Discussion Questions for Dear America: With the Might of Angels,The Diary of Dawnie Rae Johnson, Hadley, Virginia, 1954 by Andrea Davis Pinkney

About the Book

After the Supreme Court’s 1954 ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, Dawnie Rae Johnson’s world turns upside down when she learns that she will be attending a previously all-white school. Dawnie must endure the harsh realities of racism firsthand while continuing to work hard and prove she deserves the opportunity.

Discussion Questions

1. Dawnie’s diary is a special gift from her brother. Why do you think she writes in it so frequently?
2. Dawnie’s dad says that smart children need books all around them. Why are books so important to Dawnie and her family? Are they important to you too?
3. Yolanda laughed at Dawnie’s dream of being a doctor. Think of a time someone told you that you could not do something. How did it make you feel? What did you do?
4. Name some similarities between Gertie and Dawnie. Name some differences.
5. The reverend says, “This is a time of hope for our children. The best way to make that hope into something real is to rise and meet it.” What do you think this means?
6. Dawnie decides that the best way to get back at the mean teachers and students is to be successful. Do you think this is a good plan? Why or why not?
7. How do you think you would feel toward Yolanda after she explains why she has been mean?
8. Mr. Dunphy says that change starts with one person. Do you believe this is true? What things do you want to change? How could you start?
9. If you were in Dawnie’s class, how could you have made her feel welcome? How could you welcome a new student to your class today?
10. Why do you think Gertie lets Dawnie ring the bell? Would you do the same?