Question 1

‘It is important to have a person you look up to in your life.’

From the novel that you have read, write about one character that you look up to. Give reasons why you
choose him/her.

Sample Answer 1 :
The novel that I read was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. One character that I looked up to
was Richard.______________.
Firstly,_____________________. This was shown when__________________________. Richard
thought that hunting was not important. Richard could not kill animals. Gus, Richard’s elder brother, was
upset with Richard because Richard purposely misfired. Richard’s father,_________________________.
Pa asked Richard why he purposely missed shooting the buck. Richard told Pa that he had no right to kill
it. ____________________________. Pa told Richard not to go hunting anymore if he did not like it.

Secondly,___________________________. One day, Mrs Hansen asked her class to sign a card
for the Schermers. Someone vandalised the tavern owned by Hannah’s parents. ____________________.
Mrs Hansen brought a card to express regret for what had happened. The troublemakers like Abner, Harry,
Blanche and Peggy refused to sign the card. They warned other classmates not to sign the card.
However, _____________________________________________. After school, Richard took the card
from Mrs Hansen. He wanted to give the card to Hannah.____________________________ _. Later,
Hannah apologised to Richard for being rude. This was the beginning of their friendship.

Thirdly,___________________________. This was shown when Richard told his family and Mrs
Kilmer was Richard’s pen pal. Richard learnt about Mr Kilmer when Richard’s English teacher, Mrs
Hansen read a poem to the class. The title of the poem was “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. ________________.
However, he kept this as a secret from everyone. _________________. He wanted to know whether he
should tell his secret to everybody. One day, Richard received a letter from Mr Kilmer. Mr Kilmer advised
Richard to overcome his fear. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to share his poetry with people around
him. _______________________. Gus did not believe that Mr Kilmer was famous. . Gus advised Richard
not tell anyone he wrote poetry. He wanted Richard to fit in with other people. Everyone called him a Hun
Lover after he signed the card for Hannah. The next day, ____________________. He showed her Mr
Kilmer’s letter. Mrs Hansen helped Richard to choose a poem. Richard would send the poem to Mr
Kilmer. ____________________. Some of his classmates, including Blanche and Peggy, were deeply
moved by his poem. They started to respect Richard.

In conclusion,_________________________________ _.
 Richard wrote a letter to Mr Kilmer
 As advised by Mrs Hansen, Richard shared Mr Kilmer’s latest letter and his poem with
the class
 Richard purposely missed shooting a buck
 There were three reasons why I looked up to Richard
 Pa did not believe that Richard wrote poetry
 I admired and respected Richard because he had good personalities
 Richard told Mrs Hansen that he wrote poetry
 Hannah accepted the card reluctantly
 Nobody was interested when Richard told his family about Mr Kilmer’s letter and his
secret
 Richard asked for Mr Kilmer’s advice
 In his letter, Richard told Mr Kilmer that he wrote poems too
 Richard was brave
 Richard told Pa that he felt painful and sad to kill an animal
 Richard was kind
 Richard was the only student who signed the sympathy card for Hannah Schermer
 Pa, was also disappointed with Richard
 he loved animals
 They painted “Dirty Huns” all over the walls
Question 2
Using the details from the novel that you have studied,
 Describe what happens at the end of the novel.
 Explain why you find the ending either happy or sad.

Sample Answer 2 :

