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JackieWoodson EducatorGuide UPDATE 18
JackieWoodson EducatorGuide UPDATE 18
Dear Educator,
Jacqueline Woodson’s books are revered and widely acclaimed—four Newbery Honor awards,
two Coretta Scott King Awards, a National Book Award, a NAACP award for Outstanding
Literary Work, the Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement, and the Laura
Ingalls Wilder Award. On top of that, Jacqueline Woodson is also the 6th National Ambassador
for Young People’s Literature. Awards and accolades aside, her stories are relevant, personal,
and thought–provoking. Woodson writes picture books, middle grade and young adult novels—
and regardless of the target audience, her books push boundaries. We realize it is unlikely that
you’ll be able to teach every single one of her books in a class curriculum, but we hope this
guide will give you an appreciation for her work as a whole and will help you select the right
books for your students.
This guide includes discussion questions, close reading exercises and extension activities for
Woodson’s work. While the activities are written for whole class instruction, they can be easily
adapted for independent reading, school book clubs, or literacy circles. Each section begins
with general activities exploring some of Woodson’s more commonly used literary elements
and techniques in books from that particular genre. The sections also highlight specific books
in Woodson’s collection, and the activities coincide specifically with those books. We’ve listed
the most relevant Common Core State Standards that align to each activity and included an
array of text-to-text opportunities that range in complexity to engage all of your unique learners.
We know this guide will be useful to immerse your students in Jacqueline Woodson’s work and
we hope you’ll enjoy discovering and revisiting some of the most quality literature for young
readers. Thank you for your support of our books and our brand
Table of Contents
About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 1
Picture Books. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pages 2-8
Middle Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pages 9-17
Young Adult . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pages 18-25
This educator’s guide was written by Erica Rand Silverman and Sharon Kennedy, former high school English teachers and co-founders
of Room 228 Educational Consulting (www.rm228.com), along with Shannon Rheault, an elementary school teacher.
I used to say I’d be a teacher
or a lawyer or a hairdresser
when I grew up, but even as
I said these things, I knew
what made me happiest
was writing.
I also told a lot of stories as a child. Not “Once upon a time” stories but basically, outright lies. I
loved lying and getting away with it! There was something about telling the lie-story and seeing
your friends’ eyes grow wide with wonder. Of course I got in trouble for lying but I didn’t stop until
fifth grade.
That year, I wrote a story and my teacher said, “This is really good.” Before that I had written a poem
about Martin Luther King that was, I guess, so good no one believed I wrote it. After lots of brouhaha,
it was believed finally that I had indeed penned the poem, which went on to win me a Scrabble game
and local acclaim. So by the time the story rolled around and the words “This is really good” came out
of the otherwise down-turned lips of my fifth grade teacher, I was well on my way to understanding
that a lie on the page was a whole different animal—one that won you prizes and got surly teachers to
smile. A lie on the page meant lots of independent time to create your stories and the freedom to sit
hunched over the pages of your notebook without people thinking you were strange.
Lots and lots of books later, I am still surprised when I walk into a bookstore and see my name on
a book or when the phone rings and someone on the other end is telling me I’ve just won an award.
Sometimes, when I’m sitting at my desk for long hours and nothing’s coming to me, I remember
my fifth grade teacher, the way her eyes lit up when she said “This is really good.” The way I—the
skinny girl in the back of the classroom who was always getting into trouble for talking or missed
homework assignments—sat up a little straighter, folded my hands on the desk, smiled, and began to
believe in me.
1
PICTURE BOOKS
Woodson’s picture books are perfect for exploring sophisticated themes with young children.
Depending on students’ ages, reading levels, and prior knowledge, read aloud to a group for
a shared reading experience or have students read independently and explore the pages on
their own.
Family Theme
A major theme throughout Woodson’s children’s books is family. She shows that families are unique.
