Final Review: Fiction

It was Halloween and Valerie was dressed as Princess Rosemary from her favorite TV show, The Princess Club. As Valerie was collecting candy, she noticed another little girl wearing a Princess Rosemary costume. Valerie began rolling around on the ground and screaming about how she wanted to be the only Princess Rosemary. Valerie's tantrum continued long after the other Princess Rosemary vanished from sight. What character trait does Valerie BEST demonstrate?

• Even-tempered: Valerie kept her cool when she saw the other girl in the Rosemary costume.

• Spoiled: Valerie wants to be the only one in the Rosemary costume and hates that she has to "share the spotlight" with another girl.

• Confident: Valerie knows that she looks the best in the Rosemary costume which is why she wants to be the only one wearing it.

• Stubborn: Valerie does not want to give in to the other girl in the same Rosemary costume and is determined to be the only girl in the costume.

Orson sat on the couch. He wanted to change the television station, but the remote was all the way at the end of the couch by his feet. Orson sort of scooted toward it and attempted to grab it with his feet. The remote fell and landed several feet away from him. Orson quit trying to change the channel and just watched whatever was playing. What character trait does Orson BEST demonstrate?

• Methodical- using several methods, Orson gets what he wants- he changes the TV channel.

• Reckless- He knocked the remote on the floor in his attempt to reach it.

• Selfish- He wants to change the channel to something he likes instead of just being happy with the current program.

• Lazy- He is too lazy to sit up and get the remote properly and when he fails he doesn't try again and settles for a boring program.

Every Friday at Pike Elementary is pizza day. Mary loves pizza day and looks forward to it all week. Not because she enjoys eating the pizza, but because she loves to throw the pepperonis at the unpopular kids at the other tables. When one of the uncool kids gets fed up and starts crying, Mary feels terrible about her actions. She immediately apologizes and becomes friends with the so-called "losers" that she picked on before.

What type of character is Mary?

• Dynamic - Throughout the story, she did not change and continued to be mean and careless toward her classmates.

• Static - Throughout the story, she did not change and continued to be mean and careless toward her classmates.

• Dynamic - By the end of the story, she changed and apologized for her actions. She no longer hurt her classmates' feelings and became friends with them.

• Static - By the end of the story, she changed and apologized for her actions. She no longer hurt her classmates' feelings and became friends with them.

A theme is the big idea in a story. It's the message about people or the world that the author is trying to get across. Themes are universal, which means they are true in all times and all places. They apply to many different types of people.

Read the following passage from a story.

Rohan triumphantly lifted the trophy above his head. Despite all the obstacles, he had won. Beneath his cheerful exterior, he felt a twinge of the constant pain he’d learned to live with. Almost unconsciously, Rohan removed one hand from the trophy and rubbed the thin red scar that snaked around his ankle. He thought back to the surgery and the weeks spent lying in his bed, unable to compete. The months of exercises to strengthen his leg. “Rohan!” he heard the crowd scream, as if in slow motion. A smile broke across Rohan’s face, shattering his thoughts. He returned his hand to his trophy, firmly grasping it.

Which of the following is most likely a theme of the story?

• Some goals are too hard to achieve even if you try many times.

• Through determination, you can overcome big challenges.

• You need the support of your family to overcome challenges.

• When you achieve a goal, you shouldn’t brag about it.

Stories that come from different parts of the world, cultures or time periods can have the same theme.

Read the following passage from a story.

Eriene gazed across the field, noticing how peaceful Creature's Cove seemed now. The only evidence of the battle were the scorched patches of earth dotting the landscape like a sunburn. Eriene clasped the jade pendant that dangled heavily under her robe. Her great-aunt's words echoed in her head. "This necklace has always belonged to the protector of what is good and just in the kingdom. Now, it belongs to you."

Eriene had passed her first test, the dragon no longer a threat to the kingdom's way of life. Wisps of smoke drifted up from the land that its poisonous breath had burned. Soon, new grass would poke through, and memories of the battle would recede into the past. But Eriene knew this was not the end. This dragon lay slain in the Yonderland. But its spirit would return again and again in different forms.

