Mocking bird, Olivia

     I think Mrs. Brooks made the wrong choice by going to recess with Caitlin. Even if Caitlin does make a friend it would be with Mrs. Brooks help. If she does get a friend with Mrs. Brooks help it would be great but, what if something happens and Caitlin and her friend aren't friends anymore? She might not  know how to make another friend. Another problem is she now has recess with the little kids and after one recess already has a friend. I know this because she says "I wonder if that means friend." Since they are younger than her they won't be with her next year. In middle school she might have trouble making a knew friend. Also if Mrs. Brooks goes to recess with Caitlin she won't get to experience it on her own. Next year she will be in middle school so there will only be harder, older grades to handle.

Social Issue Book Clubs

I invite you to post your thinking about your book club book.  Remember to use text evidence to back up or support your ideas.

Mark in your book: 

places where a character struggles,
crucial scenes,
moments you feel are fair or unfair

Respond to your reading by writing "long" about possible social issues.  

What is your book really about?
What does this character's struggles let me know about what issues this book is dealing with?
What do these troubles say about what the author wants to convey about  social issues?
What does this story teach us about________[homelessness, or bullying or losing someone, etc.]?
I think that is fair because...
I think this is unfair because...
This fairness/unfairness matters because...

Uncle Hammer

Uncle Hammer is a interesting character.  He is a lot like Papa, but he is also different in some ways.  He is very friendly to Cassie and her brothers, but when he found out what Mr. Simms did in Strawberry, he seemed ready to kill someone.  He fought in World War I and got a good job in the North after the war.  He bought a nice car, the same one as Mr. Granger owns.  I liked the part where he plays a joke on the Wallaces.

The Wallace Store

In the book there is a store where many people shop for their things called the Wallace Store. It's ran by Kaleb Wallace and his two brothers.But I realized that there is a lot more reason to stay away then they first believed.

Stacey Needs To Think Before He Does

    In chapter 7 Stacey made a silly move by giving his new wool jacket to T.J who said that he looks like a preacher while wearing it but if HE wore it it would fit him perfectly and he 'promised' he'd give it back when it fit him again. But how would Stacey know if it fit him if T.J was always wearing it and T.J would probably give it back when it didn't fit him anymore. I bet it wouldn't fit Stacey either. Why I am wondering is why in the world would Stacey give him a precious jacket just because  T.J called him a preacher back in that time wool jackets were expensive! They were important back then and he just throws it away like he millions of them! Personally I hope Stacey doesn't make a silly move like that again and thinks before he throws it away. 💸

Roll of thunder hear my cry

In chapter 5, Cassie doesn't understand why Mr. Barnett was waiting on the white people before waiting on her.  I think she might not understand that since she is black, she will not be treated as well    as white people.  T.J. and Stacey seem to know this, which makes sense because they are older.  It is wrong that Mr. Barnett didn't wait on them, but in this time period it was okay.

Roll of Thunder: Stacey

I think that Stacey will do anything to do what's right. I think that when Stacey told his mom that he went to the Wallace Store but didn't tell on Cassie and the others was because he knew they wouldn't have had to go if it weren't for him. He acts like a strong tough guy on thoutside, but on the inside he really cares about his siblings. I think he was actually sort of doing the right thing when he went after TJ. TJ had lied and cheated on the test at school, blaming it all on Stacey by tricking him into holding the cheat notes before he could get rid of them. Even though TJ might have done these bad things doesn't mean that he should have gone to the Wallace Store and fought with TJ. Mr.Morrison helped him realize that with the few short minutes that they were together by showing him that doing the right thing is more rewarding then doing the wrong.