Ask students: What makes a family? Who do you consider to be part of your family? Is it just people that
you are related to or can it include other important people? Have students write a list of the people in
their lives that are part of their family. Have students illustrate their work and share it with the people
on their lists.
R.CCR.3 Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of
a text.
Perseverance Theme
Perseverance is a theme that Woodson has woven throughout all of her stories. Her strong characters
work their way through difficult times like family hardship, historical events, and social issues. Explore
these examples. Students can connect to these stories on a variety of levels. Ask them to make a text-
to-self connection and share a time that they had to overcome something difficult. This can be done
through writing, artwork, or music. Their choice of presentation should highlight their strengths.
R.CCR.3 Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of
a text.
Metaphor
Woodson artfully uses common objects in her stories (e.g., quilts, pebbles, a rope). The deeper meanings
that she is trying to convey can be found within these objects. Ask students: How can a simple object
become an important part of a person’s life? For example, the quilts in Show Way are a metaphor for
family history and strength. Have students bring common objects to school that mean a great deal to
them (baby blanket, stuffed animal, a book). Ask each student to prepare a presentation that will explain
the object and its importance. Students may arrive at new ideas about how their objects have shaped
their lives.
R.CCR.4 Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical,
connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning
or tone.
Setting
Many of Woodson’s books travel through extended periods of time. Define setting with the class—
focusing on the passage of time and change, and how they see this developed in Woodson’s books.
Students can analyze the things in their lives that change as time passes. As a culminating activity, help
students create a time capsule to be opened years later. This may include the letter (see Rope for Hope
2
activity in This Is the Rope section) that they wrote to themselves, a self-portrait, photographs, a letter
from the teacher and parents, a list of current favorites, and small meaningful objects. All of these things
can be sealed in a paper towel tube to be opened in the future; a second grade class that creates a one
year (or ten year!) time capsule will be surprised how much can change in such a short time. What a fun
way to follow the passage of time!
R.CCR.3 Analyze how and why individuals, events and ideas develop and interact over the course
of a text.
AD520L
On Sale 8/28/18
3
The Day You Begin
The Day You Begin is a beautiful picture book that celebrates the
differences of people in the world. The classroom may be one of
the first places that children experience these differences and the
celebration of them. The message in this book is clear: Your unique
HC: 9780399246531
story may feel uncomfortable at first, but eventually it will be the
very thing that helps you find your place. A great choice for the first
day of school!
✓ Diversity
✓ Imagery
✓ Self-Esteem
2. What is something that makes you unique? Is it a positive or negative trait? How can you turn
this trait into your new beginning?
3. What is diversity? Create a kid-friendly definition and post it in the classroom. Why is it important
to have conversations about diversity? How might people with differences in ability, culture, race,
gender or wealth/money feel when they are in a group that seems different from them?
4
To extend the above discussion, explain that your class is a safe place for everyone to share and celebrate
their own unique qualities. Sharing should be done in a way that is loud and proud! Have students
express themselves through art. Take out the art supplies and encourage students to create a display that
shares their awesomeness! Have students think about what makes each of them unique. The possibilities
are endless! Invite students to decorate the classroom with these displays of themselves or make a class
book. The title can be The Day Our Class Began! What a great way to create a positive classroom culture
that celebrates diversity!
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.5 Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data
to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.
5
Show Way
A beautiful story that shows one family’s path from slavery through
the Civil Rights Movement to today. The story illustrates how the
use of thread and fabric can hold a family together through many
generations. It is a celebration of time, family, and strength.
HC: 9780399237492
✓ Oral Storytelling and Metaphors
✓ African American History and Customs
AD720L
✓ Family History and Timelines
2. How were the quilts used to preserve this family’s history? What are some other ways that
families keep track of and share their stories?
3. What adjectives would you use to describe the members of this family?
6
This Is the R ope
This is the story of a simple rope that becomes an important part of
a family’s history as they search for a better life. The rope has many
uses, but most of all, it ties a family together for generations. Read
this story to see how seemingly small things can end up being bigger
HC: 9780399239861
than you think.
