Son of the Mob

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

Chapters 1-5

Reading Check

1. What organization does Vince’s family belong to?

2. Who teaches Vince what he must do on his date with Angela?

3. What business did Vince and his brother believe his family ran?

4. Who is assigned to Tommy to keep him out of trouble?

5. What activity do Vince and Alex decide to join to attract girls?

6. Where do Vince and Tommy attend a party?

7. Whom does Vince meet at Tommy’s apartment?

8. What does Kendra’s father 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 does Vince discover on his date, and how does it illustrate his frustration with his family?

2. How does Vince’s frustration with his family extend to his extracurricular activities?

3. What is the significance of Vince’s father’s nightly address to “Agent Bite-Me”?

Paired Resource

“The Original Gangster Style Guy”

• This article profiles a predecessor to the gangsters of the New York underworld and his possible influence on their style of dress. (Content Warning: may not be appropriate for all groups; mentions murder and capital punishment)
• Whom does the article credit with the establishment of a common gangster style of dress? How does this relate to the way Vince’s mother wants him to dress preppy? How is this article connected to the novel’s theme of The Power of Appearances and Status Symbols?

Chapters 6-10

Reading Check

1. What audience does Vince appeal to while designing his website?

2. Whom does Vince suspect of giving him head lice?

3. What does Kendra’s father have installed after Vince jumps out his window?

4. What is Uncle Shank known for?

5. Whom does Vince intercede for with his father?

6. What is the name of Jimmy’s club?

7. Whom does Vince believe to be a better performer at karaoke than Kendra?

Short Answer

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

1. Why does Vince lie to Kendra about his phone number?

2. What does Vince decide it takes to make him a criminal?

3. In what ways is Vince forced to fabricate his lifestyle to cover up his criminal ties?

Paired Resources

FBI in Gang Investigations

• This article describes the FBI’s involvement in investigating gang activity.
• How many street gangs are active in the United States today? How do gangs control the neighborhoods they are involved in? What steps has the FBI taken to prevent gang activity? How is this article related to the novel’s theme of How to Live a Moral Life?

Hierarchy of the Mafia

• This 16-minute video describes crime families based on the experience of an eyewitness.
• Consider watching to 5:32 for the sake of time. You might mention to students that Cosa Nostra (“our thing” in Italian) is another name for the Mafia.
• What are some of the rules of Mafia families? How are Mafia families divided? What is the hierarchy of the families? How is this video related to the novel’s themes of How to Live a Moral Life, The Power of Appearances and Status Symbols, and The Difficulty of Breaking Away from Family?

Chapters 11-15

Reading Check

1. How does Vince get the cash Jimmy owes his father?

2. Whom does Vince decide to intervene for after having another conversation with Jimmy?

3. Whom does Kendra introduce to her father while she is in the mall?

4. What famous couple does Vince believe Kendra compares their relationship to?

5. What is the name of the business Ed and Jimmy have invested in?

6. Whom does Vince discover checking on him during his date with Kendra?

Short Answer

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

1. Why do Vince and Kendra have their first fight?

2. Why does Vince confess who his family is to Kendra?

3. What is unusual about Vince’s cat website? What does Kendra think about it?

4. Why does Kendra break up with Vince?

Paired Resource

Romeo and Juliet

• This 4-minute animated video describes the plot of Romeo and Juliet.
• What is Romeo and Juliet about? What comparisons can be drawn between Romeo and Juliet’s relationship and Vince and Kendra’s relationship? How is this video related to the novel’s theme of The Difficulty of Breaking Away from Family?

Chapters 16-20

Reading Check

1. Whom does Vince decide to confront to discourage him from bothering Jimmy and Ed?

2. Who does Vince discover is behind the false club?

3. Who is responsible for hanging the homecoming posters?

4. Who is the FBI’s inside man?

5. Where does Vince store the incriminating evidence of his brother’s shady business?

6. Who told Kendra the truth about Vince’s involvement with Jimmy and Ed?

Short Answer

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

1. What does Jimmy do when he sees Vince at his business?

2. What happened to Jimmy and Ed’s businesses?

3. What deal does Vince strike with Ray?

Recommended Next Reads

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

• This novel is about a high school student who is falsely accused of stalking a classmate amidst abusive family dynamics.
• Shared topics include crime, complicated teen relationships, and family drama.
• Shared themes include How to Live a Moral Life and The Difficulty of Breaking Away from Family.
• Twisted on SuperSummary

The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton

• This coming-of-age novel is about a 14-year-old boy who is involved in a gang war with a rival gang.
• Shared topics include gangs, crime, and gang family dynamics.
• Shared themes include How to Live a Moral Life and The Power of Appearances and Status Symbols.
• The Outsiders on SuperSummary