Accompaniment to the Bluford Series Novel

2. Sometimes, it is okay to skip school.
All children should live with their
biological parents.
If someone hurts you in some way, you
should figure out how to “get them back”.
Parents should always want what’s best
for their children
ANTICIPATION GUIDE:
AGREE OR DISAGREE

3.  Author of five books in the Bluford Series
 Born in Cleveland, Ohio
 College degrees from California State University
 Taught high school from 1967 to 1977 in San Diego, California
 Travel across United States as a child
 Began working as a teenager: papergirl, waitress, shrimp boat
worker, picked crops
 Always wanted to be a writer
 Sold her first story when she was a college freshman
 Pen name: A.E. Schraff
 Editor thought she was a man because of the name
 Writer of more than 80 books
ANNE SCHRAFF

4. Major
Characters
Cindy Gibson
Lorraine Gibson
Mr. Mitchell
Raffie Whitaker
Bobby Wallace
Grandma Rose
Harold Davis

5. 1. periodic - occurring at intervals of time
2. manipulate – to manage or influence skillfully
3. accompany – to go along with; to join in
4. warily – to be on guard; in a watchful manner
5. cherished – loved; treated as dear
6. parched – being extremely and completely dry
7. swaggered – walked with a strut or defiant air
8. fragile – easily broken or damaged
9. glared – staring fiercely or angrily
10. profusely – freely; in a great amount
VOCABULARY

6. MATCH THE PICTURE TO THE VOCABULARY WORD
periodic
manipulate
accompany
warily
cherished
parched
swaggered
fragile
glared
profusely

7. Our story begins..
At first, Bobby Wallace was
everything Cindy Gibson hoped
for. He was friendly, seemingly
mature, and handsome--the perfect
escape from her problems in
school and even bigger troubles at
home. But then, Bobby starts
behaving strangely, and Cindy
gets scared.

8.  When Cindy refuses to go
to school and Jamee asks
Cindy’s mom to step in,
Mrs. Gibson says, “But
what am I supposed to
do? I’m only a mother.
Who listens to mothers
anymore?” Do you agree
with Mrs. Gibson’s
evaluation of her
position? Is there
anything you think she
should be doing
differently? Explain and
provide examples from
your own life.
 We learn in Chapters 1
and 2 that Cindy is
worried about a lot of
things. Make a list of the
things you are worried
about or have worried
about recently. Then write
a paragraph explaining
your top three worries.
Why are you worried
about these things? Is
there anything you can do
to stop worrying about
them? Describe in detail.
CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING
TOPICS TO WRITE A PARAGRAPH

9. 1. How does Cindy feel about her mother? Why does
she feel this way?
2. Who is Raffie Whitaker, and how does he treat
Cindy?
3. How does Cindy respond to his behavior? How does
her mother respond to his behavior?
4. When Cindy was younger, why did she spend very
little time with her mother? Who took care of her
when her mother wasn’t able to?
5. What does Mrs. Davis notice and compliment Cindy
on? How does Cindy react to this compliment?
QUESTIONS CHAPTERS 1 & 2

10.  Pretend you are Jamee Wills
and it is your job to convince
Cindy she should go back to
school. Write a letter to Cindy,
explaining the three most
important reasons she should
go back to school. At some
point in your letter, you should
try to acknowledge some of
the reasons why Cindy doesn’t
want to go to school, arguing
against her reasons.
 Cindy tries in small ways to
“get back” at people who hurt
her. She feels good when she
hangs up on Raffie when he
taunts her, and she skips
school in part to get back at
her mother for ignoring her.
When have you done
something to “get back” at
someone else? Write about a
time when you tried to get
revenge in some way. You
may have done something
indirect, the way Cindy does,
or something more
significant. What did you do?
Did you get the results you
wanted? Looking back, do
you think it was the right
thing to do?
CHOOSE 1 TOPIC

11. 1. What activity does Mr. Mitchell suggest that Cindy become
involved in? What is her reaction? What are her friends
reactions?
2. How does Cindy initially behave toward Bobby when he
approaches her? What is his response to her? How does
what Bobby says influence Cindy’s behavior toward him?
3. When Cindy gets home, eager to tell Mom her good news,
what does she learn about her mother’s whereabouts? How
does Cindy feel about what her mother has done?
4. Who does Cindy sit with during the Bluford Buccaneers’
football practice? Why is this significant to her?
5. After Bobby and Cindy eat Chinese food, what unfamiliar
place does Bobby take Cindy to?
QUESTIONS CHAPTER 3 & 4

12. If I were Cindy, I would have
accepted Bobby’s offer to get in his
car and go out for ice cream.
Friends should not date their
friend’s exes.
Cindy deals well with her problems
at home.
AGREE OR DISAGREE

