Selection 2: Tanya’s Reunion by Valerie Flournoy pictures by Jerry Pinkney
Genre: Realistic Fiction Realistic characters and events come to life in a fictional plot.
Selection Summary Tanya’s family is planning a reunion, and Tanya can’t wait to see where her grandmother grew up. Disappointed in the farm at first, Tanya eventually learns to see it through her grandmother’s eyes. She gains a new appreciation of her family heritage.
Key Concept: Family Reunions
Key Vocabulary arrangements gathering great-uncle homestead persisted pitches in reunion satisfaction
Arrangements: plans made beforehand; preparations We began making arrangements for the reunion months in advance.
Gathering: a coming together of people We celebrated by eating lots of delicious food at our family gathering.
Great-uncle: a grandparent’s brother I asked my great-uncle to tell me about his childhood.
Homestead- a house with land and buildings belonging to it We traveled to the homestead for our family reunion.
Persisted: continued repeatedly She persisted at improving her painting until it was perfect.
Pitches in: helps others get a job done The man pitches in to help the driver load his truck.
Reunion: a meeting of group members who have been apart My family held its reunion last summer after being apart for over a year.
Satisfaction: contentment; happiness The woman felt a great deal of satisfaction after earning her college degree.
Now, let’s take a look at some of the reading skills we will be practicing with this story...
Strategy Focus: Evaluate Tanya is going to a family reunion. As you read the story, evaluate how the author helps you understand what Tanya is feeling.
Comprehension Skill Focus: Making Inferences You will focus on making inferences, or reading between the lines, in this story. Use clues from the story and experiences from your own life to help you.
Character Development Flow Chart
Enjoy Selection 2: Tanya’s Reunion Valerie Flournoy Jerry Pinkney Check out www.eduplace.com for more fun activities related to this story!