Plot
Why does Nurzhan get into a fight at school, and how did Maya protect him?
He fought Ossie for saying he will never be a "real American", and for not speaking good English. Maya did not translate correctly which protected Nurzhan.
This character gets hurt at work and has to stay home, which makes Maya take over household chores.
Who is Mama?
Where is Maya’s family originally from?
What is Kazakhstan?
Maya and her family members are immigrants from Kazakhstan trying to adjust to American culture while keeping their traditions.
What is the exposition?
This word means a person who sends out drivers or workers to different places, like taxis or buses.
What is a dispatcher?
What does Maya do to help her mother after her injury, and what does this reveal about Maya’s personality?
She takes on Mama’s chores, like cooking and cleaning. This shows Maya is responsible, caring, and willing to sacrifice for her family.
This character is strict, traditional, and does not want Maya to go to the Spring Fling.
Who is Papa?
What role do parents, especially fathers, traditionally play in Kazakh families?
They are seen as strict authority figures who make important family decisions.
Maya gets to attend the dance with Nurzhan as her chaperone.
What is the climax?
This word means making soft, crying sounds, often because of pain or fear.
What is whimpering?
How does Nurzhan convince Papa to let Maya go to the Spring Fling, and why is this moment a turning point in the story?
He offers to chaperone Maya at the dance. This is important because it shows Papa beginning to trust his children and strengthens the bond between Maya and Nurzhan.
This character gets into a fight at school, but later helps Maya attend the dance by offering to chaperone.
Who is Nurzhan?
Why does Papa struggle to let Maya attend the Spring Fling dance?
Because in Kazakh culture, girls are expected to follow traditional rules and not socialize like American teens.
Mama gives Maya a bracelet, expressing her desire to change for Maya's benefit. Maya goes to the dance and enjoys with Shannon and Daniel.
What is the falling action?
If someone is so shocked or surprised that they can’t move or react, they are this.
What is stunned?
What causes Papa to become furious when he sees Maya with Daniel Klein, and what does this show about his expectations?
He sees them together and believes Maya is too young to be with boys outside of school. It shows he expects her to follow strict cultural rules about relationships.
This character is Maya’s American friend who supports her and represents a different cultural perspective.
Who is Shannon?
In Kazakh culture, why is family reputation so important, and how does this affect Maya’s freedom?
Because a family’s honor reflects on everyone, Papa wants Maya to behave traditionally. This limits her freedom to act like a typical American teenager.
Nurzhan gets into a fight at school, which brings the family’s cultural differences and strict rules into focus.
What is the rising action?
This word describes a small fight or struggle?
What is a scuffle?
Maya compares her family to “a tiny Kazakh island in the middle of a great American sea.” What does this metaphor mean about her family’s experience in America?
It means they feel isolated and different from the American culture around them, holding on to their traditions while surrounded by new ways of life.
This character feels caught between her Kazakh family’s traditions and American teenage life.
Who is Maya?
Why is the story’s theme of children understanding American culture better than their parents especially true for immigrant families like Maya’s?
Because children adapt faster to a new country’s culture through school and friends, while parents often hold tightly to their homeland’s traditions.
Maya feels grateful she has a supportive brother, and that her family is beginning to compromise between Kazakh traditions and American culture.
What is the resolution?
This word can mean someone who takes responsibility for another person, often helping them adjust to a new country.
What is a sponsor?