Which of the following is most likely a theme of the story?

• Evil can easily be defeated.

• Good people are difficult to find.

• Good and evil always exist together in the world.

• People often forget the things they don't want to remember.

In most stories, you have to analyze the characters' traits and the events of the plot to infer the theme. Characters are the people, animals or creatures in stories. The plot is the sequence of events in the story.

Read the following passage from a story.

Marta was stumped. She had turned the details of the case over and over in her head, trying to figure out the answer. The suspect had somehow entered the store, stolen the artwork and exited without leaving any trace or fingerprints. Marta paced, her movements matching her storm of thoughts. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the new technological device she had been given to use, which she'd been avoiding like the plague. "I wonder…" she thought.

Hesitantly, Marta typed the details of the case into the device's keyboard. It whirred and spat out a list of similar cases and how they'd been solved. Reading through the information, Marta was amazed. She had been pondering for hours, but within 30 seconds of using this device, she found her answer! With new respect, she rushed off.

Which detail from the passage provides the best clue that a theme of the story is "technology can have good effects"?

• "The suspect had somehow entered the store, stolen the artwork and exited without any trace or fingerprints."

• "Marta paced, her movements matching her storm of thoughts."

• "Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the new technological device she had been given to use, which she'd been avoiding like the plague."

• "She had been pondering for hours, but within 30 seconds of using this device, she found her answer!"

You and your friend might analyze the plot and the characters of a story and come up with two different correct themes.

Read the following passage from a story.

Wind whipped at Vanessa, Mo and Jaime's faces as they trudged up the mountain. "Do you have the ice samples?" Vanessa questioned Mo again."Why don't you carry them the rest of the way?" he responded irritably. Mo was digging into his backpack to retrieve the samples when suddenly, a gust of wind snatched them out of his hands, sending them tumbling down the mountain."

If we lose those, this was all for nothing!" Vanessa cried. The wind roared angrily, churning flakes of snow that had newly begun to fall. How far had the samples gone? The three scientists stared at each other in horrified silence."

I'll go back for them," Jaime spoke up quietly.

Vanessa and Mo looked at Jaime. He was the smallest and youngest of the group, barely strong enough to carry his large backpack.

"I'll go," he said louder.

Which sentence from the passage provides the best clue that a theme of the story is "Courage can be found in the people you least expect it"?

• "'Why don't you carry them the rest of the way?'" he responded irritably.

• "How far had the samples gone?"

• "The wind roared angrily, churning flakes of snow that had newly begun to fall."

• "He was the smallest and youngest of the group, barely strong enough to carry his large backpack."

The Land of Candy spread before me. I licked my lips as chocolate bunnies bounded through the peanut butter fields. I heard the songs of the sour gummy birds in the taffy trees. My tummy rumbled when I saw caramel cobwebs spun by sugar spiders in rock candy caves. I wanted to eat everything that I saw, but Mr. Travis had warned me against that. He said that the elders would view me as a monster if

word got out that I was ravaging the Land of Candy to appease my sweet tooth.

What is the point of view?

• first person

• second person

• third person limited

• third person omniscient

Rudy took a bite of the sandwich. Even though he did not like eggs, he knew that eating it would make Marissa happy. It did. Marissa was pleased as punch to see Rudy enjoying the sandwich that she had made for him. "Do you like it?" Marissa asked excitedly. Rudy lied with a big fake smile, "Yup! Eggs are my favorite. This is so good." Nothing could have made Marissa happier.

What is the point of view?

• first person

• second person

• third person limited

• third person omniscient

"You need to try harder, Kyle, if you want to graduate," Mr. Jenkins intoned. Kyle nodded his head, but he wasn't really listening. He was picturing himself snowboarding down a mountain while Mr. Jenkins lectured him. Somehow, Kyle knew exactly where to put the "uh-huhs" even though he wasn't listening to a word that Mr. Jenkins was saying. "Do you want to graduate, Kyle?" Mr. Jenkins asked.

"Uh-huh," replied Kyle.

What is the point of view?

• first person

• second person

• third person limited

• third person omniscient