13.  To Cindy, being hugged by
Mrs. Davis is like “being
wrapped in a favorite warm
blanket.” Write about a
person who has given you a
similar sense of comfort
and belonging at a difficult
time. What was this person
like? Why did you need
comforting at that
particular time? How did
the person comfort you?
 So that Bobby will accept
her, Cindy agrees to go to
the old row home and
drink wine even though
she doesn’t want to. Write
a paragraph about a time
when you did something
just because you wanted
someone to think you were
cool. What was your
relationship to the person
beforehand? What did you
do to impress them? What
was the result of your
actions? Looking back, do
you think you did the right
thing?
CHOOSE ONE

14. 1. What are some of the kids doing in the basement of the row
home where Bobby takes Cindy: What is Cindy’s reaction to
what she sees there?
2. Before Cindy goes into her apartment, what does Bobby give
her? What does this item represent to Cindy?
3. What happens between Mom and Cindy once Mom returns
from her trip?
4. How does Bobby respond when he doesn’t find Cindy waiting
for him where he wanted her to be?
What does Cindy see that makes her think there might be a
link between bobby and Raffie? What does Bobby say when
Cindy asks him about it?
QUESTIONS CHAPTER 5 & 6

15.  Pretend you are an advice columnist, like Dear Abby.
You’ve received the following letter. Write a reply to the
letter, giving the best advice you can.
DEAR ABBY
Dear Abby,
I’m so confused, and I don’t know what to do. I’m dating a
wonderful man who I hope will propose to me any day now. The
problem is that my fifteen-year-old daughter, Cindy, seems to hat him.
She claims he is mean to her, but I just can’t believe that’s true. And
she nags me to spend more time with her, but then she and I end up
fighting about him when we are together. If he and I get married, I
can’t see how they’ll ever get along. What should I do?
Lorraine

16. 1. What kind of work does
Mom say Raffie does?
2. When Cindy’s mother
comments about the
bruise on Cindy’s wrist,
what does Cindy tell her?
3. What does Harold tell
Cindy about Raffie
Whitaker? What is
Cindy’s reaction?
4. What is Mom’s reaction
when Cindy confronts her
with the truth about
Raffie?
5. While they are at the
beach, what does Bobby
give Cindy?
QUESTIONS CHAPTER 7 & 8
 When Grandma Rose complains
about a scary show on TV,
Harold says, “…there’s nothin’
in a fake TV show that’s scarier
than things in the real world.”
THE REAL WORLD

17.  When Grandma Rose complains about a scary show on TV,
Harold says, “…there’s nothin’ in a fake TV show that’s
scarier than things in the real world.”
THE REAL WORLD
 Do you agree with Harold?
Explain your answer.
Make a list of things “in the
real world” that you find
especially frightening.
Compare your list with a
classmate.

18. 1. On their way home from the library, Harold asks Cindy
something that surprises her. What does he ask her? How
does Cindy feel about this question? What is her reply to
Harold?
2. When Cindy returns from the library, what item does Mom
happily show her and then tell her about? What is Cindy’s
reaction?
3. How does Bobby behave when Cindy tells him she wants to
leave the Halloween party? What does Cindy finally realize
about Bobby?
4. What dramatic events happen before the party ends, and
who is involved?
5. What finally makes Mom realize the truth about Raffie?
Who is Cindy surprised to learn assisted in getting evidence
against Raffie?
QUESTIONS CHAPTER 9 & 10

19. IDEA DIAGRAM
What I
think
about
myself
talents
emotional
intelligence
physical

20. PROJECT IDEAS
 Scripted Conversation
 Like Cindy, who looks to Mrs. Davis for advice, young
people often need the guidance of adults to help them
through difficult situations. Write the script for a
conversation in which a young person approaches an adult
for help with a specific problem.
 Make the conversation as realistic as possible by including
the following: difficulties the characters would face
 solutions that they might propose to solve the problem
 express the emotions they are feeling
 Begin with a narrator explaining who the characters are
 For extra credit, perform your script in class.

21. PROJECT IDEAS
 Scene Illustration
 Think of your favorite scene from the book.
 Write a paragraph explaining why this was your favorite
scene.
 Draw a picture of how you imagine that scene would look
 Try to include as much detail as possible about all the
characters involved and the surrounding scenery.

22. PROJECT IDEAS
 Postcard Activity
 Pretending you are a character in Someone to Love Me,
write a postcard to another character from the book.
 In the postcard, you should ask that character a question
about his or her actions or behavior.
 Pass your postcard to another student in class, who will
write a reply to your postcard in the voice of the other
character.

23. PROJECT IDEAS
 Character Diagram
 On a sheet of paper, draw five boxes. Lable each
bow with the name of one of the main characters
in the book: Cindy, Mom, Bobby, Raffie, and Mrs.
Davis.
Cindy
2 facts:
2 descriptive words:
key quote:
Mom
2 facts:
2 descriptive words:
key quote:
Bobby
2 facts:
2 descriptive words:
key quote:
Raffie
2 facts:
2 descriptive words:
key quote:
Mrs. Davis
2 facts:
2 descriptive words:
key quote:
In each box, do the following:
a. Write two facts that you’ve
learned about that person
b. Write two descriptive words
that seem right for that person.
c. Identify one key quote from the
story that helps illustrate each
person’s personality.