Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. In the book, an 11-year-old girl runs away from an abusive stepfather. It’s hard for her to talk about what happened. To whom might young people turn when they face serious problems? What kinds of groups, programs, or individuals are known for helping in these situations?

Teaching Suggestion: The book’s plot is launched by an act of domestic violence, and the protagonists must explore their own feelings and come to terms with the damage inflicted on them by their caretakers. Because some students may already have experienced such trauma, the topic is a delicate one; responses might be made in private reading journals.

• “Homelessness and Runaway” is a Youth.gov site that explores causes of these issues and connected concerns.
• “Support Systems at School” is a resource from Love Is Respect in partnership with the National Domestic Violence Hotline and the US Department of Health and Human Services. The page and the rest of the website contain links to numerous resources.

2. The book’s narrator, Max Kane, is falsely accused of assault and kidnapping and must make difficult decisions as he tries to stay out of prison.