Finding Langston

1. Where did Langston live before moving to Chicago? (short answer)

2. How does Langston feel about Miss Fulton?

A) He is scared of her.

B) He thinks she is uppity.

C) She makes him laugh.

D) He thinks she talks too much.

3. What makes Langston think other kids in his class didn’t grow up in Chicago?

A) because of the food in their lunches

B) because he’s seen their families and heard them talking

C) because of the music they like

D) because they don’t have jackets for the cold weather

4. Just as the school bullies begin pestering Langston in Chapter Two, what does he remember?

A) his father telling him to stand up for himself

B) his long car ride to Chicago

C) his grandmother’s illness

D) his mother’s funeral

5. What does Langston hide when his father returns with groceries in Chapter Three?

A) his tears

B) his library books

C) a letter

D) a picture of his mother

6. Once inside the library, what surprises Langston?

A) He doesn’t see any books.

B) He hears a lot of noise.

C) He sees a lot of Black people.

D) He sees Lymon.

7. Why does Henry discourage Langston’s interest in reading?

A) Henry himself never learned to read.

B) Henry can’t afford to buy books for Langston.

C) Henry thinks Langston should help Miss Fulton instead.

D) Henry thinks Langston should be active like other boys.

8. Why doesn’t Langston share his feelings of loneliness and sadness with his father?

A) He doesn’t want to give his father more to worry about.

B) He’s afraid his father will send him back to Alabama.

C) He doesn’t like talking to his father.

D) He’s afraid his father will talk to his teacher about it.

9. On his second visit to the library, Langston sees a series of portraits on display featuring whose faces?

A) those of US Presidents

B) those of African American writers

C) those of local honor students

D) those of the library board members

10. Why does Miss Cook tell Langston that the George Cleveland Hall branch of the Chicago Public Library is open to all Chicago residents?

A) He wonders if it is for members only.

B) He wonders if it is for whites only.

C) He wonders if it is for Blacks only.

D) He wonders if it is for residents of the surrounding neighborhood only.

11. The first book Langston checks out of the library is a volume of poetry. Who is the poet? (short answer)

12. Who chose Langston’s name?

A) his father

B) his grandmother

C) his grandfather

D) his mother

13. How does Langston feel about Henry sending money to his aunt every month?

A) He thinks his aunt is spending too much money.

B) He admires his father for taking care of family.

C) He wishes his father would keep more money to spend on his needs.

D) He thinks his aunt should get a job.

14. When someone in a store calls Henry ‘country,’ and Langston asks if he is offended, how does Henry respond?

A) He says he is not ashamed of his roots.

B) He says other people’s opinions don’t matter.

C) He says it is best to ignore insults.

D) He says city people are uppity.

15. While looking for his key, what does Langston find under his father’s bed? (short answer)

16. Langston’s memories of his grandmother reveal what about her?

A) She is quiet and ladylike.

B) She thinks reading is a sign of laziness.

C) She always wants to look her best.

D) She is strong and capable.

17. Why does Langston’s father think Chicago is a better place to live than Alabama?

A) He likes having modern conveniences, like indoor plumbing.

B) He can earn a living without humbling himself to white people.

C) He never enjoyed living in the country.

D) He thinks the schools in Chicago are better.

18. What does Henry think Langston should do when Lymon picks on him?

A) laugh at him

B) fight back

C) turn the other cheek

D) tell his teacher

19. Why is it important that Henry always arrives on time for work?

A) His boss will use any excuse to give Black workers a hard time.

B) His boss gives out free coffee in the morning.

C) He gets a bonus if he is never late.

D) He hopes his boss will be impressed and give him a promotion.

20. Miss Cook helps Langston find a biography. What is a biography? (short answer)

21. With what does Miss Fulton surprise Langston the evening his father leaves for Alabama?

A) a list of tasks she needs help with

B) the best meal he has eaten since moving to Chicago

C) the money she says she owes him for carrying her groceries

D) a book about Alabama

22. Why does Langston think his mother did not write the poem he sees in her letter to his father?

A) She liked to laugh, and the poem is too serious.

B) The poem is too confusing.

C) His mother was too practical to care about poetry.

D) His mother was too tired to write poetry.

23. What does Langston learn about Langston Hughes from the library book?

A) He was born in Alabama.

B) He didn’t like Chicago.

C) He was lonely, too.

D) He never went to college.

24. What does Langston think when he sees Clem at the library?

A) Clem must be lost.

B) Clem is following him.

C) Clem must live nearby.

D) Clem likes reading, too.

25. Langston is surprised to discover Miss Fulton feels the same way he does about what?

A) Chicago

B) magnolia trees

C) poetry

D) school

26. What does Langston hope to hide from Clem after they arrive at the library together in Chapter Fifteen? (short answer)

27. Where does Langston come across the same poem he saw in his mother’s letter?

A) in The Weary Blues, by Langston Hughes

B) in the Caroling Dusk, by Countee Cullen

C) in the book Miss Fulton let him borrow

D) in a blues song

28. Why does Langston finally fight back against Lymon in the school yard?

A) Lymon laughs at his book.

B) Lymon makes fun of his father.

C) Lymon tears pages from his book.

D) Lymon punches him again.