STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS
URBAN LULLABIES, VOLUME 1: PRINCE HAWKINS
After your read a chapter, see if you can answer the following questions. If not, you should go back and reread the text again before moving on to the next chapter. Most of the questions for each chapter are "recall" questions, which means that the answer can be found directly in the text. At least one question for each chapter will require you to create your own answer. |  |
CHAPTER ONE:
- Who wants to speak to Mr. Hawkins about Prince?
- Who is Prince with while his father is occupied?
- What happens to make Mr. Hawkins feel special?
- Why didn't Prince eat dinner with his father?
- What things can you infer about Mr. Hawkins based on what you read in chapter one? Use details from the text to support your answer.
CHAPTER TWO:
- Why did Mr. Hawkins switch bowls with his son at the breakfast table?
- Why did Taunia's family move from Atlanta to D.C.?
- What effect has the absence of Prince's mother's had on him, according to his father?
- Why does Prince call Taunia so early in the morning?
- Do you think Prince would be the type of person to allow people to take advantage of him? Explain your answer. Use details from this chapter to support your answer.
CHAPTER THREE:
- What is the highlighted difference between Prince's girlfriend and Myron's girlfriend?
- Why is Prince afraid of getting in trouble with Coach Goodrich?
- Mr. Jones tells Prince, "lightning don't strike twice." What does he mean by that?
- How is Prince a different person when he's playing baseball than when he's not?
- Explain why you can tell that Mr. Jones has mixed feelings about Prince. Use details from the text to support your answer.
CHAPTER FOUR:
- Why did Taunia stand out at Prince's games?
- What does Prince do to refocus himself?
- Mr. Hawkins tells Taunia, "He did well, but his team won the game..." What is he trying to tell her?
- Why is the ride home after a big win not a pleasent experience for Prince?
- Do you think Prince had a valid reason for being upset at the end of the chapter?
CHAPTER FIVE:
- What does Mr. Hawkins tell Prince that Taunia was doing at the game?
- According to Prince, what "big assumption" does Taunia make?
- Why is Prince not bothered by the fact that his father is so hard on him?
- Why might Prince not be able to go to the dance?
- What do you think Taunia should do with regards to her mom and Prince's dad?
CHAPTER SIX:
- Why does Myron think he couldn't make it in the Hawkins' household?
- How would you characterize Myron?
- What made Taunia first take an interest in Prince?
- Why value does Mr. Hawkins try to impress upron Prince just before he went to pay for his outfit?
- How does Myron know that the soda bottle is for him?
CHAPTER SEVEN:
- Does Ms. Crenshaw view Taunia as a child or a young adult?
- Why do you think Taunia's relationship might scare Ms. Crenshaw?
- Why has it taken Taunia so long to talk to her mother about what's bothering her?
- How does Ms. Crenshaw seem to change from the beginning of this chapter to the end?
- At the end of the chapter, Ms. Crenshaw tells her daughter, "never say never." Make a prediction based on this quote.
CHAPTER EIGHT:
- What character is introduced to the story in this chapter?
- Mr. Hawkins said, "Do I know you?" to the person on the telephone. Do you think he really did not recognize the voice?
- Why do you think Janice wants to return after being gone for so long?
- Why didn't Mr. Hawkins tell Prince who was on the phone?
- Why did Prince begin doing chores that weren't his responsibility?
CHAPTER NINE:
- Why did Prince wanna go to the pizzeria with his friends?
- What revelation did Myron have at the pizzeria?
- Why was Prince so sure that this was the first time his parents had spoken?
- Why does Ms. Crenshaw say that Taunia must really like Prince?
- What do you predict will happen next with Prince's mother?
CHAPTER TEN:
- Why did Taunia miss Prince's last game of the season?
- Myron was the star of the game, hitting the game winning run. When he commented on it, he just said that he got lucky. Does this go along with his character? Why or Why not?
- What were the parents doing while the kids were at the dance?
- Why did Mr. Hawkins lie to Mr. Williams?
- What do you predict will happen next between Mr. Hawkins and Ms. Crenshaw?
CHAPTER ELEVEN:
- Does Mr. Hawkins endorse the relationship between his son and Taunia? How do you know?
- What does Prince mean when he refers to "unfinished business?"
- How is his father a motivation for him calling his mother?
- What did Janice leave home? Why did she stay away from home?
- Prince's mother says to Prince about his father, "I guess after all this time, maybe he doesn't care anymore." Do you think she's right? Explain your answer.
CHAPTER TWELVE:
- Why did Prince run out of the locker room half-dressed?
- Why did the coaches want to speak to Prince?
- What did Coach Goodrich offer to help Prince do?
- Why did Prince pretend to be "too tired to talk" when he got into his father's truck?
- What do you predict will happen with regards to Prince's big opportunity?
CHAPTER THIRTEEN:
- What inferences can you make based on the short conversation between Prince and Ms. Crenshaw at the beginning of the chapter?
- When Prince talks over his issues with Taunia, to whom does he compare his father? What is the basis of the comparison(s)?
- What is Prince's reaction when Taunia tells him about her mom and his dad?
- How does Prince say that he feels about his mother's condition? Do you believe him? Why or why not?
CHAPTER FOURTEEN:
- What was Mr. Hawkins' assumption as to the reason Coach Goodrich wanted to speak to him? What was the real reason?
- Why does everyone know Mr. Hawkins won't be happy about this opportunity? What do they say to convince him to reconsider?
- Describe Prince during the meeting between his father and the coaches.
- Why does Prince want to celebrate, and what do they decide to do?
- What team was interested in Prince?
CHAPTER FIFTEEN:
- How did the Crenshaws help prepare for the meeting with Mr. Vance?
- Refer back to the interaction between Ms. Crenshaw and Prince at the table during dinner. What can you infer about both of them from this part of the story? Pay special attention to the last sentence of the last paragraph on page 101.
- What decision was made regarding Prince's athletic career that made all parties happy?
- "He thought about his past and all the things he was trying to leave behind." The narrator is most likely referring to what things?
- The narrator refers to "new beginnings visible on the horizon." To what is he most likely referring?