The novel that I read was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. At the end of the story,
_______________. This was a happy ending.
Richard Knight had a secret. Nobody knew that he wrote poetry including his family, teachers and
schoolmates. One day, __________________, Mrs Hansen read a poem to the class. The title of the poem
was “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer.__________________. He enlisted in the army. He wrote a letter to Mr
Kilmer. In his letter, Richard told Mr Kilmer that he wrote poems too. Richard asked for Mr Kilmer’s
advice. ________________________. A few days later, Richard received a letter from Mr Kilmer. Mr
Kilmer advised Richard to overcome his fear.________________________. Nobody was interested when
Richard told his family about Mr Kilmer’s letter and his secret. Gus did not believe that Mr Kilmer was
famous. Pa did not believe that Richard wrote poetry. Richard asked whether his family members wanted
to read his poems._______________________________.
One day, Richard received a bad news about Mr Kilmer._________________________. Richard
wrote a poem as a tribute to Mr Kilmer. In the poem, Richard likened Mr Kilmer to the “world”. The
tribute was printed in the local newspaper, “The Turtle Lake Weekly”._______________. Richard was
afraid that his father was going to be angry at him. His father did not like Richard writing poems.
____________________________________. His father never told Richard about this story. Roland was
killed in a war in Cuba. His father regarded Roland as his “world”.___________________. Richard
continued writing poems about farm life for the local newspaper. Richard got his father’s help as he was an
experienced farmer. Every night, Richard read his poems aloud. His father would correct or give
suggestions to improve the poems.___________________________.
In conclusion, ____________________________________.

 Richard learnt about Mr Kilmer when Richard’s English teacher

 Richard’s father read the poem
 the ending of this story was truly heart warming when a father and a son finally got along through
the love of poetry
 He wanted to know whether he should tell his secret to everybody
 Nobody was interested so Richard was sad
 After reading the poem, his father told Richard about what happened to Richard’s uncle, Roland
 Richard’s father finally supported his passion in writing poetry
 His father finally supported Richard’s passion in writing poetry
 His father was amazed how Richard could use the same word in his tribute
 Mr Kilmer was killed in the war between the Allies and the Germans
 Mr Kilmer was a famous poet
 Mr Kilmer advised Richard to share his poetry with people around him
Question 3

Using the details from the novel that you have studied, write about a difficult decision made by one of the
characters.
With close reference to the text, do you think this was the right decision?

Sample Answer 3 :

The novel that I studied was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. A difficult decision made by
Richard was to tell people that he wrote poetry. This was the right decision.
Richard Knight had a secret. Nobody knew that he wrote poetry including his family, teachers and
schoolmates. One day, Richard learnt about Mr Kilmer when Richard’s English teacher, Mrs Hansen read a
poem to the class. The title of the poem was “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. Mr Kilmer was a famous poet. He
enlisted in the army. He wrote a letter to Mr Kilmer. In his letter, Richard told Mr Kilmer that he wrote
poems too. Richard asked for Mr Kilmer’s advice. He wanted to know whether he should tell his secret to
everybody.
A few days later, Richard received a letter from Mr Kilmer. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to
overcome his fear. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to share his poetry with people around him. Nobody was
interested when Richard told his family about Mr Kilmer’s letter and his secret. Gus did not believe that
Mr Kilmer was famous. Pa did not believe that Richard wrote poetry. Richard asked whether his family
members wanted to read his poems. Nobody was interested. Richard was sad.
The next day, Richard told Mrs Hansen that he wrote poetry. He showed her Mr Kilmer’s
letter. Mrs Hansen helped Richard to choose a poem. Richard would send the poem to Mr Kilmer. As
advised by Mrs Hansen, Richard shared Mr Kilmer’s latest letter and his poem with the class. Some of his
classmates, including Blanche and Peggy, were deeply moved by his poem. They started to respect
Richard. Hannah suggested a different ending to Richard’s poem.
In conclusion, Richard was a brave boy when he decided to tell his secrets to everyone.
Question 4
Based on the novel you have studied, write about an event that makes you angry?
With close reference to the text, give reasons why the event makes you feel this way.

