Few Blue Skies

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After reading Few Blue Skies, talk with students about what Paloma does when she notices problems in her community. How does she learn about issues that affect the health and well-being of people in San Fermín? Why does she think it is important to raise awareness about them? What issues do students notice in their own community?

Have students work in pairs to investigate one of those issues. Encourage them to begin by identifying questions they want to answer, then gather information by interviewing community members, making observations, and consulting reliable sources. Have each pair write an article that includes multiple perspectives and explains why the issue matters. Invite students to share their articles with the class and discuss who else in their community would benefit from reading them.

Questions for Discussion or Reflective Writing

• How does loving a place shape the way people fight for it? How does the relationship Paloma, Julio, and their families have with San Fermín show the sacrifices, responsibilities, and commitments that come with belonging to a community and protecting a place you call home?
• Why do workers choose to strike? What do workers gain when they act together? Why do the workers at Selva decide that a strike is necessary? How does the strike impact the community? How does it affect Paloma’s family and her friendship with Ale?
• Who gets to decide what happens in a community? How do the decisions made by Selva and local leaders affect the people who live and work in San Fermín? What do the people of San Fermín do to resist the forces of profit and power that threaten their community?
• Why do Paloma and Julio believe it is important to document what is happening in San Fermín? How does their research project help their community tell its own story and challenge the people who have ignored its experiences?
• Why does winning the scholarship create a difficult choice for Paloma and Julio? How do their hopes for their own futures connect to their responsibility to their community? If you were in Julio’s position or Paloma’s, what would shape your decision?

Related Resources

Few Blue Skies Discussion Guide from HarperStacks

The Warehouse Empire presented by KVCR

A Few Big Questions with Carolina Ixta from School Library Journal