Dear Mr.

Kilmer
Question 1 (SPM 2007)
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 Event

The novel that I read was Dear Mr Kilmer by Anne Schraff. One character that I
looked up to was Richard. There were three reasons why I looked up to Richard.

Firstly, he loved animals. This was shown when Richard purposely missed 1
shooting a buck. Richard thought that hunting was not important. Richard could not kill
animals. Gus, Richards elder brother, was upset with Richard because Richard purposely
misfired. Richards 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. 4
Secondly, Richard was kind. One day, Mrs Hansen asked her class to sign a card
for the Schermers. Someone vandalised the tavern owned by Hannahs 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. 2
Later, Hannah apologised to Richard for being rude. This was the beginning of their
friendship.
Thirdly, Richard was brave. This was shown when Richard told his family and
Mrs Hansen that he wrote poetry. Before telling his secret to his family and Mrs
Hansen, Richard wrote a letter to Mr Kilmer. Mr Kilmer was Richards penpal. Richard 5
learnt about Mr Kilmer when Richards 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 Kilmers 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 Kilmers
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. The next day, Richard told Mrs Hansen that he
wrote poetry. He showed her Mr Kilmers 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 Kilmers 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 Richards poem.

In conclusion, I admired and respected Richard because he had good personalities.

 Question 2 (SPM 2008)
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 Event

The novel that I read was Dear Mr Kilmer by Anne Schraff. At the end of the
story, Richards father finally supported his passion in writing poetry. This was a happy
ending.
2
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 Richards English teacher, Mrs Hansen read a poem to the class. The title of the 5
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 Kilmers 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 7
family about Mr Kilmers 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. Richards 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
Richards 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 fathers 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 Richards passion in
writing poetry.

In conclusion, the ending of this story was truly heartwarming when a father and a
son finally got along through the love of poetry.
Question 3 (SPM 2009)
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 Event

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.
2
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 Richards 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
5
poems too. Richard asked for Mr Kilmers 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 Kilmers letter 5
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
Kilmers 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 Kilmers 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 Richards poem.

In conclusion, Richard was a brave boy when he decided to tell his secrets to
everyone.
Question 4 (SPM 2012)
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 Event

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.
4
Firstly, I was angry because some Turtle Lake people were being unfair to the
3
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. 4

Secondly, I was angry because Richards classmates were being unkind to the
Schermers after the Schermerss 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 (SPM 2015 Similar to SPM 2007)
Suggest one character in the novel you have read who you think is agood role model for teenagers.
Briefly describe the character and give reasons for your choice with close reference to the text.

Sample answer Event

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 Knights son. He was Angie and Guss younger brother. He was
Mr Kilmers penpal and Hannahs best friend. He loved poetry. There were three reasons
why I chose Richard. 4

Firstly, he was kind. One day, Mrs Hansen asked her class to sign a card for the
Schermers. Someone vandalised the tavern owned by Hannahs 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 2
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 Richards penpal. Richard learnt about Mr Kilmer whenRichards 5
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 Kilmers 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 6
Richard told his family about Mr Kilmers 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 (SBP Trial 2016)
Which character in the novel do you sympathize with? Explain whyyou sympathize with this
character with close reference to the text.

Sample answer Event

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.
3
Firstly, her schoolmates called her Dirty Hun. They evenscrawled 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 4
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 6
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 (Kedah Trial 2016)
It is important to stand up for what is right. Discuss how this is portrayed in the novel you have read.

Sample answer Event

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 1
buck. Richard thought that hunting was not important. Richard could not kill animals. Gus,
Richards elder brother, was upset with Richard because Richard purposely misfired.
Richards 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 Richards opinion about 4
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, 6
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 (N9 Trial 2016)
People should be allowed to follow their dreams.
Write about a character who wants to realise his or her dream.

Sample answer Event

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 2
family, teachers and schoolmates. One day, Richard learnt about Mr Kilmer
when Richards 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 Kilmers advice. He wanted to know whether he should
5
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 Kilmers 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 7
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. Richards 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
Richards 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 fathers 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 Richards 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 (Kelantan Trial 2016)
Family supports family.
With close reference to the text, how far is this true of the novel you have studied?

Sample answer Event

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 2
family, teachers and schoolmates. One day, Richard learnt about Mr Kilmer
when Richards 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 Kilmers advice. He wanted to know whether he should 5
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 Kilmers letter and his secret. Gus did not believe that Mr Kilmer was
7
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. Richards 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
Richards 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 fathers 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 Richards passion in
writing poetry.

In conclusion, the bond in a family strengthened when family supported each

other.
Question 10 (Pulau Pinang Trial 2016)
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 Event

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 2
family, teachers and schoolmates. One day, Richard learnt about Mr Kilmer
when Richards 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 Kilmers advice. He wanted to know whether he should 5
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 Kilmers letter and his secret. Gus did not believe that Mr Kilmer was
7
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. Richards 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
Richards 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 fathers 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 Richards passion in
writing poetry.

In conclusion, the bond in a family strengthened when family supported each

other.