does Marcus find at his house in Chapter 11?

His mother's suicide note.

5. What does a group of older kids throw at Marcus in Chapter 16?

Hard candies.

165
Four Week Quiz A
Name: _________________________ Period: ___________________

This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapters
9-12.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Will tell himself is nice about his life in Chapter 12?
(a) That he is rich.
(b) That he is attractive to women.
(c) That he is still young.
(d) That he is able to fill his days anyway he wants.

2. Where does Marcus run into bullies in Chapter 7?

(a) At Church.
(b) Outside his house.
(c) The local news agent's store.
(d) In a graveyard.

3. Why does the English teacher sometimes call Marcus crazy?

(a) Because he likes to eat glue.
(b) Because his creative writing is filled with death and murder.
(c) Because he laughs and cries at random moments.
(d) Because he sings out loud to himself at inappropriate times.

4. Who is Ned?
(a) Will's nephew.
(b) Will's son.
(c) Will's made-up son.
(d) Will's father.

5. Where do Marcus and Fiona live?

(a) London.
(b) Bristol.
(c) Brighton.
(d) Liverpool.

166
Short Answer Questions
1. What does Will realize at the end of Chapter 4?

2. What is Marcus frightened by in Chapter 5?

3. Where does Marcus take Will and Suzie at the beginning of Chapter 9?

4. What does Suzie pick up Will for in Chapter 8?

5. What does Will suggest of Marcus' intent with the duck in Chapter 9?

167
Multiple Choice Questions Key
1. D
2. C
3. D
4. C
5. A

Short Answer Questions Key

1. What does Will realize at the end of Chapter 4?

Single mothers are the perfect partner for a man afraid of commitment.

2. What is Marcus frightened by in Chapter 5?

His mother started crying at breakfast.

3. Where does Marcus take Will and Suzie at the beginning of Chapter 9?

The pond.

4. What does Suzie pick up Will for in Chapter 8?

The SPAT picnic.

5. What does Will suggest of Marcus' intent with the duck in Chapter 9?

He must have been trying to kill the duck.

168
Four Week Quiz B
Name: _________________________ Period: ___________________

This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapters
29-32.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who does Suzie introduce Will to in Chapter 8?
(a) Fiona.
(b) Peter.
(c) Marcus.
(d) Nick.

2. Where does Ellie offer to go with Marcus in Chapter 31?

(a) To the principal's office.
(b) To visit his father.
(c) To the dentist's office.
(d) To Will's.

3. Who does Will date in Chapter 4?

(a) Angie.
(b) Annabelle.
(c) Anne.
(d) Amelie.

4. What does Marcus do at the end of Chapter 26?

(a) He sets a stuffed animal on fire.
(b) He runs out of the house.
(c) He throws up.
(d) He yells at his mother.

5. Where does Marcus want Will to take him and Fiona in Chapter 13?
(a) To buy new clothes.
(b) Planet Hollywood.
(c) To the zoo.
(d) The Olive Garden.

169
Short Answer Questions
1. What happens to the item(s) that Will buys for Marcus in Chapter 16?

2. Who is Megan?

3. Where does Will find Marcus at the beginning of Chapter 27?

4. Instead of being able to cheer his mother up in Chapter 1, what is Marcus only able to
do?

5. When does Will fall in love?

170
Multiple Choice Questions Key
1. C
2. B
3. A
4. B
5. B

Short Answer Questions Key

1. What happens to the item(s) that Will buys for Marcus in Chapter 16?

They are stolen.

2. Who is Megan?

Suzie's daughter.

3. Where does Will find Marcus at the beginning of Chapter 27?

At the bus stop.

4. Instead of being able to cheer his mother up in Chapter 1, what is Marcus only
able to do?

Distract her.

5. When does Will fall in love?

On New Year's Eve.

171
Eight Week Quiz A
Name: _________________________ Period: ___________________

This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapters
5-8.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How old is Will in Chapter 4?
(a) Forty.
(b) Twenty-nine.
(c) Thirty-two.
(d) Thirty-six.

2. Where does Marcus run into bullies in Chapter 7?

(a) At Church.
(b) In a graveyard.
(c) The local news agent's store.
(d) Outside his house.

3. What does Will make up a story about in Chapter 8?

(a) His dying father.
(b) His ex-wife looking after Ned for the day.
(c) His career.
(d) His favorite music.

4. Where did Marcus live before his most recent move?

(a) Cambridge.
(b) Eastbourne.
(c) Windsor.
(d) Bath.

5. What does Marcus not have a solution for in Chapter 5?

(a) How to lose weight.
(b) How to become cool.
(c) How to get better grades.
(d) How to make his mother feel better.

172
Short Answer Questions
1. What does Will dislike?

2. What surprises Will when he tries to break it off with the woman in Chapter 4?

3. Why do the students ask Marcus not to hang out with them in Chapter 5?

4. How does Marcus try to avoid bullies in Chapter 3?

5. What does SPAT stand for?

173
Multiple Choice Questions Key
1. D
2. C
3. B
4. A
5. D

Short Answer Questions Key

1. What does Will dislike?

Children.

2. What surprises Will when he tries to break it off with the woman in Chapter 4?

She ends the relationship first.

3. Why do the students ask Marcus not to hang out with them in Chapter 5?

They are being teased because Marcus is around.

4. How does Marcus try to avoid bullies in Chapter 3?

He arrives early and remains inside at recess.

5. What does SPAT stand for?

Single Parents, Alone Together.

174
Eight Week Quiz B
Name: _________________________ Period: ___________________

This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapters
9-12.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who does Will find sullen and difficult to get along with in Chapter 8?
(a) Nick.
(b) Fiona.
(c) Marcus.
(d) Peter.