2. Why did the family put the rope around the photographs on the piano? How is this image of the
rope different from the others in the story?
3. Why do you think the grandmother wanted to trade the old rope for a new one at the end of
the story?
7
Each Kindness
Chloe learns about kindness in a difficult way. When Maya joins
her class, Chloe finds herself turning away from her and denying her
requests for friendship. Her teacher shows the class that kindness can
be spread, and Chloe realizes that she has missed an opportunity to
HC: 9780399237492
do the right thing.
2. Do you think the kids were bullying Maya? Why or why not? Give specific details from the
story that support your opinion.
Pay it Forward
Put a Kindness Tree in the classroom. When someone performs an act of kindness for someone, the
recipient of the kindness can add it to the tree. When the tree has fully “blossomed,” discuss how the
class feels with a beautiful green tree in the classroom. How does the beauty of a healthy, full-grown
tree compare to the feelings someone might have when they are kind to others? How does this concept
connect to Each Kindness?
R.CCR.3 Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course
of a text.
8
MIDDLE GRADE BOOKS
These middle grade titles are sensational reads for teachers covering Coming of Age units or for diving deep into
the choices writers make in their craft. Woodson’s middle grade books are rich with colorful figurative language
and accessible, relevant themes.
Home Theme
Home is a major theme in many of Woodson’s novels. Have students create an expression of what home means to
one of the characters in the novel. Let them choose their medium: poem, essay, digital slideshow, recipe, rap, dance,
etc. Ask students: How does Woodson seem to define home in this novel? What evidence do you see that shows this?
How do you define home?
R.CCR.2 Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key
supporting details and ideas.
Literary Techniques
Woodson’s novels are the playgrounds her words swing on, climb on, and run around. Find examples where she uses
personification, onomatopoeia, imagery, metaphor, and more (e.g., imagery and personification: “...that cold gray
winter-light coming in from outside making everything, even the toaster, look like it was on the verge of tears…” After
Tupac and D Foster, 42). Why does she use them in that part of the book? How does it enrich her writing? Students
write their own narrative, poem, blog, tweet, etc., where they try to master one of these literary techniques.
R.CCR.4 Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative,
and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
Voice
Readers can hear, feel, and understand Woodson’s strong characters in her writing. Their voices are so strong.
Discuss how Woodson creates her characters’ voices (e.g., perspective, point of view, internal conflict, dialogue) in
her novels. Students create their own children’s books writing in first-person perspective and giving their character
a strong voice. Visit a local kindergarten and pair students up with kindergarten book buddies to share their books
and discuss their characters.
W.CCR.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-
chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
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Harbor Me
Who will harbor you? This is a question that a special group of kids
grapple with when they are invited to a classroom and are encouraged to
talk about anything and everything. Each child has a different story and a
different struggle. As they grow more and more connected they learn the
HC: 9780399252525
valuable lesson that everyone needs someone to harbor them.
✓ Current Topics
✓ Personal Narrative
✓ Metaphor
2. The kids in the ARTT room are described as “Eight special kids” (Chapter 2, pg 5). Discuss what
this might mean. What do you think is the criteria for being in the group? What do you think
is the purpose of the group? Find evidence in the text to support your thinking.
3. Compare and contrast Haley and Esteban. How are their family situations alike, specifically
with their fathers? How are they different? How does Esteban’s situation help Haley come to terms
with her own family’s story?
4. Explore the dynamic between Ashton and the rest of the group. How is he different from the
others in the group? How is he similar? How do the similarities and differences among the
students in the group affect their relationships with one another?
5. Define harbor. Discuss the literal definition and how this connects to the metaphorical meaning.
Discuss what it means to harbor someone. What are ways that you do this in your life? What
are the ways that you or a family member or friend are harbored? What examples can you find
in your community where you see organizations or groups harboring?
