The Watsons Go To Birmingham ch 1 - 5 Questions
What are the two things that Kenny thinks is wrong with him?
1. He has a lazy eye. 2. He's really smart.
What was Byron considered at Clark Elementary?
A god.
Why did Kenny and Rufus's friendship end?
Because Kenny laughed along with the other kids when Larry was making fun of Rufus.
Why was Mama so upset about Byron playing with matches?
Because her house burned down when she was a kid, and she didn't want the same thing to happen again.
Why was chapter 5 called "Nazi Parachutes Attack America and Get Shot Down over the Flint River By Captain Byron Watson and His Flamethrower of Death"?
Byron locked himself in the bathroom, made little parachutes out of toilet paper for his army guys, lit them on fire with a match and threw them in the toilet.
Why is chapter 4 titled "Froze-Up Southern Folks"?
Byron made up this story about how if you didn't bundle up for the cold you'd freeze to death. Then they'd leave your body at the curb for the garbage men to come by and pick you up and toss you in the back of the truck. That was why the garbage trucks have such huge doors on the back.
How do Kenny and Rufus become friends?
First, they were forced to sit next to each other and Rufus was acting like Kenny's friend. So Kenny invited him over to play dinosaurs. Rufus didn't even mind being the Nazi dinosaurs and didn't try to steal any of them.
Where are the Watsons from?
Flint, Michigan
What did Kenny think of Rufus and his brother when they first came on the bus?
He thought they were going to be his personal savers.
How did Larry try to hide the fact that he stole Kenny's gloves?
He tried to cover them with black shoe polish.
How did Byron get his lips stuck to the mirror of the car?
He was kissing it!
Who is Larry Dunn?
He's the king of Clark Elementary School. A big bully that Kenny was afraid of.
This novel opens up with a vivid description of how cold it is. What is the figurative language the author using the most in the first 2 paragraphs?
Hyperbole - "your eyes would automatically blink a thousand times", "it was about a zillion degrees below zero".
How did Rufus and Kenny become friends again?
Mama met the boys at the bus stop and said something to Rufus to make him understand how sad Kenny was for what he did.
Describe Byron.
On the outside he's a juvenile delinquent. Always breaking rules, skipping school, has been left back a few times.
What was a nickname Byron had for Kenny?
Poindexter
Describe Rufus
Rufus is Kenny's best friend. He moved to Michigan from Arkansas. He wears "raggedy" clothes and shares them with his brother Cody. His family does not have a lot of things, or money.
How did Mama react to Byron's Nazi Parachute movie?
She was so angry that he was caught using matches again, that she pinned him down and tried to burn his fingers.
Describe Joetta.
She's the youngest and acts like it. She's always crying about something and tattles on Kenny.
What do the Watsons call their car?
The Brown Bomber
Describe Kenny's parents.
They have a good marriage. Dad likes to make a lot of jokes. But Mama is a bit more serious. Whenever she thinks her husband is funny, she tries to hide it by covering her mouth. Mama is a planner.
