One Crazy Summer

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Delphine and her sisters go to Oakland to meet their mother, who is a virtual stranger. All they know is what Big Ma has said about Cecile and what little memory allows them to recall. 

• How does Delphine’s view of her mother change over the course of the novel? (topic sentence)
• Compare Delphine’s view of her mother at the beginning of their summer to what she thinks and feels at the end. Provide examples of relevant turning points and interactions that show Delphine’s changes in progress.
• In your closing sentences, evaluate whether Williams-Garcia’s portrayal of these characters is believable.

2. When she first arrives in Oakland, Delphine has a clear understanding of acceptable behavior for African American people, a lot of it based on how her father and Big Ma have raised her. 

• How does Delphine’s view of herself and Blackness evolve while she is in Oakland? (topic sentence)
• Give examples of events and conversations that serve as major turning points for Delphine within the novel. What literary devices and plot elements does Williams-Garcia use to illustrate those changes?
• In your closing sentences, describe how Delphine’s evolution mirrors the changes happening in the nation and the world in 1968.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. A major aspect of Delphine’s characterization is that she carries adult responsibilities so much and so well that there are rare moments when she gets to be a child. How does Williams-Garcia illustrate this characterization, both Delphine’s adoption of adult responsibilities and her moments of pure childhood joy, throughout the novel?

2. In chapter 32, Cecile shares aspects of her life that help Delphine begin to understand why her mother left. How do these revelations cast Cecile/Nzila in a new light? What previously eccentric or erratic behaviors could be explained by what Cecile tells Delphine about her life?

3. How do the year 1968 and the political movements across the US and the world impact the relationships between mothers and daughters? How do those movements impact Williams-Garcia’s characters? Use both historical research and text-derived examples to help illustrate your points.