CHARACTERS
Who is the novel’s narrator and main character who moves to Tangerine, Florida?
Paul Fisher
Identify the type of figurative language: "It began to run through the back portables, like someone had pulled the plug out of a giant bathtub."
Simile
In which state does Tangerine take place?
Florida
Character vs. character: Name a clear personal conflict Paul faces with a specific character at school.
Erik and Paul; Victor and Joey; Erik/Arthur and Luis; Mr. Fisher and Paul; etc.
Why does Paul’s family move to Tangerine?
Give the basic reason connected to his father’s job
Name Shandra's older brother who plays on the Lake Windsor football team and whose actions affect Erik’s reputation.
Antoine Thomas
Identify the type of figurative language: "...I heard Erik pacing back and forth, back and forth in the cage he had created for himself."
Metaphor
What is the weather/climate detail (common to the setting) that influences daily life and many plot events?
Thunderstorms; lightning
Character vs. self: Describe an internal struggle Paul faces about his vision and identity.
Answers will vary - Ms. DeSarno will decide
Paul feels like he's a freak because of his eyesight and glasses; Paul feels like he doesn't belong; Paul hates himself for not being able to remember the eclipse blinding him, etc.
What major event at Lake Windsor Middle School leads to increased attention on the football team and affects the town’s dynamics?
Sinkhole
Which character is the captain of the Tangerine Middle School soccer team and what role does he play in Paul’s life and at school?
Victor Guzman. Other answers will vary.
To describe the thunderstorm: "The rain continued to hammer down, pounding on the long line of kids..."
Personification
Describe the significance of the West/ East division (Lake Windsor vs. Tangerine) in shaping the novel’s social setting.
Socioeconomic differences; racial differences
Character vs. society: Give an example of how social prejudice or rumor affects Paul or another character.
Joey thinks the students at Tangerine Middle are all "gangstas;" Coach Walski thinks Paul can't play soccer because of his eyesight, etc.
Summarize the cause and outcome of the sinkhole incident at Paul’s middle school. How did this affect Paul?
Answers will vary - amended school schedule; Tangerine Middle is an option; Paul joins the soccer team
Describe Tino's relationship to Luis and Luis' role within the community of Tangerine.
Tino is Luis' younger brother. Luis is a prominent figure in the agricultural community of Tangerine. Golden Dawn tangerines.
What is used here to describe Lake Windsor Downs: "It was like a movie- like a movie set, anyway- painted on plywood and propped up on two-by-fours."
Simile
How does the layout and environment of Tangerine (including the muck fires and groves) influence Paul’s experiences and the plot?
Answers will vary - makes Paul's life more difficult; has to live with the smell and smoke; doesn't like to go outside; lives around these details.
Character vs. nature: Cite an instance where weather or natural conditions create a problem for characters or events.
Thunderstorm = Mike Costello dead; Sinkhole = destroys Lake Windsor Middle School; Muck fires = make neighborhood unpleasant, etc.
Explain how Paul uncovers the truth about the Koi fish and who is responsible for their disappearance.
The ospreys; not what the adults think; they're not being stolen.
Who is Paul's first friend from Lake Windsor Downs? Explain how his experiences contrast with Paul’s.
Joey Costello is Paul's friend who is very different from Paul. He fits in at Lake Windsor Downs and doesn't like the way of life in Tangerine. Or the students at Tangerine Middle School. Answers will vary
What part of the story did this quote take place in and what 2 types of figurative language are being used: "...but Erik extended his right hand toward him, slowly, casually. I watched that hand. I watched it move like a snake - a slow, casual snake hand - with a gold varsity ring on one finger."
When Erik smacks Tino in their back yard; simile and metaphor.
Explain how the school settings (Lake Windsor Middle School vs. Tangerine Middle/High soccer fields) reflect larger social and moral differences in the novel.
Answers will vary - Ms. DeSarno will judge
People in Lake Windsor Downs are treated differently than people in Tangerine; The robberies; the soccer team, etc.
Identify one conflict you remember from the story and explain it.
Answers will vary - Ms. DeSarno will judge.
What does Paul write in his statement for the police?
He tells what happened and then talks about Luis' life and how he positively influenced others.