Staphopoulos, Isabelle, Martha, Ruthie, Louisiana’s grandmother, Bunny/Buddy, the yellow bird, and the janitor. In addition to Beverly and Louisiana, many characters are part of Raymie’s journey, including Mr. How would you describe the tone of Raymie’s voice at the beginning of the book as compared to the end? How does her tone change throughout the story?ĩ. What do these actions tell you about the two girls’ personalities?Ĩ. When the girls are at the Golden Glen, both Beverly and Louisiana do something brave: Beverly holds Alice Nebbley’s hand when Alice asks, and Louisiana lets the yellow bird out of its cage. Louisiana and her grandmother often steal food in order to have something to eat, but Louisiana says it’s okay because they are stealing to survive. What do these things tell us? How do they help explain the way Beverly acts?Ħ. There are hints throughout Raymie Nightingale about Beverly’s home life, such as the way her mother reacts when she picks up Beverly from baton class (page 34), as well as the bruise under Beverly’s eye (page 80) and her chipped front tooth (page 118). On page 73, Isabelle tells Raymie that “good deeds are pointless.” Do you agree with Isabelle? Why or why not?ĥ. What “appropriate” book would you bring to read to the elderly if you were volunteering at the Golden Glen?Ĥ. Sylvester when she is feeling down? How does it help Raymie feel better?ģ. Why do you think she continues to think of the nursery rhyme? How might a nursery rhyme make her feel better? Why does it anger her mother that Raymie recites the rhyme?Ģ. Raymie recites a nursery rhyme every time she thinks about her father’s leaving (page 3). “Poignant, insightful, and ultimately uplifting.”- School Library Journal (starred review)ġ. Here DiCamillo returns-triumphantly-to her Winn-Dixie roots.”- The Horn Book (starred review) “The limited third-person narration gives Raymie her distinctive voice and spot-on pre-adolescent perspective of a young girl trying to make sense of the world around her. “Fraught with adventure, danger, and a miracle or two, the escapade reveals how love and compassion can overcome even the highest hurdles.”- Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Once again, DiCamillo demonstrates the power of simple words in a beautiful and wise tale.”- Kirkus Reviews, starred review And that’s why she’s Kate the Great.”- Booklist, starred review “As in her previous award-winning books, DiCamillo once again shows that life’s underlying sadnesses can also be studded with hope and humor, and does it in a way so true that children will understand it in their bones. “From start to finish, Raymie feels her soul alternately shrinking and expanding like an indecisive balloon as she and her new entourage navigate the waters of friendship and heartbreak, love and loss, life and death.”- Shelf Awareness, starred review “With its short, vibrant chapters and clear, gentle prose, this triumphant and necessary book conjures the enchantments of childhood without shying away from the fraught realities of abandonment, abuse and neglect.”- The New York Times Book Review

Raymie nightingale