ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the Family Community that Lil Boy Blue, Smurf, Juice, and Lil Garfield were members of as Debbie came to know it. Family Community is the first community experienced by Lil Boy Blue, Smurf, Juice, and Lil Garfield. This community is where many of their beliefs about the world are formed, and where they develop a sense of self and place. The family is also the first place where they come in contact with literacy. Debbie introduces Lil Boy Blue’s and Smurf’s parents, sister, and grandparents first, followed by Juice and Lil Garfield’s mother and grandparents. Next, she describes Lil Boy Blue, Smurf, and Juice’s new families, meaning their girlfriends (who became their wives) and their daughters. Debbie shares the rituals and events that she was able to be a part ofas a newcomer to the boys’ Family Community, tells stories that would be hidden when casual visitors might enter the families’homes, and highlights the literacy found in each household. The chapter concludes as we consider the Family Community through a theoretical lens.