2. What surprises Will when he tries to break it off with the woman in Chapter 4?
(a) She pretends not to hear him.
(b) She ends the relationship first.
(c) She weeps uncontrollably.
(d) She giggles.

3. Why do the students ask Marcus not to hang out with them in Chapter 5?
(a) They are being teased because Marcus is around.
(b) He is mean to them.
(c) He has a strange odor.
(d) They already have too many friends.

4. How long does Will date this woman in Chapter 4?

(a) Several weeks.
(b) One month.
(c) Three months.
(d) One week.

5. Will believes that he has convinced the woman he is interested in

____________________.
(a) That he is a gourmet cook.
(b) That he is a single parent.
(c) That he is rich.
(d) That he is childless.

175
Short Answer Questions
1. What does Fiona insist on at the end of Chapter 11?

2. What kind of film do Marcus and his mother begin to watch in Chapter 11?

3. What does Marcus decide of his family?

4. What has Marcus hit a duck with at the SPAT picnic?

5. What do Will, Suzie and Marcus wait for in Chapter 10?

176
Multiple Choice Questions Key
1. C
2. B
3. A
4. A
5. B

Short Answer Questions Key

1. What does Fiona insist on at the end of Chapter 11?

Finishing the film.

2. What kind of film do Marcus and his mother begin to watch in Chapter 11?

A comedy.

3. What does Marcus decide of his family?

It should be bigger.

4. What has Marcus hit a duck with at the SPAT picnic?

Some bread.

5. What do Will, Suzie and Marcus wait for in Chapter 10?

News of how Fiona is doing.

177
Eight Week Quiz C
Name: _________________________ Period: ___________________

This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapters
13-16.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Where does Will meet the woman he dates in Chapter 4?
(a) At a basketball match.
(b) At the grocery store.
(c) At the library.
(d) In a diner.

2. Why does Marcus partly blame his mother for the trouble he faces at school?
(a) She doesn't let him listen to music or play video games that the other children like.
(b) She makes him wear her hand-me-downs.
(c) She always tells off his bullies.
(d) She cuts his hair strangely.

3. What does Will's date tell him on their first date?

(a) That she is in school.
(b) That she has children.
(c) That she is forty-five.
(d) That she is dying.

4. What lie does Will tell the park keeper in Chapter 9?

(a) Will thew the object at the duck.
(b) the duck attack was a hit and run.
(c) Marcus was trying to keep Suzie's daughter from seeing the dead duck.
(d) The duck was attacking Will.

5. What does Will do when Fiona calls him again in Chapter 14?
(a) He arranges a date.
(b) He ignores the message.
(c) He calls her back the following day.
(d) He tells her he is busy.

178
Short Answer Questions
1. Where did Marcus live before his most recent move?

2. What is Will bored of in Chapter 12?

3. Who is Ned?

4. What is Fiona doing when Marcus returns home in Chapter 7?

5. Who does Marcus try to hang out with at school in Chapter 5?

179
Multiple Choice Questions Key
1. D
2. A
3. B
4. C
5. B

Short Answer Questions Key

1. Where did Marcus live before his most recent move?

Cambridge.

2. What is Will bored of in Chapter 12?

His normal routine.

3. Who is Ned?

Will's made-up son.

4. What is Fiona doing when Marcus returns home in Chapter 7?

Watching cartoons.

5. Who does Marcus try to hang out with at school in Chapter 5?

Boys from the computer club.

180
Eight Week Quiz D
Name: _________________________ Period: ___________________

This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapters
13-16.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How old is Ned?
(a) Five years old.
(b) Two years old.
(c) One year old.
(d) Four years old.

2. Where does Will meet the woman he dates in Chapter 4?

(a) At the grocery store.
(b) At a basketball match.
(c) At the library.
(d) In a diner.

3. Who does Will find sullen and difficult to get along with in Chapter 8?
(a) Peter.
(b) Nick.
(c) Fiona.
(d) Marcus.

4. What does Marcus find at his house in Chapter 11?

(a) A dead rat.
(b) A letter from Will.
(c) A gift for him from his father.
(d) His mother's suicide note.

5. What is Will grateful for at the end of Chapter 10?

(a) His health.
(b) His outlook on life.
(c) That he can go home and separate himself from the events of the day.
(d) His new friend.

181
Short Answer Questions
1. What does a group of older kids throw at Marcus in Chapter 16?

2. What does Will ask Suzie in Chapter 12?

3. How old is Will in Chapter 4?

4. What does Will buy at the end of Chapter 12?

5. What does Will find unappetizing in Chapter 14?

182
Multiple Choice Questions Key
1. B
2. D
3. D
4. D
5. C

Short Answer Questions Key

1. What does a group of older kids throw at Marcus in Chapter 16?

Hard candies.

2. What does Will ask Suzie in Chapter 12?

If it would be appropriate to take Marcus out for an afternoon.

3. How old is Will in Chapter 4?

Thirty-six.

4. What does Will buy at the end of Chapter 12?

A car seat.

5. What does Will find unappetizing in Chapter 14?

Fiona's vegetarian meal.

183
Eight Week Quiz E
Name: _________________________ Period: ___________________

This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapters
21-24.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who is Roger?
(a) Will's best friend.
(b) Fiona's most recent boyfriend.
(c) Fiona's brother.
(d) Will's father.

2. What is Will convinced of in Chapter 14?

(a) That Fiona is crazy.
(b) That Fiona is in love with him.
(c) That Fiona is not his type.
(d) That Fiona is his soulmate.

