| 1. | Some kids in Kenny's school make fun of him because he's smarter than most and because of his "lazy" eye. Then they pick on Rufus because of his clothes and his Southern accent. How does the teasing affect each of the two boys? How does it feel to be made fun of? How does it feel to make fun of someone else? |
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| 2. | Byron often seems like a mean kid, and sometimes he acts as though he hates Kenny. How do you know that he has deeper, nicer feelings than those? Why do you think Byron hides his feelings of love and tenderness? |
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| 3. | What does Kenny see at Colliers' Landing? |
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| 4. | Is Kenny a good friend to Rufus? |
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| 5. | If you have brothers and sisters, do you ever fight? What do you fight about? Do you think there will ever be a time when you don't fight? |
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| 6. | Why did Byron vomit after hitting the bird? |
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| 7. | Does Byron deserve to be teased while being punished? |
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| 8. | Even though the topic is very serious there is a lot of humor in this book. Find the scene in the book that you think is funniest and read it aloud. |
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| 9. | How does the bombing of the church in Birmingham change members of the Watson family, especially Kenny? Discuss how you felt when you read about the bombing and the children who were hurt or killed. Have you read or heard about similar events that have taken place recently? Why do such things happen? Do you think anything can stop them from happening? |
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