Booktalking Colorado - Full Booktalk Record

Booktalking Colorado Full Record:

	Title:	Tadpole
	Author:	White, Ruth
	Date Published:	2003
	Genre:	Real Life
	Grade Level:	6 - 8
	Booktalker:	Sam Marsh

Booktalk:
It started one day in June. Permanent waves one $ Sat morn come early. So the Collins family did. Mama. Kentucky, the oldest at 14, and most popular, Ken for Short. Then Virginia, or Gin, the prettiest. Then Georgia, the smartest, with straight O's (outstanding). And, finally, Caroline, the youngest at 10, the baby of the family still searching for her identity. While waiting for the boardinghouse to open--that's where they got the permanents-- they got to talking LOUD, because that's how they always talked. And then, they got talking about Tadpole. Tadpole Birch was the girls' favorite cousin. He'd gotten the name when he was at the creek and mentioned that he was hungry enough to eat a mess of tadpoles...or was dared to ketch one and eat it. At any rate, somebody dared somebody, and Tadpole swallowed one whole. But threw it up an hour later...still alive. Ever since he had become "Tadpole." His parents had died by the time he was four, and the relatives had taken turns passing him around...except for the Collins' 'cause their dad had died and mama had to tend to the four girls by herself. But, that spring Tadpole had turned 13 and Uncle Matthew Birch had wanted him permanent. The rest of the relatives were glad to give Matthew the responsibility. "Its because he's old enough to work," said mama. "They'll work that poor boy to death." After the permanents, the girls wanted to go see Rebel without a cause with James Dean. When Mama said the bills needed to be paid, the girls whined about her always talking about the bills and that they always got paid...didn't they. So, she gave in and they went to the theatre too. And had popcorn and fountain Cokes. Saturday was the only day that mama didn't work at the hospital and was able to do things with the girls. When they got home the neighbors, the Pugh's and McCoy's (yeah, from the Hatfield's and McCoy's, but they were over that by now) were in the front yard. So was Tadpole, picking his guitar and singing. Our favorite person in the world come for a visit. But, it turned out that night that Tadpole hadn't come for no visit. Tadpole hadn't run away from home. Matthew had been beating him, as the welts on his back were witness of. And, Tadpole didn't want to go back.