Theories of Relativity

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. What does the fourth person give Dylan?

2. What kind of book does Dylan pick up at the library?

Short Answer

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

1. Why is Jenna afraid of encountering police?

2. Why does Dylan prefer the library to the youth center?

Paired Resource

“Why US Libraries Are on the Frontlines of the Homelessness Crisis”

• This article from The Guardian explains the importance of libraries in the fight against homelessness.
• This article relates to the Consequences of Life on the Streets theme.
• How are libraries adapting to the uptick in the homeless population? In what ways are libraries equipped to help homeless people? In what ways are libraries unprepared to help homeless people? How has the purpose of libraries shifted as the homeless population has grown?

Chapters 4-6

Reading Check

1. When was Dylan kicked out of his house?

2. Who accompanies Dylan when he visits his old school?

Short Answer

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

1. What does Dylan learn about Twitch after staying at Brad’s house?

2. Why is Dylan rejected for the coffee shop job?

Chapters 7-9

Reading Check

1. What photograph does Dylan keep with him?

2. What kind of flyer does Dylan get at the youth center?

Short Answer

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

1. How does Dylan know Amber?

2. What is Dylan’s theory about bullies?

Paired Resource

Federal Programming for Youth Homelessness

• This US government site offers descriptions of and information on the different kinds of programs for addressing and preventing youth homelessness.
• How do the descriptions in the article compare with Dylan’s environment?

Chapters 10-12

Reading Check

1. What drug was Twitch given in elementary school?

2. Where does Glen take Dylan?

Short Answer

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

1. What does Ainsley reveal about her past?

2. Why doesn’t Amber warn Jenna about Vulture’s plans for her?

Chapters 13-15

Reading Check

1. Where does Dylan go in Chapter 13?

2. Where does Twitch take Dylan for shelter?

3. What does Glen offer Dylan?

Short Answer

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

1. What does Ainsley suspect about Jenna’s home life?

2. Why doesn’t Dylan tell Dan the truth about who he is?

Paired Resource

“Homeless as a Child, a School Dropout at 15, an Engineering Supervisor at 18”

• This article shows the importance of alternative schools as a resource for disadvantaged youth.
• This article ties into the theme of Choosing to Accept Help.
• In what ways are Dylan and James Flanagan from the article similar? How does James’s experience with the alternative school parallel what Dylan wants? Do you think Dylan will accept Glen’s offer? Why or why not?

Chapters 16-18

Reading Check

1. What does Glen surprise Dylan with?

Short Answer

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

1. Why doesn’t Dylan’s mom have any contact with her parents?

2. How does Dylan feel when he finally looks at his grandfather?

Chapters 19-21

Reading Check

1. Why can’t Dylan’s father go buy alcohol?

2. What does Amy give Dylan before taking him to the bus stop?

Short Answer

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

1. Why isn’t Dylan sure if he wants to see his father?

2. Why does Dylan attack his father?

Chapters 22-25

Reading Check

1. What do Lurch and the Bandana Kids take from Dylan?

2. What does Jenna give Dylan?

3. What does Dylan find in Vulture’s apartment?

Short Answer

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

1. Why is Gladdy’s advice important?

2. Why does Dylan leave the factory despite his condition?

Paired Resource

“Homelessness and Addiction”

• This article shares statistics regarding addiction and the homeless population, exploring the link between the two. (Content Warning: This resource discusses drugs, alcohol, mental illness, substance abuse, physical and sexual abuse, and assault.)
• This resource has to do with the Consequences of Life on the Streets theme.
• In what ways do drug addiction and homelessness perpetuate one another? How can addiction impact one’s ability to get off the streets? How does Dylan’s experience reflect the statistics in the article?

Chapters 26-28

Reading Check

1. Who does Dylan see in the library restroom while hallucinating?

Short Answer

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

1. What is Dylan’s version of the theory of relativity?

2. How does Dylan plan to get out of his “black hole”?

Recommended Next Reads 

Becoming Chloe by Catherine Ryan Hyde

• This young adult novel follows the lives of two street children, Jordy and Chloe, as they set off on an adventure to find beauty in the world.
• A shared theme is The Consequences of Life on the Streets.
• Shared topics include abuse, homelessness, and youth.

Can’t Get There From Here by Todd Strasser

• A group of homeless teens struggling to survive on the streets decides they must do what they can to prevent their newest arrival, a 12-year-old girl, from being consumed by the harsh realities of street life.
• Shared themes include The Consequences of Life on the Streets and Choosing to Accept Help.
• Shared topics include homelessness, surviving harsh weather, abusive families, and addiction.