Essay Questions

What transformational chunk of Alice McKinley’s life does this book cover?

Alice is not reluctant at all about leaving elementary school behind to pursue the mysterious world of middle school. At least, not until after her terrible first day in seventh grade. Alice’s life continues along its merrily unpredictable way in this entry in the long-running series. This particular entry covers what is usually seen beforehand as being a momentous period in a child’s live, but which afterward is not necessarily often looked back upon as being that big a deal: the first semester of middle school. Reluctantly Alice begins with the first day of school in September and ends with Christmas break just beginning.

What are some things we learn about Alice in this book?

Almost right off the bat, one of the first new things learned about Alice is that despite starting seventh grade, she has never seen a pair of naked female breasts. This information will prove to be of some minor significance. Less significant, but equally interesting in developing an understanding of her character, the reader is also provided direct entry into some of Alice’s favorite things courtesy of a student profile in the school newspaper. Her favorite food is rather idiosyncratic: French-fried onions. The also learns some information that allows for the deduction that Alice is at heart a California girl: she loves the ocean and her favorite type of popular music is country rock.

What is the unexpected form of the wildly successful apology Patrick and Alice make to Mr. Hensley?

Patrick and Alice have been having a good time passing notes back and forth which are made up of cartoon drawings of their World Studies teacher, Mr. Hensley. When the passing fails one time, however, and Mr. Hensley discovers the cartoons they start feeling shameful even though their teacher has proven himself too gentlemanly to let them know he knows who is responsible. In order to make it up, they put their all into one of his assignments: a timeline charting the major events of the Russian Revolution. They eagerly and energetically complete the project early and the result makes it clear that it is one of the highlights of Hensley’s teaching career.