Warriors Don't Cry

The questions inside

One per chapter, across all 18 chapters — every question is editable before you print.

1. What do you learn about Melba, her family, and the world she is born into in Chapter 1? How do these details help you understand her story?
2. Grandma India tells Melba that warriors do not cry. What do you think she means by this, and how does her advice help Melba?
3. In this chapter, Melba begins to think about what it might mean to attend Central High School. What are her hopes, and what worries might she have?
4. How do Melba’s family members react to the idea of her helping to integrate Central High? What does this show about the risks they understand?
5. When Melba and the other Black students try to enter Central High, what keeps them from going in? How does this moment show unfairness?
6. How do crowds, newspapers, and leaders affect what happens to Melba and the other students in this chapter?
7. What changes when federal soldiers come to Little Rock? How do the soldiers help Melba, and what problems still remain?
8. Describe Danny, the soldier who protects Melba. What kind of person does he seem to be, and why is he important to her?
9. Melba has to keep learning while other students mistreat her. What does this show about her strength and her goals?
10. How does Melba’s experience at Central High affect her life at home with her family? Give examples of changes or sacrifices.
11. Choose one difficult event Melba faces in this chapter. How does she respond, and what does her response reveal about her character?
12. Minnijean faces unfair treatment at school. How does her experience help you understand the larger injustice faced by the Little Rock Nine?
13. Melba sometimes feels angry and tired of being hurt. Do you think it is harder to be brave when you are angry? Explain your thinking.
14. What does Melba lose from her normal teenage life because of integration? Why are these losses important to notice?
15. Find a strong word or phrase from this chapter that shows fear, courage, or unfairness. What does it mean, and why did the author choose it?
16. How does Link’s choice to help Melba challenge what others expect from him? What might his actions teach readers about doing the right thing?
17. By the end of the school year, how have Melba and the other students changed? What have they proved to themselves and to others?
18. After reading the final chapter, what do you think is the main message of Warriors Don't Cry? How can that message matter to readers today?

Example answers

Printed at the front of the booklet, so your reader can see what a strong answer looks like.

Grandma India tells Melba that warriors do not cry. What do you think she means by this, and how does her advice help Melba?

I think Grandma India means that a warrior keeps going even when life is painful and unfair. She is not saying Melba can never feel sad. She is teaching her to stay strong and not let cruel people control her. This advice helps Melba remember that she has courage inside her.

What changes when federal soldiers come to Little Rock? How do the soldiers help Melba, and what problems still remain?

When the federal soldiers come, Melba is finally able to enter Central High more safely. The soldiers protect her from some of the angry people who want to hurt her. Still, they cannot make all the students treat her kindly. Melba is inside the school, but she still has to face bullying and fear every day.

How does Link’s choice to help Melba challenge what others expect from him? What might his actions teach readers about doing the right thing?

Link is a white student, so many people might expect him to follow the crowd and stay against Melba. Instead, he chooses to warn her and help her. I think this shows that people can decide for themselves what is right, even when their friends or family disagree. His actions teach me that doing the right thing can be scary but important.