10
story and why. The group should also agree upon one or two quotations that really help highlight their
character. This student-created resource can be referred to as the book is discussed and explored.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.3 Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and
interact over the course of a text.
Poetry Connection
Esteban shares his father’s poems with the kids in the ARTT room. They are filled with feeling and
emotion. They have the power to make Esteban feel close to his father when he is very far away.
Encourage students to write poetry that Esteban might write to his father or write poetry for one of their
family members. Ask your students: How does writing poetry help you communicate in a different way?
Explore other mediums of self-expression with your students, including rap, ballet, hip-hop, painting,
photography, etc., and how each has its own techniques to convey emotions and beliefs. Have students
bring in or present their favorite form of expression.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research,
reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of
tasks, purposes, and audiences.
11
Brown Girl Dreaming
Image-filled free verse will guide your students through Woodson’s
journey—to understand the world of Jim Crow, religion, family, and this
new passion that makes her yearn to pick up that pencil and write.
HC: 9780399252518
✓ Poetry
✓ Historical Connections
✓ Descriptive Writing
990L
2. Why does Woodson structure her memoir into five distinct parts? How does this choice add to
the story?
3. Where does Jacqueline start to see change happening in her life? Where does she start to see it
in the world in which she lives?
4. What is Jacqueline’s attitude toward God and religion? How does she seem conflicted?
5. Jacqueline loves writing because it allows her to create the worlds she imagines. What world
did she create through her memoir? Is there an end to her story?
12
Poetry Tie-ins
Brown Girl Dreaming is a unique story—it is Woodson’s personal journey and it is told through free verse.
A dream book for teachers to use in the classroom! Explore why Woodson may have chosen poetry vs.
prose to tell her story and the effect this has on the reader. Have students choose their favorite lines and
rewrite them into prose. How does this affect the emotion behind the words, the author’s purpose, and
the pictures that are created in our minds? Or does it? Have students create their own historical haiku
poetry books while studying a civil rights unit and read/perform them at an assembly. Or have them
write their own mini-memoir in verse, chock-full of imagery.
W.CCR.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
This I Believe
Through Woodson’s odyssey searching for her identity in all of the worlds she’s navigated, she states
“I believe that there is good in each of us/no matter who we are or what we believe in” (317). What do
your students believe and know to be true? Examine the NPR series This I Believe. Listen to and read
several essays of your choosing. Ask students what they all have in common. How is each unique? What
elements go into writing one of these essays? Walk students through the writing process to write their
own This I Believe essay. Take it a step further and record them to share with other schools who are
doing the same project!
W.CCR.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique,
well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
13
Feathers
✓ Literary Techniques
✓ Thematic Connections
✓ Compare and Contrast
710L
2. What examples of empathy do you see throughout the novel? How do people become empathetic?
Do you think empathy is important? Why or why not?
3. How do Frannie and her friends seem to be struggling with religion in their lives?
4. Why is the novel broken into different “parts”? How does this chosen structure add to the story?
After reading each part, write one sentence that sums up the main idea from that section.
5. In what “different worlds” do characters in the novel live? Can you live in more than one world?
Explain.
14
Literary Technique Hunt
Woodson uses similes, metaphors, and imagery galore in Feathers. After reviewing the definitions of
some of Woodson’s most often used literary devices, have your students go on a literary technique hunt.
On flash cards, groups track the examples they find, and on the back, write which literary technique
Woodson is using. The group with the most wins! Groups may later use these cards to run their own
discussions about the purpose of these devices in the story and what they mean. What do they add to
the story? Can they connect them to the themes? Which other writers have used similar techniques, and
why?
R.CCR.4 Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical,
connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or
tone.
