How does this affect the way he fits in with the other Tillerman children? With the rest of the world? Are there times when he would be a more effective leader than Dicey?ģ. James is considered “the smart one” in the family. How does she feel about having this much responsibility? In what ways is she prepared for this change, and in what ways is it apparent that she is still a child herself? How does Dicey’s role within the family change as the children move in with their grandmother and get older?Ģ.

When their mother leaves, Dicey takes responsibility for the younger children and becomes, in effect, the head of their family. Cynthia Voigt's moving Tillerman books-which trace journeys both physical and emotional-have garnered many honors, including a Newbery Medal for Dicey’s Song and a Newbery Honor for A Solitary Blue.ġ. And as they grow up and begin to follow their own separate dreams, it becomes more and more difficult to remember just how important family can be. As they build a new life with their grandmother, however, they must learn how to remain a close-knit unit under very different circumstances than those they had previously known. Even when they are abandoned by their emotionally ill mother, they find strength in each other as they search desperately for a place to call home. The four Tillerman children-Dicey, James, Maybeth, and Sammy-have always presented a unified front to the world in spite of the troubles they encounter.

Izzy willy nilly by cynthia voigt