An Island Like You: Stories of the Barrio

When Rita tried to practice Zen, her grandmother thought she was...

• fainting

• pretending to be asleep

• going into a diabetic shock

• having an asthma attack

What did Arturo do after Johann related his life story?

• helped Kenny Matoa memorize his sonnet

• recited John Donne's poem "The Flea"

• fished his Shakespeare book out of the dumpster

• wrote a poem about Nazi Germany for Johann

Naomi showed Luis the picture she had drawn of him...

• driving a car

• sitting on top of hubcaps

• working on her car

• sitting on the tree outside her home

What happened when Abuelo Arturo asked to be a teacher in the army?

• They gave him a job cleaning the latrines

• He was given a job broadcasting the news in Spanish

• They assigned him a post in the jungle

• He was put in a remedial reading class

After Matoa woke up on the sidewalk, he

• carried the mirror up to his apartment

• took the mirror into the alley and shattered it

• looked up and down the street for the mirror

• realized the "mirror" was a television screen

What did Yolanda imagine she heard her father whisper after the salsa dance?

• "Take care of Mami"

• "She needs to dance, hija"

• "Don't forget me"

• "The jibaro is a good man"

Why was Connie embarrassed in church?

• Abuela was lost on her way back from taking communion

• Her abuela fell asleep and was snoring

• Abuela insisted on praying loud in Spanish

• The other girls saw her in her horrible blue dress she had to wear.

Mrs. O'Brien offered Valentin and Teresa year-round jobs after they

• made hundreds of dollars selling Valentin's animals

• taught Pabilto how to swim

• rescued Pablito from the pool

• organized a craft class for the kids

When Anita returned to Frank's Deli, she imagined it was a

• snake pit

• warm nest

• spinning carousel

• sticky spiderweb

Rick Sanchez told Doris that while growing up, he too

• felt invisible

• loved animals

• was the class clown

• lost his mother