1
What is the name of the main character in Tar Beach?
Cassie Louise Lightfoot
Where does Cassie and her family go to relax on hot summer nights?
The roof of their apartment building
What to Cassie and her family call the roof of their building?
Tar Beach
What city does the story take place in?
New York City
What does Cassie imagine she can do when she's on the roof at night?
She imagines she can fly over the city?
Who does Cassie say build the George Washington bridge?
Her father
Why does Cassie say her feather can't join the union?
Because he is black and the union doesn't allow black workers
What dream does Cassie have for her father?
That he will be a union worker and earn more money for their family
What does Cassie say happens when she flies over something?
It becomes hers - she owns it in her dreams
What special item does Cassie wear while she's flying?
Her beautiful quilt
How does Cassie describe the stars in the night sky?
Like diamonds scattered across the night sky
What is Cassie’s little brother’s is name?
Be Be
What food does the family eat on the roof while they relax?
Fried chicken and watermelon
What does the roof top represent to Cassie and her family?
Freedom, peace, and place to dream
What famous bridge does Cassie fly over in her dream?
The George Washington Bridge
How does Faith Ringgold show both reality and imagination in the illustrations?
She mixes real life scenes with dreamlike flying images and quilt-like borders
What does Cassie wish for herself when she brows up?
To live in a penthouse and go wherever she wants
How does Cassie’s flying make her feel?
Free, happy, and powerful
What are some things Cassie "owns" in her imagination when she flies over them?
The bridge, the buildings, and the union building
What time period is Tar Beach set in?
The late 1930s during the Great Depression
What does Cassie's father do for work?
He is an ironworker who helps build brideges
What does the word Tar Beach mean in the story's context?
The family's nickname for their for-covered rooftop where they relax like a beach
How to the illustrations look similar to a quilt?
They have colorful fabric-like borders and patterns like quilt squares
What message on theme does Tar Beach teach readers about dreams and imagination?
That dreams can make you feel free and help you believe anything is possible
At the end of the story, what does Cassie invite others to do with her?
To come flying with her over the city