3. What does Fiona insist on at the end of Chapter 11?

(a) Having a drink.
(b) Singing.
(c) Praying as a family.
(d) Finishing the film.

4. What does Will suggest when Marcus tells him about his troubles at school?
(a) He suggests writing a letter to the administration.
(b) He suggests changing his appearance.
(c) He suggests ignoring his bullies.
(d) He suggests telling the principal.

5. Who is the author of "About a Boy"?

(a) David Sedaris.
(b) Douglas Coupland.
(c) Nick Hornby.
(d) John Grisham.

184
Short Answer Questions
1. What do the bullies do to Marcus in Chapter 7?

2. Who is Megan?

3. What does Marcus manage to do in Chapter 15?

4. What does Will ask Suzie in Chapter 12?

5. Who does Will fall in love with?

185
Multiple Choice Questions Key
1. B
2. C
3. D
4. B
5. C

Short Answer Questions Key

1. What do the bullies do to Marcus in Chapter 7?

Try to make it look like he stole candy.

2. Who is Megan?

Suzie's daughter.

3. What does Marcus manage to do in Chapter 15?

Get into Will's apartment.

4. What does Will ask Suzie in Chapter 12?

If it would be appropriate to take Marcus out for an afternoon.

5. Who does Will fall in love with?

Rachel.

186
Eight Week Quiz F
Name: _________________________ Period: ___________________

This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapters
29-32.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who is Ali?
(a) Rachel's son.
(b) Marcus' bully.
(c) Will's nephew.
(d) Marcus' neighbor.

2. What makes Ellie cry in Chapter 29?

(a) Kurt Cobain's attempted suicide.
(b) Marcus tells her he doesn't want to be friends.
(c) Her teacher yells at her.
(d) Her mother leaves home.

3. How does Marcus scare Ellie off in Chapter 25?

(a) By asking her to dance.
(b) By trying to kiss her.
(c) By laughing too much at her jokes.
(d) By crying.

4. What does Will do when Fiona calls him again in Chapter 14?
(a) He tells her he is busy.
(b) He calls her back the following day.
(c) He arranges a date.
(d) He ignores the message.

5. Where did Marcus live before his most recent move?

(a) Bath.
(b) Cambridge.
(c) Windsor.
(d) Eastbourne.

187
Short Answer Questions
1. What do Ellie and Marcus see Ellie's mother doing in Chapter 25?

2. Why aren't the bullies successful in getting Marcus in trouble in Chapter 7?

3. What does Marcus accuse Will of in Chapter 14?

4. What does Will wonder at the end of Chapter 28?

5. What does Fiona conclude of Will when they go out for a drink in Chapter 18?

188
Multiple Choice Questions Key
1. A
2. A
3. A
4. D
5. B

Short Answer Questions Key

1. What do Ellie and Marcus see Ellie's mother doing in Chapter 25?

Making out with a man.

2. Why aren't the bullies successful in getting Marcus in trouble in Chapter 7?

The man at the counter knows Marcus.

3. What does Marcus accuse Will of in Chapter 14?

Lying about Ned.

4. What does Will wonder at the end of Chapter 28?

If he is perhaps finally ready for a commitment.

5. What does Fiona conclude of Will when they go out for a drink in Chapter 18?

He is self-centered.

189
Eight Week Quiz G
Name: _________________________ Period: ___________________

This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapters
32-36.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who is Roger?
(a) Will's best friend.
(b) Will's father.
(c) Fiona's brother.
(d) Fiona's most recent boyfriend.

2. What does Will give Marcus for Christmas?

(a) A Nirvana album.
(b) A guitar.
(c) Namebrand clothes.
(d) A pair of sneakers.

3. What does Will buy at the end of Chapter 12?

(a) A new television.
(b) A car seat.
(c) An expensive suit.
(d) A backpack for Marcus.

4. What does Will not know about life?

(a) Why he is so bad at it.
(b) What makes a good one.
(c) What the point of it is.
(d) When it will end.

5. What does Marcus argue with his mother about in Chapter 17?
(a) His curfew.
(b) The things they eat.
(c) His right to choose to do certain things she does not approve of.
(d) His mother's habit of shutting herself in.

190
Short Answer Questions
1. What does Will decide about Christmas in Chapter 18?

2. What does Fiona conclude of Will when they go out for a drink in Chapter 18?

3. Where does Ellie offer to go with Marcus in Chapter 31?

4. Who is Megan?

5. Who does Marcus interrupt at the end of Chapter 8?

191
Multiple Choice Questions Key
1. D
2. A
3. B
4. C
5. C

Short Answer Questions Key

1. What does Will decide about Christmas in Chapter 18?

He will stay in and drink instead of celebrating Christmas.

2. What does Fiona conclude of Will when they go out for a drink in Chapter 18?

He is self-centered.

3. Where does Ellie offer to go with Marcus in Chapter 31?

To visit his father.

4. Who is Megan?

Suzie's daughter.

5. Who does Marcus interrupt at the end of Chapter 8?

Will and Suzie.

192
Mid-Book Test - Easy
Name: _________________________ Period: ___________________

This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why does Marcus partly blame his mother for the trouble he faces at school?
(a) She cuts his hair strangely.
(b) She always tells off his bullies.
(c) She doesn't let him listen to music or play video games that the other children like.
(d) She makes him wear her hand-me-downs.

2. Where does Marcus want Will to take him and Fiona in Chapter 13?
(a) To the zoo.
(b) Planet Hollywood.
(c) To buy new clothes.
(d) The Olive Garden.

3. How does Will get by if he doesn't work?

(a) He still lives with his parents.
(b) He lives off alimony checks from his successful ex-wife.
(c) He sponges off his older sister.
(d) He uses the royalty checks from a song his father wrote.

