Roll of Thunder - Character Identification

This character sees their land as Logan land. Because of the Great Depression, he is gone for much of the year working on the railroad in order to ensure the family makes enough money to pay for the mortgage and taxes on the land.

• Mr. Morrison

• Big Ma

• Harlan Granger

• Papa

This character is the leader of the Logan siblings. He wants to protect his family from the bus. He is friends with T.J. but does not approve of troublesome antics; he will not help T.J. cheat. He wants to be independent but his mother is his teacher. Overall, he wants to be responsible and mature.

• Stacey

• Cassie

• T.J.

• Christopher John

This character is quiet and timid. He fears his brother. His family members are sharecroppers.

• T.J. Avery

• Christopher John Logan

• Claude Avery

• Clayton Chester Avery

This character works hard in the fields and helps run the Logan house. She is skilled at medicine and often acts as a doctor/nurse in the community.

• Mary Logan (Mama)

• Caroline Logan (Big Ma)

• Lillian Jean Simms

• Henrietta Toggins

This white boy wants to hang out with the Logans. He has bruises from his own family and peers.

• T.J. Avery

• Stacey Logan

• Jeremy Simms

• Moe Turner

This character is the spunky narrator, who introduces the reader to her family. She loves her family, dislikes T.J., and feels bad for Claude. She dislikes wearing shoes and a dress. With a fierce personality, she stands up for justice.

• Stacey

• Little Man

• Mama

• Cassie

This character is a teacher at Great Faith Elementary school. She is calm and strategic. She loves her children but is also firm.

• Big Ma

• Henrietta Toggins

• Miss Crocker

• Mama

This character uses his brother as a scapegoat; he gets him in trouble. He likes to use his connections to gain power, perhaps to cheat. He shares locals gossip about something violent. As a character, he likes to be the center of attention.

• Claude Avery

• Jeremy Simms

• T.J. Avery

• Moe Turner

This character is cheerful and a rule-follower. He tries to act grumpy and serious, but can’t help himself; he whistles. He is upset that T.J. Avery got his friend Claude Avery in trouble.

• Stacey

• Cassie

• Christopher John

• Little Man

This character likes to be meticulously neat. He is trying to stay clean on his first day of school, a bus covers him in dust. At school, he recieves a dirty book that suggests that he belongs at the bottom of society. He gets in trouble because he is disappointed and upset about his book.

• Stacey

• T.J.

• Jeremy

• Little Man