Sample Answer 4 :

The novel that I studied was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. An event that made me angry was
when the Schermers’ tavern was vandalised. I was angry because of two reasons.
Firstly, I was angry because some Turtle Lake people were being unfair to the Schermers. They
vandalized the Schermers tavern. They painted “Dirty Huns” all over the walls. They said that the
Schermers were Huns. Some Turtle Lake people believed that Huns were a barbaric clan originated from
Germany. They said that the Schermers were unpatriotic because they spoke German and served Hun food
at their tavern while a war was going on against Germany.
Secondly, I was angry because Richard’s classmates were being unkind to the Schermers after the
Schermers’s tavern was vandalised. Mrs Hansen brought a card to express regret for what had
happened Mrs Hansen asked her class to sign the card. The troublemakers like Abner, Harry, Blanche and
Peggy refused to sign the card. They warned other classmates not to sign the card. The boys were afraid
Abner and Harry would hit them. The girls worry that popular girls like Peggy and Blanche would not
speak to them. However, Richard was the only student who signed the sympathy card for Hannah
Schermer. After school, Richard took the card from Mrs Hansen. He wanted to give the card to Hannah.
Hannah accepted the card reluctantly. Later, Hannah apologised to Richard for being rude. This was the
beginning of their friendship.
In conclusion, the event where the Schermers was being mistreated infuriated me. I truly believed
that discrimination was unjust.
Question 5
Suggest one character in the novel you have read who you think is a good role model for teenagers.
Briefly describe the character and give reasons for your choice with close reference to the text.

Sample Answer :

The novel that I read was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. A good role model for teenagers was
Richard. Richard was 15 years old. He was tall, pale and slender. Richard was Mr Knight’s son. He was
Angie and Gus’s younger brother. He was Mr Kilmer’s pen pal and Hannah’s best friend. He loved poetry.
There were three reasons why I chose Richard.
Firstly, he was kind. One day, Mrs Hansen asked her class to sign a card for the
Schermers. Someone vandalised the tavern owned by Hannah’s parents. They painted “Dirty Huns” all
over the walls. Mrs Hansen brought a card to express regret for what had happened. The troublemakers like
Abner, Harry, Blanche and Peggy refused to sign the card. They warned other classmates not to sign the
card. The boys were afraid Abner and Harry would hit them. The girls worry that popular girls like Peggy
and Blanche would not speak to them. However, Richard was the only student who signed the
sympathy card for Hannah Schermer. After school, Richard took the card from Mrs Hansen. He wanted
to give the card to Hannah. Hannah accepted the card reluctantly. Later, Hannah apologised to Richard for
being rude. This was the beginning of their friendship.

Secondly, Richard was brave. This was shown when Richard told his family he wrote poetry.
Before telling his secret to his family, Richard wrote a letter to Mr Kilmer. Mr Kilmer was Richard’s
pen pal. Richard learnt about Mr Kilmer when Richard’s English teacher, Mrs Hansen read a poem to the
class. The title of the poem was “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. In his letter, Richard told Mr Kilmer that he
wrote poems too. However, he kept this as a secret from everyone. Richard asked for Mr Kilmer’s advice.
He wanted to know whether he should tell his secret to everybody. One day, Richard received a letter from
Mr Kilmer. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to overcome his fear. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to share his
poetry with people around him. Nobody was interested when Richard told his family about Mr
Kilmer’s letter and his secret. Gus did not believe that Mr Kilmer was famous. Pa did not believe that
Richard wrote poetry. Richard asked whether his family members wanted to read his poems. Nobody was
interested. Richard was sad. Gus advised Richard not tell anyone he wrote poetry. He wanted Richard to fit
in with other people. Everyone called him a Hun Lover after he signed the card for Hannah.

Thirdly, he was supportive. Hannah and Richard won the roles of Lady Liberty and the Doughboy
respectively because they wrote the best essays. Mrs Hansen asked the class to write an essay as one of the
activities for a patriotic programme which helped sell Liberty bonds. Many students were angry when
Hannah won the role. They regarded Hannah as an unpatriotic German although she was an American
citizen. Hannah told Richard that her essay started a little war in Turtle lake. She did not want to cause any
more problems. So she declined the role of Lady Liberty. Richard wanted to support Hannah. Therefore,
Richard declined his part as the Doughboy. His family, his schoolmates and the Turtle Lake People
criticized him for turning down his role. They called him unpatriotic and a traitor. These criticisms never
stopped Richard from standing up for what was right.
In conclusion, Richard was a good role model for teenagers because he had good personalities.