4. What does Marcus accuse Will of in Chapter 14?

(a) Stealing his CD player.
(b) Breaking his mother's heart.
(c) Lying about Ned.
(d) Resting on his laurels.

5. What lie does Will tell the park keeper in Chapter 9?

(a) Marcus was trying to keep Suzie's daughter from seeing the dead duck.
(b) The duck was attacking Will.
(c) the duck attack was a hit and run.
(d) Will thew the object at the duck.

193
6. What does Will do when he sees the older kids going after Marcus in Chapter
16?
(a) He laughs.
(b) He pretends not to see.
(c) He chases them away.
(d) He calls the police.

7. What is Will convinced of in Chapter 14?

(a) That Fiona is not his type.
(b) That Fiona is crazy.
(c) That Fiona is in love with him.
(d) That Fiona is his soulmate.

8. What does Marcus try to force Will and Fiona to do over lunch in Chapter 13?
(a) Discuss their futures.
(b) Converse.
(c) Argue.
(d) Flirt.

9. What does Will ask Suzie in Chapter 12?

(a) If it would be appropriate to take Marcus out for an afternoon.
(b) If Marcus is adopted.
(c) If she would go out with him.
(d) If she needs him to babysit.

10. After many visits from Marcus, what does Will stop doing?
(a) Calling Fiona to pick him up.
(b) Cleaning up for him.
(c) Making his food.
(d) Trying to block him at the door.

11. What happens to the item(s) that Will buys for Marcus in Chapter 16?
(a) They are lost.
(b) They are stolen.
(c) They break.
(d) They are confiscated by Fiona.

12. What does Will find himself looking forward to in Chapter 16?
(a) Marcus going off to college.
(b) Marcus' fish and chips.
(c) Marcus' visits.
(d) His birthday.

194
13. What does Will dislike?
(a) Children.
(b) Football.
(c) Women.
(d) Idleness.

14. Who is Ned?

(a) Will's nephew.
(b) Will's made-up son.
(c) Will's son.
(d) Will's father.

15. How long does Will date this woman in Chapter 4?

(a) One week.
(b) One month.
(c) Several weeks.
(d) Three months.

195
Short Answer Questions
1. What does Will tell himself is nice about his life in Chapter 12?

2. What does Marcus not have a solution for in Chapter 5?

3. Why does Will almost wish he weren't a man in Chapter 6?

4. Where do Marcus and Fiona live?

5. Where does Marcus run into bullies in Chapter 7?

196
Multiple Choice Answer Key
1. C 11. B
2. B 12. C
3. D 13. A
4. C 14. B
5. A 15. C
6. C
7. A
8. B
9. A
10. D

Short Answer Key

1. What does Will tell himself is nice about his life in Chapter 12?

That he is able to fill his days anyway he wants.

2. What does Marcus not have a solution for in Chapter 5?

How to make his mother feel better.

3. Why does Will almost wish he weren't a man in Chapter 6?

He hears horror stories about men who have lied, cheated and abandoned their
families.

4. Where do Marcus and Fiona live?

London.

197
5. Where does Marcus run into bullies in Chapter 7?

The local news agent's store.

198
Final Test - Easy
Name: _________________________ Period: ___________________

This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Fiona conclude of Will when they go out for a drink in Chapter 18?
(a) He is charitable.
(b) He is a mystery.
(c) He is self-centered.
(d) He is dangerous.

2. Besides Fiona, who does Will expect to meet in Chapter 32?

(a) Ellie.
(b) Rachel.
(c) Clive.
(d) Marcus.

3. When does Will fall in love?

(a) On Christmas Day.
(b) On Valentine's Day.
(c) On New Year's Eve.
(d) On his birthday.

4. Why is Will concerned for Marcus in Chapter 32?

(a) He has been sick lately.
(b) Fiona's depression is a constant worry to Marcus.
(c) Because of Kurt Cobain's death.
(d) He is failing school.

5. What does Ellie do to the bully who steals from Marcus?

(a) She hits him with a bat.
(b) She steals his shoes and hat.
(c) She punches him.
(d) She pours a large carton of milk on him.

6. What does Marcus tell Will Ali did in Chapter 27?

(a) That Ali cheated.
(b) that Ali took his new CD.
(c) That Ali told a lie about Marcus.
(d) That Ali threatened to kill him.
199
7. What does Ellie confess to Marcus in Chapter 25?
(a) That she likes Marcus.
(b) That she is moving.
(c) That she knows about Fiona's suicide attempt.
(d) That Marcus is her best friend.

8. Where does Marcus refuse to go in Chapter 31?

(a) To his house.
(b) To see his father.
(c) To school.
(d) To Will's.

9. What does Marcus argue with his mother about in Chapter 17?
(a) His mother's habit of shutting herself in.
(b) His curfew.
(c) The things they eat.
(d) His right to choose to do certain things she does not approve of.

10. What does Marcus promise to do for Will in Chapter 26?

(a) Pretend to be his son.
(b) Cook for him.
(c) Keep Fiona away.
(d) Clean his house.

11. What does Will decide about Christmas in Chapter 18?

(a) He will invite Marcus and Fiona over.
(b) He will volunteer with a charity.
(c) He will stay in and drink instead of celebrating Christmas.
(d) It is his favorite holiday of the year.

12. Who is Ali?

(a) Rachel's son.
(b) Marcus' bully.
(c) Will's nephew.
(d) Marcus' neighbor.

13. Who is Clive?

(a) Fiona's new boyfriend.
(b) Marcus' father.
(c) Marcus' friend.
(d) Will's brother.