Welcome Pamphlets
Frannie’s grandma says to her, “You just remember there’s a time when each one of us is the different one
and when it’s our turn, we’re always wishing and hoping it was somebody else. You be that somebody
else when you see that boy. You be the one to remember” (72-73). What does this statement communicate
to your students? Read Woodson’s picture book Each Kindness aloud to the class. Discuss how these
two different texts written for different age audiences compare and contrast on the topics of being the
“outcast” and of how others treat the outcast. Students create pamphlets designed for kindergartners on
how to treat all students and that celebrate all different kinds of diversity. Share your pamphlets with a
local kindergarten class.
R.CCR.9 Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge
or to compare the approaches the authors take.
Biblical Allusions
In many of Woodson’s novels, she alludes to religion and more specifically to the Bible (e.g., “pockmark
on the center of each palm,” 25). Define allusion with your class. Why is it important for us to be
able to identify allusions while reading? Have students analyze some of these examples from Feathers.
Consider reading some of the alluded-to Bible stories from a children’s Bible aloud to the class. Why
might Woodson allude to these stories in her novel? Spark your students’ interest in allusions and follow
up this activity by having them bring in song lyrics, book cover art, movie scenes, news article headings,
TV show characters’ names, paintings, etc. that are examples of allusions (e.g., biblical allusions, literary
allusions, etc.).
Teacher Resource:
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/theme-symbolism-allusion-lesson
R.CCR.4 Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical,
connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or
tone.
15
Locomotion
✓ Point of View
✓ Poetry
✓ Literary Techniques
NP
2. How does Woodson show Lonnie’s struggle between childhood innocence and growing up?
4. How does God play a role in Lonnie’s life? Where does he see the absence of God? Where does he
see God’s presence?
5. Why do you think Lonnie prefers free verse over other forms in poetry (67)? Which do you like
best? Why?
Poetry Book
Students create their very own poetry books modeled after Lonnie’s. Students choose ten of the same titles
as Woodson uses as her chapter titles to write ten poems for their own book. You may want to review the
elements of sonnets, epistle poems, and haikus before they get on their way. Include teacher conferences
and peer conferences to aid in the revision process. Better yet, students may buddy up on Google Drive to
receive and give peer feedback. Have students bind their books and become visiting poets in another class
or a local high school classroom. How cool would it be to have other students discussing their poems and
teaching some of their own writing techniques and choices!
16
W.CCR.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and
collaborate with others.
Rap
Sometimes rap gets a bad rap. Lonnie is relieved when Ms. Marcus states that rap is poetry—and what
a fun mechanism to engage your students! Ask students to bring in some of their favorite rap songs.
Listen to some early rap from the 1970s and 1980s, and compare to today’s rap. Explore the writing
techniques the artists use(d). How are they similar and different? Chart their themes and topics. Are
they still relevant today? How so? Have students write their own rap songs that mirror some of the same
techniques and themes as their favorite songs, or have them explore whole new themes.
Teacher Resources:
http://www.kidzworld.com/article/5321-pioneers-of-hip-hop
http://www.powerpoetry.org/actions/7-tips-writing-rap
R.CCR.9 Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge
or to compare the approaches the authors take.
17
YOUNG ADULT BOOKS
As students come of age, they are introduced to more social ills. Your classroom is a safe environment
for students to explore these sometimes difficult topics—and Woodson’s books can help you do that. Her
characters are sincere in their choices and their responses to conflicts, and students will relate. Explore
Woodson’s very personal and universal themes with your students to help them understand the ripple effect
in the world around them.
Theme
Coming-of-age is a recurring theme in many of Woodson’s YA books, and your students will definitely be
able to relate! Read the following quotations together. Have your students interpret the quotations, discuss
whether they agree or disagree, and then make connections to Woodson’s novel(s). Would her characters agree
or disagree? Why? How do the themes compare and contrast? Students should be able to defend their positions
with evidence. (To reach your kinetic learners, have students stand up, form a line, and step to one side to agree
and the other to disagree.)
✒ “Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of
a person’s character lies in their own hands.” —Anne Frank
✒ “Most people don’t grow up. Most people age. They find parking spaces, honor their credit
cards, get married, have children, and call that maturity. What that is, is aging.”
