Frankly in Love

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 1-9

Reading Check

1. What business do Frank’s parents run?

2. In which class does Frank work with Brit as a partner?

3. What is Craft Exploit?

4. What object does Frank intend to show Brit but actually ends up showing Joy?

Short Answer

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

1. Why is Hanna estranged from Frank’s parents?

2. What does Frank criticize about his parents when they are driving through the Chinese neighborhood?

3. What similarity does Joy see in her situation and Frank’s?

4. To what does the term “jeong” refer?

5. What actions at the Gathering indicate how pleased Frank’s father is with the idea that Frank and Joy are dating?

Paired Resource

“Two Kinds”

• This classic Amy Tan vignette explores the complex feelings the daughter of a Chinese immigrant mother has regarding her mother’s expectations.
• This resource relates to the theme of Cultural Identity and Belonging, Parents as Flawed Humans, and Authenticity and Self-Discovery.
• What does the last line of this vignette communicate about how the narrator feels about her childhood? How were the pressures her mother put on her related to her mother’s immigration? How is the narrator’s reaction to these pressures related to the ways her own cultural experience differs from her mother’s? How do the narrator’s experiences and Frank’s compare?

“Speak Up: Responding to Everyday Bigotry”

• This page from the Southern Poverty Law Center contains links to a number of suggestions about responding to bigotry, classified according to social situations. Students might read the 2-3 entries that interest them most, or class members might divide the entries and then hold a general discussion.
• This resource relates to the themes of Parents as Flawed Humans and Authenticity and Self-Discovery.
• What advice do you think the SPLC would give Frank about his parents’ attitude toward Black, Hispanic, and Chinese people? Why does he want to speak up against their bigotry? What prevents him from taking more of a stand? What does this tell you about Frank’s journey toward becoming an independent and authentic adult?

CHAPTERS 10-15

Reading Check

1. What do the Limbos ask Joy about that makes Frank and Joy realize they need to let the Limbos in on their plan?

2. What excuse does Frank give his mother for Joy’s absence from the barbecue?

3. What is the name of the pop-up museum where Frank and Brit run into Joy and Wu?

4. What terrible news does Frank get while he is trying to comfort Joy?

Short Answer

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

1. What lie does Frank tell Q when they are discussing Frank’s relationship with Brit?

2. Once Frank finally tells Q the whole truth, what advice does Q give Frank about his relationship with Brit?

3. When Brit says she would like to come over and meet Frank’s parents, what compromise does Frank suggest?

4. Why does Frank hesitate to tell Brit he loves her after she tells him she loves him?

5. When Joy calls Frank for a ride, what is she upset about?

Paired Resource

“American History”

• This often-anthologized short story from Judith Ortiz Cofer tells the story of Elena, a young Puerto Rican living in New York and trying to come to terms with the racism of the 1960s.
• This resource relates to the themes of Cultural Identity and Belonging, Parents as Flawed Humans, and Authenticity and Self-Discovery.
• How does Elena’s relationship with Eugene compare to Frank’s relationship with Brit and Joy’s relationship with Wu? How do the parents in “American History” compare to the parents in Frankly in Love? How do the flaws and weaknesses of the parents in these stories impact their relationships with their children? Do Frank and Elena share similar attitudes toward their families’ cultures of origin? How might the settings of their stories matter to their attitudes?

CHAPTERS 16-27

Reading Check

1. What is the topic of the four web searches?

2. What nickname does Frank use to refer to the group of Korean young people who perform the song and dance at the wedding?

3. What does Wu do after finding out about the fake dating between Frank and Joy?

4. Whose father does Frank’s father argue with about business?

Short Answer

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

1. When he is waiting in the hospital for news about his father, which of his friends is Frank honest with and which of his friends does he keep his father’s condition secret from?

2. What difference do Frank and Q observe in their beliefs about being Korean versus being Black?

3. Why does Frank feel jealous of Brit’s parents after their lunch at the Korean restaurant?

4. Why is Frank’s and Joy’s experience at the Korean street festival both positive and negative?

5. What is revealed after Frank’s father pulls the car over and gets sick to his stomach?

Paired Resource

“They Left South Korea for the American Dream. Now Their Children Are Moving Back”

• This 2023 CNN article discusses the quest of several Korean immigrants to find a sense of belonging either in the US or in Korea.
• This resource relates to the themes of Cultural Identity and Belonging and Authenticity and Self-Discovery.
• Has Frank experienced the feeling of not fitting into American society because of his Korean heritage? How do his experiences compare with the experiences of the people profiled in this article? Are there other situations besides immigration that might make people feel that they never quite fit in, no matter where they go?

CHAPTERS 28-37

Reading Check

1. What is Frank’s top-choice college?

2. How does Frank’s mother make sure that his father is able to see Frank’s graduation?

3. What game do Frank and Q play while Frank’s ankle heals?

4. Before Frank leaves for college, for whom does his father try to give him a message?

Short Answer

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

1. What is the irony referred to in the chapter title “Hi Irony”?

2. How does the family adjust their running of The Store as Frank’s father’s health continues to decline?

3. How do Frank’s and Joy’s attitudes about their hidden relationship differ?

4. What gesture do the Songs make to try to heal the rift between their family and the Lis?

5. What does Frank learn about Q when he stops at Q’s house to return his dice?

Recommended Next Reads 

The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

• On the eve of her family’s deportation, Jamaican teenager Natasha meets and develops a romantic relationship with Daniel, a Korean American teenager.
• Shared themes include Cultural Identity and Belonging, Parents as Flawed Humans, and Authenticity and Self-Discovery.
• Shared elements include young adult realistic fiction, coming-of-age, romance, diverse voices, Korean Americans, Black Americans, and parental expectations.
• The Sun Is Also a Star on SuperSummary

It’s Not Like It’s a Secret by Misa Sugiura

• Japanese American teenager Sana struggles with her desire to fit in and decides to hide important parts of herself from her family and peers, including the fact that she is falling in love with her Latina classmate, Jamie.
• Shared themes include Cultural Identity and Belonging, Parents as Flawed Humans, and Authenticity and Self-Discovery.
• Shared elements include young adult realistic fiction, coming-of-age, romance, own voices, and parental expectations.