Chapters 1-4

Reading Check

1. Turtle (Chapter 1)

2. Mickey Mouse (Chapter 2)

3. Chiapas (Chapter 3)

4. El Cristo Rey (Chapter 4)

Short Answer

1. Rico is adventurous and Victor is cautious. When Rico instructs Victor to crawl under a cactus where Rico has hidden money, Rico is frightened to crawl under the cactus because he is worried about rattlesnakes. (Chapter 1)

2. Victor’s father was killed by a collapsing wall in South Carolina four years ago. His father’s death, according to Rico, has made him cautious. (Chapter 2)

3. Rico believes the United States is the “land of opportunity.” He likes everything American, including their cars, their music, and fashions. He wears a yellow baseball cap over his short, bleached hair as a way to emulate American culture. (Chapter 2)

Chapters 5-8

Reading Check

1. Money (Chapter 5)

2. Miguel Escobar (Chapter 6)

3. Honduras (Chapter 8)

Short Answer

1. Victor takes a bus ride bound for Guadalajara but is removed from the bus when he cannot produce identification. He decides to walk on the tracks following the North Star until he sees a train with others on it.