Sounder

Name:

Make sure you've read the book before attempting to answer the questions. Print a copy of this assignment when you are finished.

Here's an excerpt to help with your review of the story.

Sounder
Armstrong: William H.
Newbery Award
Readability: 7
Setting: the South
Age of Main Character: 12
Newbery Award

"Three men wearing heavy boots stamped up and down on the old wooden porch. A loud voice called out. There was a lot of noise and confusion. The men grabbed the father. They handcuffed him and threw him into a wagon. As the wagon drove away, Sounder ran afer it. One of the men turned and shot Sounder. Sounder was left to die."

The boy had seen everything. He collapsed to the ground in horror and grief. The cabin door opened, and the boy's mother called, "Come in, child. "

The main characters are father, mother, boy, and younger children; a black family living in a white/black community in the South. Their faithful companion is Sounder, a "coon" hound.

It is a story seen through the eyes of the black family. Sounder, the "coon' dog, typifies the black man's struggle.

Questions:

1. What was the main point of the story?

2. Who was Sounder?

3. How were Sounder and the father alike?

4. What happened to the father of the boy?

5. Describe the effect this book had on your feelings about the struggle of minorities? Use examples from the story to reinforce your conclusions.