—Maya Angelou
✒ “If growing up means it would be beneath my dignity to climb a tree, I’ll never grow up,
never grow up, never grow up! Not me!” —J.M. Barrie
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✒ “Come away, O human child
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world’s more full of weeping than you can understand.”
—W.B. Yeats, The Collected Poems
✒ “He wanted to care, and he could not care. For he had gone away and he could
never go back anymore. The gates were closed, the sun was down, and there was
no beauty left…” —F. Scott Fitzgerald, All the Sad Young Men
SL.CCR.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the
line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose,
and audience.
Elements of Plot
How does Woodson create her exciting yet poignant page-turners? Discuss the elements of plot (i.e.,
introduction/exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution) and how they interact with and
affect each other. Explore how the order of the elements changes from book to book and discuss the
plotlines of several books you’ve read together. After reading one of Woodson’s novels, students work in
groups to create their own graphic organizer that shows the order of the plot elements in this particular
Woodson novel. They also add details from the text (and visuals) that support each element. Students
may use this as a reference for future reads to help them identify how writers create their favorite fast-
moving scenes!
R.CCR.3 Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course
of a text.
19
Beneath a Meth Moon
✓ Setting
✓ Allusions
✓ Great for Studying Narrative!
730L
2. How does Laurel use writing in her life? Why does it seem so important to her?
3. Woodson alludes to the passage of time often in her story. Do you think we can ever “put our
past behind us” as her daddy says (44)?
4. What clues does Woodson give that Laurel is losing herself to meth?
5. How does Woodson weave the theme of hope throughout Laurel’s journey? If the story continued
after Laurel drops Jesse Jr. at preschool, do you believe Laurel would stay clean and healthy?
Why or why not?
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Annotating Poetry
Woodson alludes to both Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken” and William Butler Yeats’ poem
“The Lake Isle of Innisfree.” Why might she do this? To try to answer this question, it is important
students understand each of the poems first and then make comparisons to Beneath a Meth Moon. On
a projected screen, display the first poem. Invite students to come to the front of the class and interact
with the poem in three ways: a) underline and write who, what, when, where, and why in red, b) circle
images they can see, feel, hear, taste, or smell in blue, and c) write questions they still have in green.
Do the same with the second poem. Discuss their annotations as you go. In small groups, students
then discuss why they think Woodson would allude to these poems in her novel. What do they add to
the story? How do these poems address similar themes? Each student then writes a personal letter to
Woodson explaining why they think these allusions were either effective or not. Encourage students to
use topic sentences and details from the discussions to support their claims.
R.CCR.9 Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge
or to compare the approaches the authors take.
W.CCR.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid
reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
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Miracle’s Boys
This story is perfect for a unit on Empathy or Point of View—how we interpret
events is often affected by who is telling the story. The brothers share the pain of
losing their parents...but how they deal with that pain is unique to each. Will they
ever be able to walk in the others’ shoes and become a real family again?
PB: 9780142415535
✓ Theme
✓ Symbolism
660L
✓ Connotation
2. What examples of blame, shame, and grief do we see in the novel? Research the stages of grief. Chart
the brothers’ journeys as they move through the stages. How do we see them changing?
3. After burning all of the photos of Mama, why does Charlie then put plants in the windows of the
apartment? What might the plants symbolize?
4. Why was it so difficult for Lafayette to stop seeing his psychologist, Dr. Vernon? What does Dr. Vernon
mean when he says Lafayette has “...done all the work [he] needed to do…” and that he “...was gonna
be okay” (88)? What does it mean to be “okay”?
5. What role does each of the brothers play in their family? Charlie says he is the “bad one” (103). Is there
such a thing as a “good” child or a “bad” child? What defines a person?
