Vocabulary
Reluctant
Unwilling or hesitant to do something
Why does Grandma India tell Melba that she should begin to keep a diary?
Grandma India knows that Melba could get herself in trouble if she starts talking to her friends or others in the community about these ideas. Rather than discourage the thoughts, Grandma India tells Melba that she should keep a diary as an outlet to voice her thoughts and ideas but also encourages Melba to occasionally come to her to talk about them.
Why does Link earn Melba's trust?
If ___ true, then I will believe it.
ominous
suggesting that something bad or scary is about to happen
How does president Eisenhower get involved in the integration of Central High School and why?
President Eisenhower wants to see the integration of Central HS proceed peacefully, which is why he intervenes when it appears that the governor does not want to comply with Supreme Court’s decision
Why do Vince and Melba break up?
They don't have as much in common and Melba feels like he can't understand.
The dog was barking, ____ leash was too short.
resign
to accept something as inevitable
At the start of chapter 10, Melba writes, “I wanted to be alone so I could search for the part of my life that existed before integration, the Melba I was struggling to hold on to.” (p. 114) Why do you think that Melba feels like she is struggling to hold onto herself?
Melba is constantly on alert when she is in school. She has to ensure constant verbal and physical abuse. After school, she often has to engage in press conferences or answer questions from reporters. She also does not have the same freedom to hang out with friends or go places around town like she would have before integration. This lifestyle is nothing like how she used to live, and it is taking a physical and emotional toll on her. She begins to long for the normal things she used to do like hang out with friends, read magazines, or listen to records. This is why she feels like she is struggling to hold onto herself.
Who is arguable Melba's biggest supporter? Name an example.
Grandma India
_______ is a place somewhere where you belong.
There
insistent
demanding something forcefully, not giving up
How is turning 16 different than Melba always thought it would be?
Melba feels that turning 16 should be the start of more freedoms, but because of integration all of those privileges are nowhere near happening for her. Only Vince goes to her party because her old friends are afraid of being associated with her and forgetting her.
Mrs. Huckaby
That's _______ business.
their
precedent
an example or action that is used as a model for future situations
How was the Christmas party different from other events the Little Rock Nine had attended in the past?
Melba felt great pride upon reading the notes, especially those that praised her courage for what she was doing for future generations. In her diary later that evening she wrote, “Tonight I feel love from my own people…There is the tiniest flicker of hope and joy inside me. Maybe things will work out.” (p. 153) This experience is different than other events in the past, where reporters grilled the students with questions and things felt staged and showy for the press. The Christmas party was an opportunity for the Little Rock Nine to be honored rather than questioned.
Who helps Mama get her job back? (210)
Bishop Sherman
_______ going _____ no man has gone before.
We're, where