Summary

Part 4, Chapter 1 – May is very hot and very dry. There is no air-conditioning in Room 2, so Billy has been sweaty all day. Sal is on the front porch, eating blueberries. The Drop Sisters are inside, to stay clean. Billy goes to talk to Papa about a problem he has. The end-of-year show that Mrs. Silver is organizing will feature students reading original poems about a family member. But students can only choose one family member, and that family member gets to be up on the stage. Papa tells him that it doesn’t matter who he writes about, because both Papa and Mama will be happy with the decision. By dinner, Billy has not yet made up his mind. He thinks Mama will be better for the poem, since she teaches poetry in English class and would make her happier. So neither Papa nor...