200
14. Who is Marcus forced to visit with in Chapter 19?
(a) His smelly aunt.
(b) Will.
(c) The headmistress at his school.
(d) His father.

15. What does Fiona tell Marcus about his father in Chapter 31?
(a) That he is emigrating.
(b) That he is having a child with his girlfriend.
(c) That he is not Marcus' real father.
(d) That his father had an accident.

201
Short Answer Questions
1. Where do Will and Fiona go to eat in Chapter 32?

2. Why does Marcus walk out of school in Chapter 19?

3. Why does Marcus try to keep Ellie from seeing the newspapers in Chapter 31?

4. How does Marcus scare Ellie off in Chapter 25?

5. What does Fiona ask Will to do in Chapter 18 when she calls him?

202
Multiple Choice Answer Key
1. C 11. C
2. B 12. A
3. C 13. B
4. C 14. C
5. C 15. D
6. D
7. C
8. B
9. D
10. A

Short Answer Key

1. Where do Will and Fiona go to eat in Chapter 32?

A pizza parlor.

2. Why does Marcus walk out of school in Chapter 19?

He is mad that the headmistress told him to stay away from bullies.

3. Why does Marcus try to keep Ellie from seeing the newspapers in Chapter 31?

He doesn't want her to learn about Kurt Cobain's death.

4. How does Marcus scare Ellie off in Chapter 25?

By asking her to dance.

203
5. What does Fiona ask Will to do in Chapter 18 when she calls him?

To see Marcus again.

204
Mid-Book Test - Medium
Name: _________________________ Period: ___________________

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short
essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is Will unsuccessful at doing in Chapter 10?
(a) Making a gourmet dinner.
(b) Catching some sleep.
(c) Making Suzie laugh with his best gag.
(d) Consoling Marcus.

2. What does Will realize at the end of Chapter 4?

(a) He should never date single mothers.
(b) He is bored with dating.
(c) Single mothers are the perfect partner for a man afraid of commitment.
(d) He should try to date a married woman.

3. How old is Ned?

(a) One year old.
(b) Four years old.
(c) Two years old.
(d) Five years old.

4. How long does Will date this woman in Chapter 4?

(a) One month.
(b) One week.
(c) Three months.
(d) Several weeks.

5. What does Marcus try to force Will and Fiona to do over lunch in Chapter 13?
(a) Flirt.
(b) Converse.
(c) Argue.
(d) Discuss their futures.

205
Short Answer Questions
1. How old is Will in Chapter 4?

2. Why is dinner stressful in Chapter 1?

3. What does Suzie insist on doing in Chapter 9?

4. What is Will convinced of in Chapter 14?

5. Where does Marcus spend the night in Chapter 10?

206
Short Essay Questions
1. How does Marcus find his mother when he returns home in Chapter 7? What does
she tell him?

2. Why does Marcus blame his mother and teachers for the bullying he faces at school?

3. What does Marcus find at home in Chapter 11?

4. Why does Will buy Marcus shoes?

5. Why does Marcus try to turn off the film in Chapter 11?

6. What does Will think of marriage and children?

207
7. What happens to Marcus' mother in Chapter 1? How does this affect Marcus and how
does he try to make his mother feel better?

8. From whose perspective is the novel "About a Boy" told from?

9. How does Will feel about the drama at the hospital and being there for it?

10. What lie does Will tell in Chapter 8?

208
Multiple Choice Answer Key
1. D
2. C
3. C
4. D
5. B

Short Answer Key

1. How old is Will in Chapter 4?

Thirty-six.

2. Why is dinner stressful in Chapter 1?

Fiona has just been dumped.

3. What does Suzie insist on doing in Chapter 9?

Walking Marcus into his house when she drops him off.

4. What is Will convinced of in Chapter 14?

That Fiona is not his type.

5. Where does Marcus spend the night in Chapter 10?

At Suzie's.

209
Short Essay Answer Key
1. How does Marcus find his mother when he returns home in Chapter 7? What
does she tell him?

When Marcus returns home, he finds his mom lying on the couch watching cartoons
even though she should have been at work. Marcus' mother tells him that she has
arranged for him to go to a picnic with her friend Suzie on Saturday so that she might
have some time to herself.

2. Why does Marcus blame his mother and teachers for the bullying he faces at
school?

Marcus blames his mother in part for his trouble because she does not allow him to
listen to music beyond Joni Mitchell and prefers if he not play the same video games
most of his schoolmates play. The teachers are also to blame, such as the English
teacher who tries to better herself in the eyes of the students by suggesting Marcus is
crazy because he sometimes sings out loud to himself in inappropriate situations.

3. What does Marcus find at home in Chapter 11?

In Chapter 11, Marcus finds a suicide note from his mother while he cleans the
apartment in anticipation of his mother's homecoming. The note does not clarify things,
but leaves Marcus wondering why he was not enough to give his mother a reason to
live.

4. Why does Will buy Marcus shoes?

One day when Marcus arrives at Will's home, there are a group of older kids pelting him
with hard candies. Will chases them off and then asks Marcus about it. That day Will
decides to buy Marcus some new shoes, hoping more popular athletic shoes will help
Marcus fit in at school better. Unfortunately, the shoes are stolen the next day.

5. Why does Marcus try to turn off the film in Chapter 11?

Marcus tries to turn off the film in Chapter 11 because the main character attempts

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suicide over and over again. To his disappointment, Marcus' mother insists on finishing
the film anyway.

6. What does Will think of marriage and children?

Will is afraid of commitment and dislikes children. In fact, during a visit to an old friend
who has just had his second child, Will finds himself making the decision to never have
a child.

