While surviving the tornadoes and their aftermath, people become the focus of the novel. How does the devastating night amplify the importance of relationships?

Consider these points as you reflect on the text to answer the question.

• How do Dan’s feelings about Ryan shift?
• In what ways do Arthur and Dan lean on each other?
• In what ways are Stacey and Mrs. Smiley similar?
• Where do people put others above themselves?
• How do elements of relationships evident early in the novel become even more clear during and after the tragic storms?

Teaching Suggestion: You might consider having students brainstorm key descriptors for character relationships before the tornado, in the early chapters, as a class. Then, students could work individually to identify scenes where aspects of a relationship intensify later in the book. The class could return to discuss more after the individual exploration. To ensure all voices are heard, wrapping up the conversation with a quick-write about a major take-away and asking all students to share a word, phrase, or sentence in a wrap-around could be used: Students share quickly one after another, knowing whom they will follow with their share.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students with attentional and executive function differences might use a graphic organizer as they prepare for the discussion with columns for the relationships between major characters before, during, and after the storms.