Rules of the Road

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

Chapters 1-3

Reading Check

1. Where does Jenna work?

2. Who is Jenna’s boss?

3. Who goes to Jenna’s workplace intoxicated?

4. What does Jenna’s mother do for a living?

Short Answer

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

1. What characteristics make Jenna adept at selling shoes to customers?

2. How does Jenna feel about her father, and what are the things he has done to create tension in their relationship?

3. Why is Jenna uncertain about driving Mrs. Gladstone to different places?

Paired Resource

Alcoholism

• This 15-minute video describes the effects of alcohol and how it can develop into alcoholism.
• The information in this resource connects to the themes of The Power of Speaking Uncomfortable Truths and Difficult Parent-Child Relationships.
• What are the effects of alcohol on the brain? How might the regular use of alcohol develop into alcoholism? What are some of the symptoms of withdrawal from alcohol? What are the indications of Alcohol Use Disorder? Which treatment options are the most effective?

Chapters 4-6

Reading Check

1. What does Mrs. Gladstone wish Jenna to be?

2. Who does Mrs. Gladstone intend to hand her company over to?

3. How does Opal describe Mrs. Gladstone?

Short Answer

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

1. Why is it surprising Mrs. Gladstone chooses Jenna as her driver?

2. What about driving Mrs. Gladstone appeals to Jenna? Why does Jenna feel that way?

3. How does Jenna’s mother feel about her trip with Mrs. Gladstone?

4. What is the purpose of the scrapbook and memory board Jenna uses with her grandmother? How might these items assist Jenna’s grandmother?

Paired Resource

“What Is Alzheimer’s Disease?”

• This 4-minute video describes Alzheimer’s Disease: its causes, symptoms, and treatment.
• This content might connect through discussion to the theme of The Power of Speaking Uncomfortable Truths.
• Is there a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease? How did the disease receive its name? What are some symptoms of Alzheimer’s? What are the causes? What are the stages of Alzheimer’s? What treatments are available?

Chapters 7-11

Reading Check

1. According to Mrs. Gladstone, who hired Miles?

2. What does Elden purchase to gain control of the Gladstone company?

3. What is X-rayed when Mrs. Gladstone is sent to the hospital by ambulance?

4. Where does Mrs. Gladstone instruct Jenna to drive her after her hospital stay?

Short Answer

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

1. What is Jenna’s impression of the first shoe store she visits on her trip, and what is her justification for this impression?

2. Why is Mrs. Gladstone frustrated about her relationship with her son and company? What is Elden’s influence over Mrs. Gladstone’s company?

3. How does Shoe Warehouse measure up to Mrs. Gladstone’s company? What indications from the novel support your assessment of Shoe Warehouse?

Paired Resource

“What Are Stocks and How Do They Work?”

• This 10-minute video describes the purpose of stock in companies.
• Themes connected to this video include Difficult Parent-Child Relationships and The Power of Speaking Uncomfortable Truths.
• What is a stock? What is the purpose of owning stock? How do owners of stock influence the company? Why do most people buy and own stocks? What can companies do with the money used to purchase stocks?

Chapters 12-16

Reading Check

1. Who must meet with Elden when he first requests a meeting in St. Louis?

2. What group is Harry revealed to be part of?

3. What is Jenna’s father’s occupation?

Short Answer

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

1. What suggestions does Alice make regarding Jenna’s appearance, and how do they make Jenna feel? What is likely Alice’s motive for the suggestions?

2. How is Mrs. Gladstone’s mood buoyed by visiting the Gladstone stores?

3. What actions and interactions depict Elden’s character and motive for his attempted takeover of Gladstone’s?

Paired Resource

“Use it or Lose it: The Science Behind Self-Confidence”

• This article describes scientific research on confidence and provides tips to increase confidence.
• Shared themes include Building Self-Esteem.
• Do external factors influence confidence? What is the role of neuroplasticity in changing behavior? Why is risk important in building confidence? Why might feelings of insecurity be inhibiting for individuals? What tips are provided in the article to help increase confidence?

Chapters 17-23

Reading Check

1. Who does Jenna wish is her father?

2. What does the young man in the mall ask Jenna to do?

3. What does Mrs. Gladstone give to Jenna that is worth over $1,000?

4. Who is killed in a drunk driving accident?

Short Answer

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

1. How does Jenna’s perspective on her interactions with her father change, and what does she imagine herself doing to bring about these changes?

2. What surprises Jenna about Ken, and how does she feel about his character?

3. What is Harry able to inspire in Jenna to motivate her to keep fighting for the Gladstone company? How is his inspiration reflected at the funeral and in encouraging Mrs. Gladstone to keep fighting?

Chapters 24-28

Reading Check

1. What does Elden give to Jenna after firing her?

2. What is Jenna’s father arrested for?

3. What does Jenna do with her grandmother after purchasing her first car?

Short Answer

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

1. What reason does Mrs. Gladstone give for resigning, and what has she witnessed that supports her decision to do so?

2. What is Faith’s realization after experiencing her father’s phone calls while Jenna is gone?

3. What strategy does Jenna use to address her father’s alcohol addiction?

Recommended Next Reads

Big Mouth and Ugly Girl by Joyce Carol Oates

• This dual narrative follows two teens as they navigate complicated family and school dynamics, as well as teenage friendship and feelings of insecurity.
• Shared themes include The Power of Speaking Uncomfortable Truths, Difficult Parent-Child Relationships, and Building Self-Esteem.
• Shared topics include feelings of insecurity, dysfunctional families, and teenage angst.
• Content Warning: Discussion of a school bombing
• Big Mouth and Ugly Girl on SuperSummary

Gym Candy by Carl Deuker

• This novel is about a boy who strives to follow in his father’s footsteps as a professional football player and eventually turns to steroids to increase his likelihood of success.
• Shared themes include The Power of Speaking Uncomfortable Truths, Difficult Child-Parent Relationships, and Building Self-Esteem.
• Shared topics include substance use, familial pressure, and difficult choices.
• Content Warning: Teen drug use; violence; depictions of suicide
• Gym Candy on SuperSummary