Schema: Dust bowl, Great Depression, bullies, superheroes, sisters and brothers
Author’s purpose: to entertain and inform about the depression
Inference: The family was leaving Kansas, but then when the mysterious figure runs in front of the car, it seems that the family didn’t end up leaving Kansas. We may infer that the sudden stop caused the car to break down as we see the father working on the car after that.
Cause and Effect: Because of the drought, the effect is that the economy is depressed and people are out of work.
POV: The story is told from Jack’s POV.
Text-to-text connection: The Wizard of Oz
Text-to-self connection: wanting a parent’s attention
Characterization of Jack: Describe all of Jack’s traits such as his caring for his sisters, his desire to be loved by his father, his longing to help with the farm, his courage to confront the Storm Man and capture the thunder, his manner in dealing with the bullies, and the relationship he has with the Ernie.
Historical Fiction: Times were truly hard for the lack of rain during the 1930’s in Kansas, an area called the “Dust Bowl” because of the dry dusty soil that blew away because of the drought. In order to survive and grow what feed they could for their cattle, the farmers would have jackrabbit drives, where they would round up the jack rabbits and club them to death. Most of the rabbits would then be fed to other animals. The people were afraid to eat them because of jackrabbit fever. The books provides a candid view of what life was like for people during this time period.
Drawing Conclusions: What do you conclude is the reason that Ernie tells Jack the stories he shares with him?
Synthesis: Can you think of another hard time in history where some type of superhero could have changed the harshness to happiness? What would be the hero’s super powers?
This book is on the Texas Bluebonnet 2011 nominee list, written on a 2.3 AR level, and begins with the curse word “damn.” Following on into the story the author injected two more “hell’s” andin my personal opinion the curse words were unnecessary.