Question 6
Which character in the novel do you sympathize with? Explain whyyou sympathize with this character
with close reference to the text.

Sample Answer 6 :
The novel that I read was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. The character I sympathized with was
Hannah Schermer. There were three reasons why I sympathized with her.
Firstly, her schoolmates called her ‘Dirty Hun’. They even scrawled “Dirty Hun” all over her book
cover. Some Turtle Lake people believed that Huns were a barbaric clan originated from Germany. They
said that the Schermers were unpatriotic because they spoke German and served Hun food at their tavern
while a war was going on against Germany. Starting from this incident, the Schermers were always being
mistreated by some of the Turtle Lake people.
Secondly, her parents’ tavern was vandalised. They painted “Dirty Huns” all over the walls. Mrs
Hansen asked her class to sign a sympathy card for the Schermers. The troublemakers like Abner, Harry,
Blanche and Peggy refused to sign the card. They warned other classmates not to sign the card. The boys
were afraid Abner and Harry would hit them. The girls worry that popular girls like Peggy and Blanche
would not speak to them. However, Richard was the only student who signed the sympathy card for
Hannah Schermer.
Thirdly, people unfairly denied her role as Lady Liberty.Hannah won the roles of Lady Liberty
because she wrote the best essay. Mrs Hansen asked the class to write an essay as one of the activities for a
patriotic programme which helped sell Liberty bonds. Many students were angry when Hannah won the
role. They regarded Hannah as an unpatriotic German although she was an American citizen. Some parents
complained to the principal and demanded Mrs Hansen to choose someone else. Mrs Hansen did not
change her mind. Hannah told Richard that her essay started a little war in Turtle lake. She did not want to
cause any more problems. So she declined the role of Lady Liberty. Richard wanted to support Hannah.
In conclusion, although Hannah Schermer and her family was mistreated by some Turtle Lake
people, they remained calm and patient.

Question 7
It is important to stand up for what is right. Discuss how this is portrayed in the novel you have read.
Sample Answer 7:
The novel that I read was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. The statement “It is important to stand up for
what is right” was portrayed by Richard in three different events.
Firstly, this statement was portrayed when Richard purposely missed shooting a buck. Richard thought that
hunting was not important. Richard could not kill animals. Gus, Richard’s elder brother, was upset with
Richard because Richard purposely misfired. Richard’s father, Pa, was also disappointed with Richard. Pa
asked Richard why he purposely missed shooting the buck. Richard told Pa that he had no right to kill
it. Richard told Pa that he felt painful and sad to kill an animal. Pa told Richard not to go hunting anymore
if he did not like it. Even though Pa disagreed with Richard’s opinion about hunting, he did not force
Richard to do what he hated.
Secondly, this statement was portrayed when Richard was the only student who signed a sympathy card for
the Schermers. When the Schermers’ tavern was vandalized, Mrs Hansen asked her class to sign a
sympathy card for them. The troublemakers like Abner, Harry, Blanche and Peggy refused to sign the card.
They warned other classmates not to sign the card. The boys were afraid Abner and Harry would hit them.
The girls worry that popular girls like Peggy and Blanche would not speak to them. However, Richard was
the only student who signed the sympathy card for Hannah Schermer. Richard believed that the Schermers
were discriminated by some Turtle people because they were Germans.
Thirdly, this statement was portrayed when Hannah declined the role of Lady Liberty. Hannah and Richard
won the roles of Lady Liberty and the Doughboy respectively because they wrote the best essays. Mrs
Hansen asked the class to write an essay as one of the activities for a patriotic programme which helped
sell Liberty bonds. Many students were angry when Hannah won the role. They regarded Hannah as an
unpatriotic German although she was an American citizen. Hannah told Richard that her essay started a
little war in Turtle lake. She did not want to cause any more problems. So she declined the role of Lady
Liberty. Richard wanted to support Hannah. Therefore,Richard declined his part as the Doughboy. His
family, his schoolmates and the Turtle Lake People criticized him for turning down his role. They called
him unpatriotic and a traitor. These criticisms never stopped Richard from standing up for what was right.
In conclusion, Richard was truly a character who stuck to his principles to do what was right.

