Part 1

Reading Check

1. On the kitchen floor (Poem 1)

2. 1931 (Poem 8)

3. Ma (Poem 13)

Short Answer

1. Playing piano inspires and excites Billie Jo. She comments, “It’s the best I ever felt.” (Poem 6)

2. Dust impacts the crops, making it hard for them to grow. It also gets inside the house, so Ma has them set the table with cups and plates upside down to prevent them from filling with dust before the meal. Dust still gets on their food as they eat. (Part 1)

Part 2

Reading Check

1. Ma (Poem 21)

2. Eight (Poem 27)

Short Answer

1. Ma loves the apple trees and cares for them. They symbolize her hope of bringing life into their farm. Billie Jo hopes for the food the apples can bring, including pies and cobbler. (Part 2)

2. It rained so hard that it washed away the crop that had been planted. (Poem 26)

Part 3

Reading Check

1. Burns on her hands (Poems 32-33)

2. Franklin (Poem 38)