Simone wants a color.
She asks Mama, ” Am I black or White?”
“Boo,” Mama says, just like mamas do,
“a color is just a word.”
She asks Daddy, “Am I black or white?”
Daddy says, just like daddies do,
“you’re a little bit of both.”
But Simone still wants a color, one of her very own.
“You’re black like me,” one answers.
“No, you’re white like me,” says another.
“You could be one or the other,” a third says.
Simone stares at her feet. No one knows her color.
During recess Simone swats back and forth on a tire swing, and the black rubber stains her hands and clothes. It’s not her color.
Inside the classroom, Simone creates a flower. A drop of white glue kisses her skin. It’s not her color.
Comprehension Questions
1. What does Simone want?
A. Her own color.
B. Friends.
C. A new sibling.
2. Why do you think it's important to Simone to find her color.
A. Because her mama says.
B. Her friends give her too many different answers.
C. Simone wants to know her skin color because her skin doesn't match her moms or her dads. She wants to find out her very own color.
A. Because her mama says.
B. Her friends give her too many different answers.
C. Simone wants to know her skin color because her skin doesn't match her moms or her dads. She wants to find out her very own color.
Your Thoughts
3. Did you like this excerpt? Why or why not?
Vocabulary
4. List any vocabulary words below.