Question 8
“People should be allowed to follow their dreams.”
Write about a character who wants to realise his or her dream.
Sample Answer :
The novel that I read was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. A character who wanted to realise his dream
was Richard. Richard wanted to be a poet.
Richard Knight had a secret. Nobody knew that he wrote poetry including his family, teachers and
schoolmates. One day, Richard learnt about Mr Kilmer when Richard’s English teacher, Mrs Hansen read a
poem to the class. The title of the poem was “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. Mr Kilmer was a famous poet. He
enlisted in the army. He wrote a letter to Mr Kilmer. In his letter, Richard told Mr Kilmer that he wrote
poems too. Richard asked for Mr Kilmer’s advice. He wanted to know whether he should tell his secret to
everybody. A few days later, Richard received a letter from Mr Kilmer. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to
overcome his fear. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to share his poetry with people around him. Nobody was
interested when Richard told his family about Mr Kilmer’s letter and his secret. Gus did not believe that
Mr Kilmer was famous. Pa did not believe that Richard wrote poetry. Richard asked whether his family
members wanted to read his poems. Nobody was interested. Richard was sad.
One day, Richard received a bad news about Mr Kilmer. Mr Kilmer was killed in the war between the
Allies and the Germans. Richard wrote a poem as a tribute to Mr Kilmer. In the poem, Richard likened Mr
Kilmer to the “world”. The tribute was printed in the local newspaper, “The Turtle Lake Weekly”.
Richard’s father read the poem. Richard was afraid that his father was going to be angry at him. His father
did not like Richard writing poems. After reading the poem, his father told Richard about what happened to
Richard’s uncle, Roland. His father never told Richard about this story. Roland was killed in a war in
Cuba. His father regarded Roland as his “world”. His father was amazed how Richard could use the same
word in his tribute. Richard continued writing poems about farm life for the local newspaper. Richard got
his father’s help as he was an experienced farmer. Every night, Richard read his poems aloud. His father
would correct or give suggestions to improve the poems. His father finally supported Richard’s passion in
writing poetry.
In conclusion, Richard faced many obstacles in his journey of becoming a poet. In the end, he managed to
realise his dream.

Question 9
‘Family supports family.’
With close reference to the text, how far is this true of the novel you have studied?
Sample Answer :
The novel that I read was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. The statement “Family supports family” was
not true in the beginning of the story. However, it became true at the end of the story.
Richard Knight had a secret. Nobody knew that he wrote poetry including his family, teachers and
schoolmates. One day, Richard learnt about Mr Kilmer when Richard’s English teacher, Mrs Hansen read a
poem to the class. The title of the poem was “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. Mr Kilmer was a famous poet. He
enlisted in the army. He wrote a letter to Mr Kilmer. In his letter, Richard told Mr Kilmer that he wrote
poems too. Richard asked for Mr Kilmer’s advice. He wanted to know whether he should tell his secret to
everybody. A few days later, Richard received a letter from Mr Kilmer. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to
overcome his fear. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to share his poetry with people around him. Nobody was
interested when Richard told his family about Mr Kilmer’s letter and his secret. Gus did not believe that
Mr Kilmer was famous. Pa did not believe that Richard wrote poetry. Richard asked whether his family
members wanted to read his poems. Nobody was interested. Richard was sad.
One day, Richard received a bad news about Mr Kilmer.Mr Kilmer was killed in the war between the
Allies and the Germans. Richard wrote a poem as a tribute to Mr Kilmer. In the poem, Richard likened Mr
Kilmer to the “world”. The tribute was printed in the local newspaper, “The Turtle Lake Weekly”.
Richard’s father read the poem. Richard was afraid that his father was going to be angry at him. His father
did not like Richard writing poems. After reading the poem, his father told Richard about what happened to
Richard’s uncle, Roland. His father never told Richard about this story. Roland was killed in a war in
Cuba. His father regarded Roland as his “world”. His father was amazed how Richard could use the same
word in his tribute. Richard continued writing poems about farm life for the local newspaper. Richard got
his father’s help as he was an experienced farmer. Every night, Richard read his poems aloud. His father
would correct or give suggestions to improve the poems. His father finally supported Richard’s passion in
writing poetry.
In conclusion, the bond in a family strengthened when family supported each other.

