Chapter 11:
Kenneth expected Grandma Sands to look like a troll. What do you think led him to this conclusion? What did he find instead?
Chapter 12:
Kenneth was shocked to see Mrs. Watson react the way she did when having the conversation about Mr. Robert with Grandma Sand. What conclusions do you think Kenneth drew during the conversation?
Chapter 13:
What were your thoughts about Kenneth's experience at Collier Landing?
Chapter 14:
Kenneth describes seeing the Wool Pooh at Joey's church. What do you think he is seeing?
Chapter 15:
What are your thoughts about Kenneth escaping to the Watson Pet Hospital? What do you think about the conversation between Kenneth and By?
End of book:
What is your overall evaluation of The Watson's Go to Birmingham?
Chapter 11:
ReplyDeleteKenneth thought Grandma Sands looked like a troll because of everything that he was ever told by Byron. Byron led him to believe that she was a mean, evil lady. He found instead that Grandma Sands was a small, fragile, loving woman.
Chapter 12:
I think Kenneth realized that sometimes his mother had childish instincts, especially with her own mother. He saw the childish side of his mother for the first time. Perhaps it was then that he realized that he and his mother were not so different.
Chapter 13:
I think that Kenneth is getting to the age where he is becoming more like By and beginning to take risks. A part of him thinks that he is invincible and can get through anything. However, I think when he began to drown, it made him realize that he was not invincible. At the same time, it made Byron grow up a bit, while strengthening Byron and Kenneth's relationship.
Chapter 14:
I think that Kenneth's idea of the Wool Pooh is his minds image of death itself. Whether or not he is seeing or imagining is in his own mind's eye.
Chapter 15:
I think that Kenneth was depressed about what was going on in Birmingham, not only to him at Collier's Landing, but also at the church. He thought that Joey was dead and in fact, witnessed death itself. I think the Pet Hospital was his way of sorting through those feelings. It was Byron who came through and lifted him up. This portrayed a full circle within their relationship and truly signified how their relationship went from a hate-love relationship to a mutual respect relationship.
End of Book:
I loved this book. It showed the growth of relationships over time, especially between the Watson children. This was evident more toward the end of the book than throughout. It was a great story of a family sticking together and growing together.
Overall the book was funny and amusing. I think the author used a creative way to bring about the issues of racism in the South. I also thought it was a good idea to add the epilogue at the end explaining the civil rights movement. It was a heartwarming novel that I hope to share with my grandchildren. ;)
ReplyDeleteKenny thought Grandma was going to be a troll because he was yet again going by a description provided by Byron, he was truly shocked when Grandma turned out to be a little old lady instead.
ReplyDeleteI think Kenny was shocked to see his mother as someone's child, children do not tend to see their parents as having lives prior to parenthood.
Iwas surprised to see that Kenny was the one disobeying the rules and going down to the whirlpool area. I was also surprised to see that Byron just let him go even though By was the one who eventually saved his life
The Wool Pool came to symbolize death for children, and I think that children are tapped into things because of the child lenses that they see the world through. Kenny was able to see death (the Wool Pool) coming for the children in the church because the boogeyman was easier to see than the actual death
I thoughtthe way Kenny chose to deal with his fear and shame was quite ingenious considering I have known niches like that where animals hide to get well, so I can see his train of thought taking him to find the magic to get well. I loved the conversation between him and Byron, thelove there was the kind of love and holding up of another family memeber that I hope for my boys to have should they ever need one another