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Totem Pole Symbolism
Lafayette thinks about the hierarchy of totem poles when he is struggling to get along with Newcharlie (10). At
your school library and/or media center, learn more about totem poles: the symbolism associated with them,
why people carved them, and the vertical hierarchy. Have students brainstorm the elements of their own lives
that are most important to them and construct their own totem pole with whatever materials they feel suit their
ideas and symbols. Students then write an informational piece that explains the significance of the aspects of
their lives they included on their totem poles and of the vertical arrangement of each. Have students present
their totem poles to the class or create a gallery in the library.
W.CCR.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information
clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
Photo Project
Photographs of Mama play such a role in Lafayette’s life. Why are they so important to him? Have students
create a photo essay where they focus on one topic that holds significance for them. They intersperse photos
within a written piece that tells a story or conveys a message or emotion. They may want to only write about
one important photograph or create a collage. Bring in and write about your own special photo and share with
your students!
W.CCR.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-
chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
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If You Come Softly
An emotional story of two teenagers from different worlds. Their relationship
blooms just in time for it to be taken away. This story delves into issues
of family and race in a way that grips the reader without letting go. This
Romeo and Juliet retelling is sure to be relevant in today’s world.
HC: 9780525515487
✓ Family Dynamics
✓ Race and Religion
HL570L
✓ Realistic Fiction
20th Anniversary Edition
Dive in & Discuss
1. How are Jeremiah and Ellie alike? How are they different? Discuss the different reactions they
get from people when they find out about their relationship (i.e., Jeremiah’s mother, Anne, the
ladies in the park). This book was written twenty years ago. Do you think the reactions would
be the same today? Why or why not?
2. What major events have shaped Jeremiah and Ellie’s lives? Do you think these events affect the
relationships they make? Why or why not?
3. Why does Jeremiah’s father tell him not to run in Central Park? What literary device is Woodson
using here? How does her use of this technique affect the reader in the story? How does it make
us feel? How did you feel during this scene? Why?
4. Jeremiah’s mother asks, “Did anyone ask you if you’re on scholarship?” Why does she ask this
question? What are other times in the book that Jeremiah notices stereotypes? How do you
think this affects him?
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Protest Persuasion
Although this book was written twenty years ago, the topics in this story are extremely relevant today.
Certain groups in America have historically been—and often still are—discriminated against and
persecuted, and individuals among and outside of these victimized groups have spoken up to make their
voices heard and to make change. Research groups of people who have been or are being persecuted
or discriminated against. How did/do people stand up and protest against this discrimination? What
techniques are used by these individual protestors? Compare protest strategies of different groups or
individuals from history and in the present. See below for some examples in history to get you started.
Which strategies do you find most effective? Explain. Have you ever protested? Would you ever? Why
or why not? How do Jeremiah and Ellie face blatant racism? Do you think they are attempting to make
change or to protest? If yes, how? Do you think it is working? Why or why not? Write a persuasive essay
comparing two protest strategies used by protesters. Be sure to include what they are/were protesting
and which techniques you think are the most effective and why.
Poetry Connection
The poem "If You Come Softly" by Audre Lorde is mentioned throughout the book. The book is even
named after it! Read the poem in its entirety and have students discuss some possible meanings and how
they connect to Jeremiah and Ellie’s story. Encourage students to analyze the lines that may have been
the inspiration for this story. What do you think these lines mean? What images do you see when you
read them? Why might Woodson have chosen to allude to this poem in her book? What mood, theme
and/or imagery is present in both pieces of writing?
https://hellopoetry.com/poem/18761/if-you-come-softly/
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.9 Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics
in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.
Star-crossed Lovers
There are many similarities between Romeo and Juliet and Jeremiah and Ellie, but there are also many
differences. Help students build some background knowledge about Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
How are the stories alike? How are they different? Encourage students to dig deeper and think beyond
the “right there” answers. Ask students to find quotes, character traits, setting similarities, and themes
that connect the two stories.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.4 Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including
determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices
shape meaning or tone.
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