Danilo Was Here

By Tamika Burgess

Informational Resources:

Author Information:

Tamika Burgess’s website
https://www.tamikaburgess.com/ 

Activities & Resources:

Educator’s Guide https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w6BY5SSdKw2YNniTWbrUhARCyFv3pQYg/view?usp=sharing 

Danilo Was Here Word Search and Crossword Puzzle
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1p1Q8dqaghuI5rvbzy4nc6_3QO4qEXEkB/view?usp=sharing 

Learn about Panama (4:32)

https://youtu.be/YiunVn-arCk?si=0VP1KS21sl1TCf-V 

Traditional Foods of Panama (6:40)
https://youtu.be/n2jn2fcX8F0?si=t8J9E56F4Wplvj2U 

Danilo Was Here coloring sheet
https://drive.google.com/file/d/14o-2z1B1O382DwPaZ3KGxmK3e-sfnT5G/view?usp=sharing 

Play Baseball Tag
https://www.ssww.com/blog/baseball-tag-activity-for-physical-education/?srsltid=AfmBOoqWBrMsrMNS2QxJ9teWTxA7bUWAm97UxtmZvMxRej7-N3-eQeRp 

Sports Vision: Baseball Science
https://mktg.mlbstatic.com/nationals/community/stem-education/STEM_Activities_Sports_Vision.pdf 

How to Play Baseball (1:31)
https://youtu.be/WMA8L5OpuDY?si=VWJuhG4U9-o2qdtO 

The Science of Baseball
https://yogiberramuseum.org/learn/stem/ 

Letter Writing: Danilo receives and sends letters in the story. Write a letter from Danilo to his father or vice versa. 

Compare and Contrast: Look at the book cover again. Using the cover and the information from the story, compare and contrast Danilo’s life in Panamá with his life in California. What’s different? Is anything the same in both places?

Card Collector: In this story, Danilo learns of Black Panamanian pro baseball players.

Design your own collectible baseball cards featuring your favorite baseball players, both living and deceased.

MakerSpace Activities:

Make a baseball pennant. Add your favorite team or write words from the theme of the story. (1:18)
https://youtu.be/F6SxXiIoJz4?si=-ODCBqJDTMReJU4n 

Using the link provided, create a paper plate baseball. Have students write the names of people or places that bring them joy. In Danilo Was Here, Danilo feels safest and most at home when he is surrounded by loved ones or in places that feel familiar and comforting.
https://craftsbyamanda.com/paper-plate-autographed-baseball-card-dad/ 

Make paper Molas inspired by the Panamanian Culture (3:31)
https://youtu.be/h-GVOUn3cTQ?si=S2oHjYtNH7XW8wAi 

Learn to sew the “Baseball Stitch” (5:37)
https://youtu.be/iA34GQh1Byg?si=i9yTqkfTbqWc__x9 

Make a pretend Passport. Fill it with places you’ve been or places you wish to travel (5:42)
https://youtu.be/LDXv1OkYFdU?si=ATT5elCKOj1JO-cj

Discussion Questions:

What do we learn about Danilo’s family and the people he loves?

How does Danilo feel about baseball at the start of the book? Why is it important to him?

What clues tell us that things are not easy for Danilo and his family?

How does Danilo react when changes start happening around him?

Why does Danilo go to live at the camp with other caregivers?

What emotions does Danilo experience during this time (sadness, fear, hope)?

Who helps Danilo feel safe or supported when things feel hard?

How does baseball help Danilo during difficult moments?

What does baseball represent for Danilo besides just a game?

How does Danilo change as he spends more time away from home?

What challenges does Danilo face at school or with new people?

How does Danilo handle moments when he misses his parents?

What difficult choices does Danilo have to think about?

How does Danilo show courage or determination?

Who helps guide Danilo when he feels unsure?

How does Danilo’s situation change near the end of the book?

What lessons has Danilo learned about family and belonging?

How has Danilo grown emotionally from the beginning to the end?

What does “home” mean to Danilo by the end of the story?

What message do you think the author wants readers to learn from Danilo’s journey?

Book Talk Teasers:

Read the reader’s theater for Danilo Was Here by Tamika Burgess.

Watch the book trailer on the Texas Bluebonnet Award website.

Read Alikes: 

Alexander, Kwame. Black Star. A Black girl in the American South, 12-year-old Charley Cuffey is determined to become the first female pitcher to play professional ball and challenges a neighborhood bully to a game that leads to a fateful decision with far-reaching consequences. (NoveList Plus)

Headen, Sandra W. Warrior on the Mound. In 1939 North Carolina, an all-Black baseball team "trespasses" on the whites-only baseball field, and the resulting racial outrage can only be resolved on the mound. (NoveList Plus)

Ruiz-Flores, Lupe. The Pecan Sheller. In 1930s San Antonio, thirteen-year-old Petra dreams of going to college and becoming a writer. But with her beloved father dead, two younger siblings to care for, and with a stepmother struggling to make ends meet, Petra has to drop out of school to shell pecans at a factory. After the unhealthy environment leads to tragedy and workers' already low wages are cut, Petra and her coworkers go on strike for higher wages and safer conditions, risking everything they have for the hope of a better future. (NoveList Plus)

Safadi, Shifa Saltagi. Kareem Between. With the school year getting off to a rough start, Syrian American seventh grader Kareem finds himself stuck between friends, between football, between parents and between right and wrong, and must find his voice amidst the chaos. (NoveList Plus)

Yang, Kelly. New From Here. An Asian American boy fights to keep his family together and stand up to racism during the initial outbreak of the coronavirus. (NoveList Plus)