1. Chris Crutcher has said that he wants his books to "seem so real that people will recognize something in their own lives and see the connections." Which characters in the book did you find most realistic? In what way does Crutcher make it possible to connect with his characters?

2. Discuss how prejudices are formed.

How do people form their personal value and belief system? What sources have the greatest effect on belief systems?

3. How does ethnicity affect one's selfimage? What does it mean to be "of color" today? What are the implications of the term?

4. Mr. Simet is a great influence in T. J.'s life. What person, other than a parent, has had a great effect on your life?

Explain how or why?

5. Find five examples of verbal irony in the novel. Explain how its use affects the story.

6. What is the relationship...