TUMBLING by Diane McKinney-Whetstone

Tumbling is an excellent introduction to the English 3 theme of "Finding America"?

Author Diane McKinney-Whetstone, resident of our city, places her novel in Philadelphia during the post-World War II
era of the 1940's and‘50's and tells a moving story set against
the background of national and local history. As you read the story of Noon and Herbie,
think about the political issues, the schools, the local scenes, and the vibrant neighborhood
of this novel. Research the history of that neighborhood. What is it like today? Look up the history of your
neighborhood; compare it to what it is like for you and your family now.

As you read, keep a "Literary Journal."? Take notes to help organize your thoughts
on new vocabulary; characters and their development; sequence of events; unusual and/or
surprising happenings; figurative language; quotable and memorable phrases; etc. Include
questions you might have and answer them as the plot reaches its climax and is resolved
at the ending. In particular, take notes and comment on each of the following aspects:

--Check on the history of this novel rich in Philadelphia's past. Make a list of the time
markers McKinney-Whetstone uses to revive this bygone era of the mid-20th century.
--Artifacts; e.g., typewriters
--entertainment - names of movie stars and other celebrities, popular songs, singers,
television shows. etc.
--local and national political events and political figures

--Many local hot spots, landmarks, and long-established businesses have vanished since the
days the city planned the Crosstown Expressway, the pretext used to break up Noon and
Herbie's community and transform it into what is now known as the famous Society Hill.
What local landmarks or well-known businesses mentioned in the novel have disappeared
from our cityscape? Some examples would be the famous, old, large department stores in
the downtown area such as Wannamaker’s and Center City or neighborhood movie theaters.
Find out about three or more such places mentioned in the novel. Ask older members of
your family or neighbors who lived in Philadelphia fifty years ago what it was like here then.

--The migration of African Americans from the South to the North was still taking place
during the 1940's and early 1950's.
--What references are made to the South?
--What comparisons are made by the newly arrived about living in the South as
opposed to living in a Northern city such as Philadelphia?
--What "Southern" Customs and values were continued in the new environment?

--Food is mentioned frequently in the novel and is an important part of their lives.
--List the occasions in which food is an integral part. What is typically served?
--Analyze the role food plays in general in the book. Why does McKinney-
Whetstone give so much attention and detailed description to cakes, pies, etc.?

--During the time period of the novel, African Americans were excluded from the
mainstream of American life and lived under the burden of heavy racist restriction.
Recount several instances of racism encountered by characters in the novel. How
does the author use these incidents to recreate the prevalent racism African
endured during that time period?

Enjoy reading this work by a contemporary Philadelphia author as part of your introduction
to the 11th grade theme of "Finding America"?
Bone By: Fae Myenne Ng
As you read Bone by Fae Myenne Ng, take notes on plot, character, point of view, and setting. As a critical reader,
this will help you to analyze elements of a work and to consider how - and how well - the elements interconnect. Also,
consider the author's purpose in writing this story. Can you make the connection to yourself? Does the author seem
to be saying something about loyalty and love?

Consider the following as you read:

Plot is the sequence of main events in a story. Plot involves conflict, as a main character (protagonist) struggles with
one or more opposing forces (antagonists).

• What happens in the story? Why?

• Against whom or what is the main character struggling? Why?
• How is suspense built into the story? How does the author reveal characters?
• Are there any twists in the plot? What do they add to the story?

Characters are distinguished as major and minor. The protagonist is the main character. The antagonist, the force
against the main character, may be a major character or a conflict within nature, society, or himself.

• How does the main character change from the beginning to the end?
• What forces or circumstances make one of the characters act in a certain way?
• Do the characters' actions seem believable within the story?
• Who is vulnerable in the story?

Theme goes beyond events to consider issues of meaning: What does the story say about human nature, reality, or
society? Theme abstracts from specific events to make a general statement about life.

• Is the story optimistic or pessimistic?

• What universal situations and general values are involved?
• Does the narrator or main character arrive at any insights?
• Does the story leave you with any insights? How does the story make you feel?

Point of view refers to the narrator, the person who is telling the story.

• Who is telling the story? How much does the speaker know and tell?
• Can the reader accept the narrator's version of events and their meaning?

Setting, a story's placement in time and space, entails both physical and cultural context. It interconnects with plot
and character.

• How familiar are you with the cultural context?

• Does the setting effect the action?
• How does the setting illuminate the characters and events?
• How would the story have to alter if set in a different place and/or time?

Finally, consider the following as you conclude your reading:

• The title. Are you able to explain the author's choice for a title?
• The style. Are you able to note where the author maintained her concentration: plot, character, setting, or
theme?
• The end. Are you able to explain these words: The heart never travels.
THE THINGS THEY CARRIED by Tim O'Brien
In any war story, but especially a true one, it's difficult to separate what happened from
what seemed to happen --Tim O'Brien
Since its publication in 1990, The Things They Carried has been recognized as one
of the best pieces of fiction about any war. Winner of numerous awards and a finalist for the
Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Award, this novel weaves tales of both fact and fiction into an inseparable
whole. The author, a Vietnam veteran, has given the fictional narrator his own name and varies between first and
third person. Written as a series of linked short stories, the book blends events and people into a remarkable picture
of war.
His vignettes carry out his idea that "the crazy stuff is true and the normal stuff isn't ".

Make a "Literary Journal"? And write in it as the reading progresses. Note unusual
terms or words. Comment about the titles of the stories. Write down any questions that
are not answered or things that are left unclear. Research the Vietnam War, the veterans
in recent years, the U.S. and its role in the Asian theater before and after, etc. Are there any
Vietnam vets in the family or neighborhood? Interview them to get a personal viewpoint.

Before reading a book, carefully read the reviews, the back cover, the epigraph,
dedication, information about the author, etc. Learn the meaning of the title and build upon
this knowledge. List the items they carried and think about the variety of things, including
the literal and figurative things they carried. Make a list of the characters, describe each one
of them, and what each carried. Were any of the items surprising? Which ones? What are some reactions to the
events and feelings they bring out in the reader?

Note O'Brien's definition of courage as a 21 year old. Would this be different now
when he is older? Is it surprising that he calls his entry into the VIetnam War an act of
cowardice? Agree or disagree. How does the role of shame in their lives drive the soldiers
to acts of heroism or stupidity? Or both? What does O'Brien say about the relationship
between shame and courage? Are some characters more realistic than others?

Sometimes the author tells the reader whether or not the story will have a happy or
tragic ending. Why might he do this? O'Brien says some unusual things about war, such
as that "true war stories are never about war"?. What does he mean when he writes that
"this is a true story that never happened"?? Some of the tales seem fantastic, such as the
story Rat tells in "Sweetheart..."? Does that make it any less compelling? Is MaryAnne real?

Should the men feel at fault for another's death? How do they cope with these
feelings of culpability? Do you understand the distinction he is making between
"happening truth"? and "story truth"?? Does it matter overall to theunderstanding of the book? Does the reader's
opinion of O’Brien changeas the tales progress? What about
his actions in "Ghost Soldiers"?? He does not tell the ending of this one in advance. Why
might the author want this story to be especially suspenseful?

Are there changes in personalities and values as the soldiers adapt to a dangerous
environment? Based on the characters, is humanity's survival instinct its strongest trait?
Is that why the author wrote this book? Or might there other reasons?

Now that the novel has been read, what else is carried by the veterans who survived this terrible war? What physical,
emotional, orpsychological baggage is still
carried with those who came home from Vietnam? Is there a similar war going on now?