Question 10
The main character is a strong-willed person. How is this shown in the novel? Support your answer with
close reference to the text.
Sample Answer 10 :
The novel that I read was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. The statement “Family supports
family” was not true in the beginning of the story. However, it became true at the end of the story.
Richard Knight had a secret. Nobody knew that he wrote poetry including his family, teachers and
schoolmates. One day, Richard learnt about Mr Kilmer when Richard’s English teacher, Mrs Hansen read a
poem to the class. The title of the poem was “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. Mr Kilmer was a famous poet. He
enlisted in the army. He wrote a letter to Mr Kilmer. In his letter, Richard told Mr Kilmer that he wrote
poems too. Richard asked for Mr Kilmer’s advice. He wanted to know whether he should tell his secret to
everybody. A few days later, Richard received a letter from Mr Kilmer. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to
overcome his fear. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to share his poetry with people around him. Nobody was
interested when Richard told his family about Mr Kilmer’s letter and his secret. Gus did not believe that
Mr Kilmer was famous. Pa did not believe that Richard wrote poetry. Richard asked whether his family
members wanted to read his poems. Nobody was interested. Richard was sad.
One day, Richard received a bad news about Mr Kilmer.Mr Kilmer was killed in the war between
the Allies and the Germans. Richard wrote a poem as a tribute to Mr Kilmer. In the poem, Richard likened
Mr Kilmer to the “world”. The tribute was printed in the local newspaper, “The Turtle Lake Weekly”.
Richard’s father read the poem. Richard was afraid that his father was going to be angry at him. His father
did not like Richard writing poems. After reading the poem, his father told Richard about what happened to
Richard’s uncle, Roland. His father never told Richard about this story. Roland was killed in a war in
Cuba. His father regarded Roland as his “world”. His father was amazed how Richard could use the same
word in his tribute. Richard continued writing poems about farm life for the local newspaper. Richard got
his father’s help as he was an experienced farmer. Every night, Richard read his poems aloud. His father
would correct or give suggestions to improve the poems. His father finally supported Richard’s passion in
writing poetry.
In conclusion, the bond in a family strengthened when family supported each other.

Suggest one character in the novel that you admire the

most.
Describe the character briefly and give reason for your
choice with close reference to the text.
 In the novel Dear Mr.Kilmer by Anne Schraff, one
character I admire a lot is Richard Knight.
I admire him for his compassion. He empathises
with wildlife species. When Richard was younger,he was
traumatised when he saw his grandfather killing a deer.
When his father takes him out on his first hunting mission,
he feels it is wrong to kill wildlife for pleasure. He could not
bring himself to shoot the deer.This is because he has a
compassionate heart.

I also admire Richard as he is courageous. When

Mrs Hansen suggests that the class send a goodwill card
to the Schermers, no one dares to defy the boycott led by
Abner Lewis and Harry Carver - except Richard Knight . He
is the only student in class who signs the goodwill card.
This shows that he is an independent thinker who does not
follow the crowd.
Finally, I admire him for his love for poetry .Richard
Knight loves poetry and secretly writes poems, but there is
no one at home to share them with. It is Mrs Hansen, his
school teacher ,who introduces Richard to the poems of
Joyce Kilmer. Richard writes to Joyce Kilmer about his
desire to write better as a poet. When Kilmer dies in battle
in Europe, he writes a poem In Memory of Sergeant Kilmer.
This poem is not only a tribute to Joyce Kilmer ;it is a
prayer for an end to all wars.
In conclusion, Richard Knight is a character whom I
truly admire.