Setting
Describe the setting when Geraldine comes home for lunch. How is this important to the story?
It's a poor neighborhood and all her furniture is outside on the sidewalk. This is when Geraldine realizes she has been kicked out of her home.
What do we learn from the hot dog man?
How poor Geraldine's neighborhood is.
Why is Geraldine coming home for Anita's lunch?
The school lunch is disgusting.
How can we infer that Geraldine is poor? Name THREE ways.
She gets the free school lunch, she has been kicked out of her house, and she lives in a poor neighborhood.
Why were Geraldine's legs itchy?
From the rubber bands she used to hold up her socks.
Name TWO ways that we know that Geraldine is from a poor neighborhood.
People are often getting kicked out of their houses.
The hot dog man can't sell any hot dogs.
Name THREE things Mrs. Watson, Geraldine's neighbor, does for Geraldine.
Cooks, cleans, and offers for her to stay with her when they lose their house.
Name two things Geraldine is doing in Math class.
Adding up her household expenses and turning squares and triangles into houses.
How can we infer that Geraldine does not like Math class?
She thinks to herself that they should be trying to solve REAL problems.
Name THREE things that Geraldine recognized outside her house when she came home from school.
The sofa, the ironing board and a box with a doll.
Name TWO reasons why Math class is an important setting for the story.
Geraldine is adding her expenses and she is turning the squares and triangles into houses. This highlights how she is worried about real problems she has at home.
Name THREE things we know about Anita, Geraldine's sister, that are important to the story.
She is staying with Geraldine, her husband is in the army, she cooks good food for Geraldine, she cries about their situation.
What are the students learning in hygiene class?
How the body is a wonderful machine.
Why does Geraldine want to say something about the tomato soup, and why doesn't she say it?
She wants to say that tomato soup is disgusting because it reminds her of the free school lunch. She doesn't say it because she sees Anita is so upset about the house.
Name THREE items of food that were in the disgusting school food.
Tomato soup, dried cheese sandwiches and oranges that were more green than orange.
What happens inside Geraldine's house? Why is it important?
Anita makes her lunch, and cries about their situation.
She has a difficult life and she is a talented writer.
How does Geraldine make money?
She takes care of Mrs. Watson's dog.
Name THREE ways you can infer that Mrs. Scott is crying at the end.
She keeps her back to Geraldine, she makes a whimpering sound, and her shoulders are shaking a little.
Name THREE (or more) things that Geraldine was writing on her list of expenses?
the rent, light bills, gas bills, a new gym suit, socks.
Where does the final scene take place and why is this important to the story?
In English class and it's important because it's where Geraldine learns that she can write a great poem.
How is Teddy Johnson important to the story?
He starts to laugh at Geraldine, and when he stops we see how serious Mrs. Scott is about Geraldine and her poem.
Why is there a hole in Geraldine's sock.
What is Geraldine's point when she says, "a flower here, a raindrop there, moon, June, rose, nose."
Who is Teddy Johnson, what was he about to do, and why does he stop?
He was about to giggle about Geraldine's poem but he stopped when he saw how serious Mrs. Scott was.