My Name is Leon. Chapters 1-3

Question 1

MNIL Chpt 1: What is the ‘special moment’ the novel opens with?

Answer 1

Leon getting to hold his new born brother for the first time

Question 2

MNIL Chpt 1: What is Leon’s favourite TV programme?

Answer 2

The dukes of hazard

Question 3

MNIL Chpt 2: Who is Bobby?

Answer 3

Tina’s son

Question 3

MNIL Chpt 2: What does Carol call the baby?

Answer 3

Jake

Question 4

MNIL Chpt 3: Who is Tony?

Answer 4

Jake’s dad

Question 5

MNIL Chpt 1: How old is Leon when the novel opens?

Answer 5

Nearly nine

Question 6

MNIL Chpt 1: Complete the quotation that Carol says to Leon ‘Just me and you and him. …’

Answer 6

Always

Question 7

MNIL: Chpt 2 Why does Leon not kiss his mum back when she kisses him goodnight?

Answer 7

She broke a promise about the baby’s name

Question 8

MNIL: Chpt 3 Complete the quotation - “Leon has begun to notice the things that make his mum ______”

Answer 8

Cry

Question 9

MNIL Chpt 2: What does Leon do at school which suggests he likes the baby?

Answer 9

Tells everyone about him

Question 10

MNIL Chpt 2: Which of Carol’s actions below suggest she loves Leon and the baby?

Answer 10

She says ‘Aren’t we lucky’

Question 11

MNIL Chpt 3: Carol tells Tina all about her finding Tony and their conversation. Why might it be significant that, as Leon notices, “Tina isn’t asking questions like she usually does”?

Answer 11

Tina might not be as sure as Carol about Tony’s reliability and whether he did just “forget”.

Question 12

MNIL Chpt 5: What does Leon do when he feels angry with Carol because she leaves him in charge?

Answer 12

Steal coins out of her purse

Question 13

MNIL Chpt 5: Why does Jake stop wearing a nappy?

Answer 13

All the new nappy’s have gone

Question 14

MNIL Chpt 5: Why does Carol’s room smell like Jake’s nappy?

Answer 14

Carol has wet the bed

Question 15

MNIL Chpt 5: Why does Leon go to see Tina?

Answer 15

To borrow some money

Question 16

MNIL Chpt 5: Why did Tina and Carol have a row?

Answer 16

Carol borrowed money and didn’t repay it

Question 17

MNIL Chpt 5: Who is the ‘Zebra’?

Answer 17

A social worker

Question 18

MNIL Chpt 5: In the opening of Chapter 5 which phrase might forshadow the idea that Leon’s life might be about to change? “As soon as the summer holidays start, things get jangled up at home. Leon can go to bed whenever he wants and sometimes he can even go to sleep on the sofa because his mum doesn’t notice.”

Answer 18

Things get jangled

Question 19

MNIL Chpt 5: Why does Leon tell the ambulance lady he isn’t hungry?

Answer 19

He does not want them to think badly of carol

Question 20

MNIL Chpt 5: Leon says that “Social workers have two pretend faces. Pretend Happy and Pretend Sad.” What does this use of the word “pretend” suggest he believes about them?

Answer 20

That they are not honest and don’t tell him the truth

Question 21

MNIL Chpt 5: Leon lists a system or routine he follows to look after Jake. He says “Change the nappy (remember to use the white cream or by the second morning the baby’s bum is sore). Feed the baby but be careful goint downstairs …” What does Kit de Waal use the brackets and further on phrases like “be careful” to suggest about how often Leon is looking after Jake?

Answer 21

Leon has been looking after Jake for a long time-we can see this because the subordinate phrases suggest he has from experience of things going wrong