1. Roller Skates is an autobiographical account of Ruth Sawyer's year in New York City without her parents. The author frequently mentions actual names and places from the 1890s. How do these allusions contribute to the success of the novel?

2. Roller Skates won the Newbery Medal in 1937. Its sequel, The Year of Jubilo, chronicles the Wyman family's life after the death of Lucinda's father.

Compare the two books. Which book would you have given the award to?

Why?

3. In her acceptance speech for the Newbery Medal, Sawyer said she believed a free child was a happy child.

What evidence is there to suggest that Lucinda was a happier child during her year in New York City? Support or dispute the wisdom of Sawyer's assertion with evidence from the text and from your own experience.

4. Ruth Sawyer makes many allusions to the...