A National Book Award‐winning author, poet, and filmmaker, Sherman has been named one of Grantaʹs Best Young American Novelists and has been lauded by The Boston Globe as ʺan important voice in American literature.ʺ He is one of the most well known and beloved literary writers of his generation, with works such as The Long Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven and Resevoir Blues and has received numerous awards and citations, including the PEN/Malamud Award for Fiction and the Lila Wallace‐Readerʹs Digest Award.
8. Why is the chapter titled "The Black-Eye-of-the-Month Club."
9. Why does Junior draw?
10. React to this quote "I think the world is a series of broken dams and floods, and my cartoons are tiny little lifeboats."
Chapter 2 -Why Chicken Means so much to Me
1.Look at the drawing on page 12. “How Do Internal and External Expectations Shape Our Lives?”
2. Why does Junior wish he were magical and could make the things he draws become real?
3. Who is Junior's best friend?
4.In “Why Chicken Means So Much to Me”, Junior draws a picture of who his parents could have been(page 12) if someone had paid attention to their dreams. Discuss why Junior feels they had to give up on their dreams. Cite textual evidence.
3. What happens to Junior at the powwow with the Andruss brothers?
4. What does Rowdy do to the Andruss brothers?
5. What does Rowdy love?
6. What does Junior mean by "I draw his dreams"?
Writing Assignment - 1) Can Your best friend be more important than your family?
2) What are your dreams of the future?
3) Who is your best friend?
Chapter 4 - Because Geometry is not a Country Somewhere Near France
1. Identify the following:
a) Mary runs Away
b) Mr. P
c) Mary Agnes
2. What is located "approximately one million miles north of Important and two billion miles west of Happy"?
3. What hit Junior's heart "with the force of a nuclear bomb" and made his " hopes and dreams float up in a mushroom cloud"?
Chapter 5 - Hope Against Hope
1. Why was Junior suspended from school?
2. According to Mr. P, why has Mr. P been unjust to Junior's people?
3. What did Junior's sister want to be?
4. According to Mr. P , what are the kids on the reservation being taught?
5. What does Mr. P tell Junior he must do?
6. Why does Mr. P call Junior a fighter?
7. What has Junior kept according to Mr. P.?
8. According to Mr. P, where will Junior find hope?
Chapter 6 - Go Means Go
1. According to Junior's parents who has the most hope?
2. What does Junior want to go?
3. Describe Reardon?
4. Why would the Indians on the rez be angry with Junior?
Chapter 7 - Rowdy Sings the Blues
1. What is Rowdy's reaction to Junior going to Reardon?
2. React to this quote ."We Indians were the worst of times and those Reardon kids were the best of times."
Chapter 8 - How to fight Monsters
1. When Junior's Dad takes him to school , why does his dad call him brave?
2. What does the picture on page 57 trying to do?
3. Who is Arnold Spirit?
4. Why is the fight Junior has with Roger the weirdest fight he has ever had?
5. View the video and answer the following questions. Please keep in mind the illustration on page 63.
1.What did you learn in this video clip and/or the NCAA article?
2.If you are a Native American how does this issue make you feel? (If not, pretend you are.)
3.Tying it back to the novel, do you think Junior is having problems at Reardon because of the use of such mascots?
4.How do you think Alexie feels about the use of Native American mascots? Why?
5.With what you have read and seen thus far, does the use of mascots have negative consequences or are they harmless graphics that honor Native Americans?
1. What is Junior's and his Grandmother's talk about? What does his Grandmother conclude? Was she right?
2. React - "I might have impressed the king, but the quenn still hated me?"
Chapter 10 - Tears of a Clown
1. Why was Rowdy Junior's secret keeper?
Chapter 11 - Halloween
1. What made Junior feel almost honorable?
Chapter 12 - Slouching Toward Thanksgiving
1. What does Junior come to realize?
2. Who is Gordy?
3. Why are Junior's parents devastated yet Junior is proud of what has happened to his sister?
4. In this chapter, Junior says of his cartoons "I use them to understand the world." He then continues on to say "My cartoons weren't just for giggles; they were also good for poetry." Why does Junior draw? How does art help Junior? How is art like literature?
Chapter 13 - My Sister Sends Me an E-Mail
1. Where is Mary living?
Chapter 14 - Thanksgiving
1. What did Rowdy still respect?
Chapter 15 - Hunger Pains
1. What does Junior hear in the girls bathroom?
2. Why does Junior feel Penelope sounds like his father?
3. What is Penelope's disorder?
4. Why did Junior become popular in school?
5. Who is Earl?
6. Penelope shares her hopes and dreams with Junior. How are they similar?
Chapter 16 - Rowdy Gives Me Advise About Love
1. What was Rowdy's advise to Junior?
Chapter 17 - Dance, Dance, Dance
1. This chapter starts with Junior saying"I was half Indian in one place and half white in the other." Discuss Junior's dual identities and how he navigating between two different tribes.
2. What does Junior say about lies? page 119 Read page 120 how does this pertain to the chapter?
3. What is ironic about Junior's polyester suit?
4. What is Penelope's nickname?
5. According to Junior why was he shallow?
6. React to this quote."If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty amazing."
Chapter 18 - Don't Trust Your Computer
1. How does Rowdy respond to Junior's e-mail?
2. Why are the kids at Reardon repressed?
3. Why is Junior called an apple?
4. Gordy says "Well, life is a constant struggle between being an individual and being a member of the community." What is your reaction ?
"Endless Search" by (American Indian poet) Alonzo Lopez
"Searching, forever searching.
Looking, but never finding.
Day and night, my eyes roam the world.
Searching, not knowing how to end.
This search for myself."
1Poems by Alonzo Lopez (From The Whispering Wind edited by Terry Allen.)
2. Why does Mary call her new home the most gorgeous place in the world?
Chapter 20 - Reindeer Games
1. Coach says to Junior"The quality of a man's life is in direct proportion to his commitment to excellence, regardless of his chosen field of endeavor.""It's perfect for you. " How was this true in this chapter?"
Chapter 21 - And a Partridge in a Pear Tree
1. What does Junior's dad always do when the family doesn't have money?
2. What was a "beautiful and ugly thing"?
3. Why do you suppose Junior kisses his father on the cheek?
"Endless Search" by (American Indian poet) Alonzo Lopez
"Searching, forever searching. Looking, but never finding. Day and night, my eyes roam the world. Searching, not knowing how to end. This search for myself."
1Poems by Alonzo Lopez (From The Whispering Wind edited by Terry Allen.)
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.