CHARACTERS
Who is narrating the story?
Belle Teal
In what state does the story take place?
Arkansas
How old is Belle Teal? (What grade is she in?)
Fifth grade
What do the students see when they get off the bus on the first day of school?
The parents are outside picketing because there are colored kids coming to the school.
Gran often mistakes Belle Teal for these people.
Adele (Mama) and Lyman
Who is Belle Teal's best friend?
Clarice
What is the name of the school Belle Teal and her friends attend?
Coker Creek Elementary
Who is in Belle Teal's family?
Mama, Gran, and Belle Teal
Why is Belle Teal excited about their first homework assignment, which is to write their autobiographies?
She will get to find out all about Miss Casey.
Little Boss often has bruises. He says he fell down. What really happens?
Big Boss abuses him.
What does Belle Teal say about her mama's jobs?
She changes them like Belle Teal changes her library books.
At what time of the year does the story begin?
Before school starts in the fall.
Who is Belle Teal's best friend?
Clarice
What happens when Belle Teal and Clarice first eat lunch with Darryl?
Belle Teal, Darryl, and Clarice think that the boys will like Darryl when they realize they have been hanging out with him at the Halloween party.
The boys were furious. Big Boss was there when Belle Teal and Darryl took of their masks and revealed themselves, and he came back to school with his wrist wrapped up.
What is wrong with Gran?
She is losing her memory.
Describe where Belle Teal lives.
In the country, in an old house with no air conditioning
She is nice to him. She eats lunch with him and plays with him at recess. She stands up for him.
What is the exciting news that the fifth grade students receive after Thanksgiving?
They are going to present the Christmas pageant in the program.
Belle Teal and Gran make the fruitcakes after Thanksgiving. The ingredients didn't come out right, but they think they are okay.
They put too much bourbon in them and they are inebriated.
Who is the colored boy who joins Belle Teal's class?
Darryl
At what time of year does the story end?
Christmas, the end of the first semester of school
At first, what does Belle Teal do when Vanessa is mean to her?
She tries to ignore her.
As the year goes on, who is the only person still protesting Darryl and the other colored kids attending the school?
Big Boss
Vanessa started to cry because her secret was about to be revealed: Her mother died over the summer.