7. What happens to Marcus' mother in Chapter 1? How does this affect Marcus
and how does he try to make his mother feel better?

In chapter 1, Marcus feels badly for his mother when he realizes her current boyfriend,
Roger, has just ended their relationship moments before dinner is due to arrive. This
new stress is added to the stress that Marcus and his mother have been under since
their recent move to London from Cambridge. Marcus tries to cheer his mother up, but
finds himself able to only distract her.

8. From whose perspective is the novel "About a Boy" told from?

The novel is told from the point of view of the two main characters, Will and Marcus,
who switch off from chapter to chapter to tell not only the story of their own lives, but
also the story they share.

9. How does Will feel about the drama at the hospital and being there for it?

In Chapter 10, Will accompanies Suzie and Marcus to the hospital and waits while they
learn Fiona's fate. Will tries unsuccessfully to console Marcus. It is arranged for Marcus
to spend the night with Suzie and Will gratefully goes home to wash his hands of the
unpleasant business.

10. What lie does Will tell in Chapter 8?

In Chapter 8, Will makes up a story about his ex-wife coming and taking Ned for the day
when Suzie comes to pick him up for the SPAT picnic.

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Final Test - Medium
Name: _________________________ Period: ___________________

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short
essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who does Ellie say is on the front of her sweatshirt when Marcus asks about
it?
(a) Kirk O'Bane.
(b) Karl Kobain.
(c) Kent Coburn.
(d) Kev O'Base.

2. What does Marcus tell Ellie in Chapter 21?

(a) That she has nice eyes.
(b) That he knows that the man on her sweatshirt is Kurt Cobain.
(c) That he has a crush on her.
(d) That she is a mean person.

3. Why is Will unhappy in Chapter 18?

(a) Marcus has broken an expensive vase in his home.
(b) He has heard his father's song a full five weeks before Christmas.
(c) His date has stood him up.
(d) He is sick for the first time in three years.

4. What does Marcus ask Will about in Chapter 20?

(a) The image on Ellie's shirt.
(b) His biology homework.
(c) Sex.
(d) How to be cool.

5. What does Fiona begin doing in the mornings again in Chapter 29?
(a) Crying.
(b) Vacuuming.
(c) Singing.
(d) Jogging.

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Short Answer Questions
1. Why does Will feel guilty in Chapter 30?

2. What does Fiona conclude of Will when they go out for a drink in Chapter 18?

3. How does Marcus scare Ellie off in Chapter 25?

4. What does Will wonder at the end of Chapter 28?

5. Where does Ellie and Zoe take Marcus in Chapter 21?

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Short Essay Questions
1. Why does Fiona suggest that Marcus visit his father? What makes Marcus agree to
go?

2. Why does Marcus run out of the house in Chapter 26?

3. What do Ellie and Marcus talk about at the party in Chapter 25?

4. How does Fiona react when she finds out about Marcus' visits to Will's house?

5. Why does Will feel hesitant about helping Fiona in Chapter 30?

6. Who is Rachel?

7. What do Will and Fiona discuss in Chapter 32?

214
8. What lie does Will tell Rachel?

9. What disappoints Marcus in Chapter 29?

10. Describe the Christmas dinner in Chapter 22.

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Multiple Choice Answer Key
1. A
2. B
3. B
4. A
5. A

Short Answer Key

1. Why does Will feel guilty in Chapter 30?

Because he did not help Marcus with his mother.

2. What does Fiona conclude of Will when they go out for a drink in Chapter 18?

He is self-centered.

3. How does Marcus scare Ellie off in Chapter 25?

By asking her to dance.

4. What does Will wonder at the end of Chapter 28?

If he is perhaps finally ready for a commitment.

5. Where does Ellie and Zoe take Marcus in Chapter 21?

To the ninth year classroom.

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Short Essay Answer Key
1. Why does Fiona suggest that Marcus visit his father? What makes Marcus
agree to go?

In Chapter 31, Fiona tells Marcus that his father had an accident and he wants to see
Marcus. Fiona says that the accident made his father reflect on his life and that includes
Marcus. Marcus refuses to go, but when he tells Ellie about it, she suggests that she go
with him and tell Marcus' father all the things Marcus cannot. Imagining an hour alone
with Ellie on the train, Marcus quickly arranges it.

2. Why does Marcus run out of the house in Chapter 26?

In Chapter 26, just as Rachel and Will are settling down to have a conversation, Marcus
runs out of the house. It is revealed in Chapter 27 that Ali threatened to kill Marcus and
that is why he left. Will, however, convinces Marcus he is safe and to go back to the
house with him.

3. What do Ellie and Marcus talk about at the party in Chapter 25?

In Chapter 25, Marcus and Ellie hang out and Ellie confesses that he knows Marcus'
mother attempted suicide some months before. To help Marcus out, she makes him an
alcoholic drink. Later, Marcus scares Ellie away by asking her to dance.

4. How does Fiona react when she finds out about Marcus' visits to Will's house?

In Chapter 17, Marcus is forced to tell his mother everything about Will, his visits, and
the shoes when he comes home without any shoes on. Fiona is angry when she learns
Will lied about his son, Ned, and about the visits Marcus has made unsupervised to his
flat. Fiona tells Will to stay away from Marcus.

5. Why does Will feel hesitant about helping Fiona in Chapter 30?

Will does not know what the point of life is, so he feels that he cannot give advice to
Fiona on that subject.

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6. Who is Rachel?

In Chapter 24, Will falls in love at a New Year's Eve party with a woman named Rachel.
Will lies to her about having a son.

