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Monday, December 5, 2011

Nowhere to Call Home by Cynthia Defelice

Tramping is for people with nothing to lose and nowhere to call home. Twelve-year-old Frances Elizabeth Barrow thinks that describes her when she clips her hair and, disguised as a boy, "flips" a train west. Left a penniless orphan after her father's bankruptcy and subsequent suicide, Frances is sure that hoboing is better than being sent to live with an unfamiliar aunt in Chicago. On the drag, she meets Stewpot, a fifteen-year-old boy who teaches her the ropes — everything from the jargon to the signs the hoboes leave for one another, to how to outwit the cops. She also learns that being "free" exacts a price, and comes to appreciate her old life. Cynthia DeFelice captures the despair — and the hope — of individuals facing the Great Depression in this story about a spirited young heroine filled with resolve after all she has experienced.
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18 comments:

  1. Brynn Y.December 6, 2011 at 9:02 AM

    I started this book a few weeks ago and I'm on chapter 13. i think it is very interesting.

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  2. Brynn Y.December 6, 2011 at 9:10 AM

    I started this book a few weeks ago and I am on chapter 13. I think it is really interesting because it tells you about the depression. Some of my questions are...
    ~ Will Frankie ever tell Stewpot that she is a girl?
    ~ Did Omaha Red sell Frankie's stuff?
    ~ Does Frankie ever go to her aunt's house.
    ~ Is going west a bad idea?

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  3. Isaiah H.December 6, 2011 at 9:14 AM

    Question
    1.Why did Frances father die? 2.Why didn't Frances go to her aunts house? 3.Why did she dress up like a boy? 4.Why isn't she spending her money?
    Opinions
    1. I think her father died from the great depression. 2. I think she didn't go because she didn't want to live a different life. 3. I think she dressed like a boy because all her maids and butlers said tramping is not for girls. 4. I think she isn't spending money because she doesn't want anybody to know she has that much money.

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  4. A J M.S.December 6, 2011 at 10:59 AM

    1.Why did Frances run from the train station when the redcap preson toke her to the taxi and he was out of sigh?
    2.what is pneumonia?
    3.
    4.

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  5. Brynn Y.December 7, 2011 at 9:19 AM

    Pneumonia is a lung inflammation caused by viral infection.

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  6. Brynn Y.December 7, 2011 at 9:21 AM

    Frances' dad killed himself because he was afraid to live without his money.

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  7. Brynn Y.December 7, 2011 at 9:22 AM

    She isn't spending her money because she needs to save it for when she really needs it.

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  8. Isaiah H.December 7, 2011 at 9:29 AM

    Brynn, I think that Omaha Red sold her stuff already because he is greedy. A J M.S., Pneumonia is a very deadly sickness that if not treated right that person can die!!!

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  9. A J M.S.December 7, 2011 at 11:03 AM

    1. YES, Frankie will tell Stewpot that she is a girl.
    2.I think that Omaha Red actually sold the things Frankie carried in her bag.
    3.Yes, Frankie does got to her aunt;s house in the very end.
    4.No, heading West is not a bad idea.

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  10. A J M.S.December 7, 2011 at 11:07 AM

    1. Why did Frances get of the train?
    2. What did Frankie carry in her bag?
    3. What is your favorite part of the story? Why?
    4. Why did the hoboes decide to put a cat as the symbol of kindness?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Brynn Y.December 8, 2011 at 8:59 AM

    A J M.S., I haven't gotten to that part of the book yet so I don't know any of the answers to your questions but my favorite part so far was when Stewpot was teaching Frankie how to whittle.

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  12. Brynn Y.December 8, 2011 at 9:02 AM

    One of the quotes is, " I'll only buy the knife for 25 cents".

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  13. Isaiah H.December 8, 2011 at 9:09 AM

    1. Frankie carried a brush and all her old belongings. 2. "his voice faded away, and Frankie could hear him breathing unevenly in his sleep."

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  14. A J M.S.December 8, 2011 at 10:33 AM

    1. How would you describe Frances Personality?
    2. What was the saddest moment for you? Why?
    3. What do hoboes do to earn their meals?
    4. What do you wish never happened in the book? Why?

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  15. A J M.S.December 8, 2011 at 10:40 AM

    Brynn Y. your answers are very interesting. But why is that your favorite part of the book?

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  16. Isaiah H.December 12, 2011 at 9:19 AM

    A J M.S. The saddest part for me was when stewpot died.A J M.S. How was the book for you did you like it or not like it?

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  17. Brynn Y.December 12, 2011 at 9:28 AM

    A J M.S., that is my favorite part of the book because I have always tried whittling but it doesn't work. My saddest moment was when Stewpot died. I wish stewpot didn't die because it was sad, scary, and suspenseful. Hoboes earn their meals by working or begging. It's hard to describe her personality but she is daring and emotional. My question is, "Why does frances go to her aunts house if she is afraid to?"

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    Replies
    1. AnonymousMarch 26, 2013 at 6:34 PM

      why did frances dress up like a boy

      Delete

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