Healer of the Water Monster

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-book review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which statement best illustrates the parallels between Pond and Uncle Jet?

A) Both are suffering and in need of healing.

B) Both are experiencing conflicts with relatives.

C) Both are deeply concerned about the environment.

D) Both are spiritually strong but physically weak.

2. Which of the following events most clearly foreshadows Pond’s sickness?

A) Nathan’s mother documents a protest against a pipeline.

B) Nathan and Nali drive past Church Rock Mine.

C) Nathan is annoyed by the lack of running water in Nali’s home.

D) Nathan throws away a mostly empty water bottle.

3. Which statement best explains why Nali decides to spend her summer in the Diné Homelands?

A) She wants to honor her family’s history and heritage.

B) She wants to teach her nephew about nature.

C) She wants the peace and quiet of the desert.

D) She wants time away from her relatives in the city.

4. Which is the most logical explanation for Nathan’s decision to hug Leandra at the end of the novel?

A) He feels grateful that she attended Uncle Jet’s ceremony.

B) He missed her during his journey to the Third World.

C) He accepts his parents’ divorce and knows their separation is not her fault.

D) He pretends to like Leandra because he wants his father to be happy.

5. Which character gives Nathan a positive role model of a Navajo man connected to his culture?

A) Devin

B) Uncle Jet

C) Nathan’s father

D) Nathan’s grandfather

6. Which statement most clearly expresses the idea this novel communicates about heroism?

A) A hero must be fearless.

B) A hero must have dreams.

C) A hero must fight for peace.

D) A hero must look within.

7. Which statement most clearly expresses the idea this novel communicates about nature?

A) Nature must be respected by humans.

B) Nature is meant to be used by humans.

C) Nature cannot be tamed by humans.

D) Nature is more important than humans.

8. Which statement most clearly expresses the idea this novel communicates about family?

A) Sometimes relatives help each other, but pain outweighs the love.

B) Sometimes relatives hurt each other, but love outweighs the pain.

C) Sometimes relatives forgive each other, but they can’t forget the pain.

D) Sometimes relatives are far from each other, but their hearts remain close.

9. Which of the following best expresses what Pond symbolizes in the novel?

A) The natural world that has been exploited by humans

B) The Navajo stories kept alive through oral tradition

C) The magical power of a child’s imagination

D) The natural cycle of life, death, and rebirth

10. Which statement best explains why Nathan returns to the desert in the Epilogue?

A) He wants to make sure that Nali is not lonely.

B) He wants his father to experience nature.

C) He wants to learn sand painting from Devin.

D) He wants to teach Pond’s little sister songs.

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. How does Nathan demonstrate his intelligence throughout the novel?

2. In what ways is Nathan still the healer of the water monster despite Pond’s death at the end of the novel?