7. What do Will and Fiona discuss in Chapter 32?

In Chapter 32, Will meets Fiona in a bar where they are supposed to be joined by
Rachel. However, when Rachel fails to show, Will realizes that Rachel set him up to
make him talk with Fiona. Will takes Fiona to a pizza parlor and Fiona begins to talk
about all the things in her life that have made her depressed. After a while, Will realizes
that all Fiona needs is someone to talk to, almost like what he does when he is trying to
seduce a woman.

8. What lie does Will tell Rachel?

Will realizes the only thing interesting about him is Marcus. Therefore, Marcus allows
Rachel to believe Marcus is his son. This leads to a long conversation that ends with
hope of a future meeting.

9. What disappoints Marcus in Chapter 29?

In Chapter 29, Marcus goes to Will when his mother begins crying in the mornings
again. Will tells Marcus there is nothing he can do because he is not the kind of friend
who can interfere in that kind of situation. Marcus is disappointed, but not surprised by
Will's response.

10. Describe the Christmas dinner in Chapter 22.

In Chapter 22, Marcus invites Will to Christmas and Will cannot find a polite way out of
it. The meal is a disaster because it is some vegetarian loaf created by Fiona. The gifts
are good, but there is a marked difference between the type of gift Marcus' mother gives
Marcus and the ones his father gives him. Will gives him a Nirvana album.

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Mid-Book Test - Hard
Name: _________________________ Period: ___________________

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3)
essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who does Marcus try to hang out with at school in Chapter 5?

2. Where does Will accompany Suzie and Marcus in Chapter 10?

3. What does Marcus begin to imagine during lunch in Chapter 13?

4. What does Marcus believe he has done at the end of Chapter 8?

5. What do Suzie and Marcus discover when they walk inside Marcus' home in Chapter
9?

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Short Essay Questions
1. Why does Will buy Marcus shoes?

2. From whose perspective is the novel "About a Boy" told from?

3. Describe Will's night at Fiona's and Marcus' home in Chapter 14.

4. What does Marcus conclude about his family in Chapter 11?

5. Describe Will as depicted in Chapter 2.

6. How does Will become involved again with Marcus in Chapter 12?

7. How does Will feel about the drama at the hospital and being there for it?

220
8. Why does Marcus try to turn off the film in Chapter 11?

9. What frightens Marcus is Chapter 5?

10. How does Will come to the realization that single mothers are the perfect
companions for men with commitment issues?

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Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Who is the author of the novel? What are some other works he has written? Describe
his writing style.

Essay Topic 2

Marcus struggles with bullying throughout the novel. Why might he be an easy target for
bullies? What does Marcus do to try and avoid the bullies? Who does he blame for the
bullying? What do the authority figures in his life do to help him?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze and interpret the relationship between Marcus and Will. Why do they become
friends? Why do they like spending time with each other? How do they help each other?
How do they help one another grow?

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Short Answer Key
1. Who does Marcus try to hang out with at school in Chapter 5?

Boys from the computer club.

2. Where does Will accompany Suzie and Marcus in Chapter 10?

The hospital.

3. What does Marcus begin to imagine during lunch in Chapter 13?

What it would be like if Will and Fiona wed.

4. What does Marcus believe he has done at the end of Chapter 8?

Killed a duck.

5. What do Suzie and Marcus discover when they walk inside Marcus' home in
Chapter 9?

Fiona has overdosed on pills.

Short Essay Answer Key

1. Why does Will buy Marcus shoes?

One day when Marcus arrives at Will's home, there are a group of older kids pelting him
with hard candies. Will chases them off and then asks Marcus about it. That day Will
decides to buy Marcus some new shoes, hoping more popular athletic shoes will help
Marcus fit in at school better. Unfortunately, the shoes are stolen the next day.

223
2. From whose perspective is the novel "About a Boy" told from?

The novel is told from the point of view of the two main characters, Will and Marcus,
who switch off from chapter to chapter to tell not only the story of their own lives, but
also the story they share.

3. Describe Will's night at Fiona's and Marcus' home in Chapter 14.

Fiona calls and invites Will to dinner and they spend the evening eating a vegetarian
meal Will finds unappetizing and singing romantic ballads he has no interest in.

4. What does Marcus conclude about his family in Chapter 11?

Marcus begins to think that his family should be bigger, more than two people, so that
he might not be alone if his mother were to succeed next time.

5. Describe Will as depicted in Chapter 2.

Will is depicted as someone who is "cool" and who cares very much about image. Will
does not work, but instead lives off the royalty checks from a song his father wrote in
the thirties. Will is a habitual dater, preferring not to tie himself down to one woman, and
he dislikes children.

6. How does Will become involved again with Marcus in Chapter 12?

Thinking of Fiona and Marcus, Will calls Suzie and asks if she thinks it would be
appropriate for him to take Marcus out one afternoon. Suzie promises to ask. However,
Marcus calls Will and tells him he will only go out with him if they can invite his mother
along.

7. How does Will feel about the drama at the hospital and being there for it?

In Chapter 10, Will accompanies Suzie and Marcus to the hospital and waits while they
learn Fiona's fate. Will tries unsuccessfully to console Marcus. It is arranged for Marcus

224
to spend the night with Suzie and Will gratefully goes home to wash his hands of the
unpleasant business.

8. Why does Marcus try to turn off the film in Chapter 11?

Marcus tries to turn off the film in Chapter 11 because the main character attempts
suicide over and over again. To his disappointment, Marcus' mother insists on finishing
the film anyway.

9. What frightens Marcus is Chapter 5?

In Chapter 5, Marcus is frightened to note that his mother's crying began with breakfast
this morning, but he still does not know what to do about it.

