1: How does the narrator affect the story?

His change in perspective leads to a better relationship with his mom.

His willingness to help his mom allows her to succeed at her dreams.

His determination to succeed at baseball spoils his mother's cooking class.

His selfishness damages his relationship with his mother.

2: How does the narrator change over the course of the story?

He becomes more determined to pursue a career as a professional baseball player.

He doesn’t understand his mom, but he begins to appreciate her more.

He starts to be more understanding of how hard his mom works to provide for him.

He realizes that his mom will never understand him.

3: Which sentence from the passage is the best evidence that the narrator understands why his mother is taking the cooking class?

"Working together we cut some flowers and leaves out of the dough and plopped them onto the pie."

"But she was working on that pie crust just as hard as I'd worked to master my pitches."

'"Hey, Mom? I was thinking...maybe you could bake a pie for the team next week?'"

"Mom had a photo on her desk: me on the pitcher's mound, throwing a fastball."

4: How does the first-person narration affect the reader’s understanding of the main character?

It gives the reader an opportunity to understand the narrator's relationship with his mother.

It offers his perspective on his previous experiences of his mom’s cooking.

It provides insight into why baseball is so important to him.

It allows the reader to see the reason for his attitude at the start and how his attitude changes.

5: How does the narrator interact with his mother at the beginning of the story?

The narrator tolerates his mother's quirkiness and need to always be taking classes.

The narrator is annoyed that his mother makes him go to her class before driving him to practice.

The narrator is furious that his mother isn't making him and his needs a priority.

The narrator feels embarrassed being in a cooking class with his mother.

6: How do the events of the story change the narrator?

He recognizes that his mom will never support him or understand him, and he tries to accept that.

He shows his mom that he is old enough to make his own choices, and she accepts his decision.

He decides he will never again allow his mom to interfere with his plans to be a professional baseball player.

He changes his perspective and understanding of his mother when he see her work so hard at baking.