Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-3

Reading Check

1. Why did Mariatu and her family members move to Manarma?

2. Why does Mariatu tell the soldiers she likes what she sees?

3. How does Mariatu become disabled in the rebel camp?

4. What does Mariatu ask herself after the rebel soldiers tell her she will be unable to vote for the president?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Mariatu, after witnessing the horrors of the rebel camp, says she wants to die but also tells the soldiers what they want to hear to preserve her life. Why does she do this?

2. Mariatu describes opening her eyes and seeing soldiers young enough that she could have played hide-and-seek with them. Why do you think Mariatu uses this imagery to describe the soldiers? How does this relate to the memoir’s theme of The Loss of Childhood Innocence?

Chapters 4-6

Reading Check

1. Where is Mariatu sent after reaching the hospital in Port Loko?

2. Whom does Mariatu see in the ambulance after leaving Port Loko?

3. Whom does Mariatu meet in the ambulance after accidentally leaning her head on the stranger’s shoulder?

4.