10. How does Will come to the realization that single mothers are the perfect
companions for men with commitment issues?

Will decides that dating single mothers is the perfect solution to his commitment phobia.
Single mothers, Will has decided, are jaded against men because of their past
relationships, and they only need a man like Will to fill a hole until they have healed from
their hurts and are ready to go on with their lives. For this reason, Will has decided he
should only date single mothers, suggesting to the reader a way in which Will and
Marcus might one day meet.

225
Final Test - Hard
Name: _________________________ Period: ___________________

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3)
essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does Will feel about Fiona's request in Chapter 18?

2. What can Will not find a polite way out of in Chapter 22?

3. How does Marcus react when he sees Ellie at Suzie's New Year's Eve party?

4. What does Ellie think of her mother's behavior in Chapter 25?

5. What does Marcus tell Will about when he gets to his apartment in Chapter 20?

226
Short Essay Questions
1. What does the reader learn about Ellie's mother in Chapter 25?

2. Why does Will feel hesitant about helping Fiona in Chapter 30?

3. Why does Marcus run out of the house in Chapter 26?

4. How does Fiona react when she finds out about Marcus' visits to Will's house?

5. What happens outside a news agent in Chapter 27?

6. Why does Fiona suggest that Marcus visit his father? What makes Marcus agree to
go?

7. What do Will and Fiona discuss over a drink in Chapter 18?

227
8. What makes Will unhappy enough to skip Christmas in Chapter 18?

9. Why does Marcus try to keep Ellie from reading the papers in Chapter 31?

10. What do Will and Fiona discuss in Chapter 32?

228
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze symbolism in the novel "About a Boy". What are some examples of
symbolism??

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the motif of family in the novel "About a Boy". Describe both Marcus' and Will's
family. Is family important to Marcus? What does Marcus realize about family by the end
of the novel? Why is this realization important for his character?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the setting of the novel. In what way is the setting an important aspect of this
story? How might either Will's or Marcus' life have been different if they had not lived in
London during this time?

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Short Answer Key
1. How does Will feel about Fiona's request in Chapter 18?

He is dumbfounded.

2. What can Will not find a polite way out of in Chapter 22?

Marcus' Christmas invitation.

3. How does Marcus react when he sees Ellie at Suzie's New Year's Eve party?

He is surprised.

4. What does Ellie think of her mother's behavior in Chapter 25?

She thinks it's disgusting.

5. What does Marcus tell Will about when he gets to his apartment in Chapter 20?

His meeting with the headmistress.

Short Essay Answer Key

1. What does the reader learn about Ellie's mother in Chapter 25?

While at the party, Ellie spots her mother making out with a man at the back of the
house. Ellie finds it disgusting, but her mother insists it's her right to do whatever she
wants.

230
2. Why does Will feel hesitant about helping Fiona in Chapter 30?

Will does not know what the point of life is, so he feels that he cannot give advice to
Fiona on that subject.

3. Why does Marcus run out of the house in Chapter 26?

In Chapter 26, just as Rachel and Will are settling down to have a conversation, Marcus
runs out of the house. It is revealed in Chapter 27 that Ali threatened to kill Marcus and
that is why he left. Will, however, convinces Marcus he is safe and to go back to the
house with him.

4. How does Fiona react when she finds out about Marcus' visits to Will's house?

In Chapter 17, Marcus is forced to tell his mother everything about Will, his visits, and
the shoes when he comes home without any shoes on. Fiona is angry when she learns
Will lied about his son, Ned, and about the visits Marcus has made unsupervised to his
flat. Fiona tells Will to stay away from Marcus.

5. What happens outside a news agent in Chapter 27?

Marcus and Ellie go to a news agent, but Marcus decides to wait outside because the
clerk does not want too many people in the store. Outside, Marcus runs into the bullies
who have been bothering him all along. One of the boys steals Marcus' glasses. Ellie
comes out and not only gets the glasses back, but punches the boy too.

6. Why does Fiona suggest that Marcus visit his father? What makes Marcus
agree to go?

In Chapter 31, Fiona tells Marcus that his father had an accident and he wants to see
Marcus. Fiona says that the accident made his father reflect on his life and that includes
Marcus. Marcus refuses to go, but when he tells Ellie about it, she suggests that she go
with him and tell Marcus' father all the things Marcus cannot. Imagining an hour alone
with Ellie on the train, Marcus quickly arranges it.

231
7. What do Will and Fiona discuss over a drink in Chapter 18?

They discuss Marcus. Will convinces Fiona that Marcus only wants to be friends with
Will because Will is cool and can help him with his troubles at school. Fiona decides
that Will is self-centered and again she asks him to stay away from Marcus.

8. What makes Will unhappy enough to skip Christmas in Chapter 18?

In Chapter 18, Will is unhappy because he hears his father's Christmas song five weeks
before Christmas. Will decides he will not celebrate Christmas this year, but will stay in
and drink.

9. Why does Marcus try to keep Ellie from reading the papers in Chapter 31?

On the day that Marcus and Ellie are planning to go visit Marcus' father, Marcus learns
that Kurt Cobain killed himself. Marcus tries to keep Ellie from seeing the papers,
fearing that she will be upset and won't want to go with him, but she tells him she
already knew.

10. What do Will and Fiona discuss in Chapter 32?

In Chapter 32, Will meets Fiona in a bar where they are supposed to be joined by
Rachel. However, when Rachel fails to show, Will realizes that Rachel set him up to
make him talk with Fiona. Will takes Fiona to a pizza parlor and Fiona begins to talk
about all the things in her life that have made her depressed. After a while, Will realizes
that all Fiona needs is someone to talk to, almost like what he does when he is trying to
seduce a woman.

232