Homecoming/Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voigt

Dicey, the resourceful, determined protagonist struggles to find a place to live for her family. The four Tillerman children had been abandoned by their parents, and, as the oldest child, Dicey feels responsible for leading her family to a new home. On their journey, the children encounter external dangers and questions about life. Homecoming is a realistic portrayal of lower-class children affected by their mother’s mental illness illustrates the journey of discovery of the world and of oneself, the issues of loss and abandonment, as well as the search for integrity and courage, security, and meaning.

Dicey's Song is the sequel to Homecoming in which the adolescent Dicey struggles to find a home in herself. She searches for identity and independence. Having found security in her grandmother’s home, Dicey is growing up and learning lessons about love. After a summer of caring for her siblings, Dicey is now learning to let go of that control. She tries to reconcile both reaching out to others and letting go of them. Homecoming addresses dealing with death and growing up.

About the Series:

Novel/Drama curriculum units contain complete lesson plans with preliminary and follow-up work, teacher notes with plot summary, background, and rationale, ready-to-use worksheets, and suggested answers for student questions. These study guides encourage the development of thinking, reading, speaking, research, and writing skills as well as critical thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.