Who Am I Without Him?
By Sharon G. Flake
About this guide:
This guide includes
discussion questions intended to provoke thought and insight into the themes of
these books, which include friendship, family, race relations,
inter-generational issues, self-acceptance, poverty and homelessness.
About this book:
Sharon Flake takes readers through the minds of girls trying to define
themselves while struggling to remain relevant to the boys in their lives. This
is a complex, often humorous, always on-point exposition of black youth
resolving to find self-worth . . . any way they know how.
Awards, Reviews & Quotes:
"Flake's handling of her
theme is not didactic and paternalistic, but shines with an awareness of the
real-life social, emotional, and physical pressures that teens feel about
dating. Characters are vividly present, as each story seems to jump into life
exploring not just the sexual tension, but race and class as well. Honest and
valuable. - Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
"Hilarious and anguished, these 10 short stories about growing up black today
speak with rare truth about family, friends, school, and especially about
finding a boyfriend." - Booklist STARRED REVIEW
Discussion Guide:
“So I Ain’t No Good Girl”
- Why does Raheem treat her this way?
- What kind of marriage do you think this girl will have
someday? Why?
“The Ugly One”
- Did you agree with Barley when he said, “Just ‘cause you
ugly, don’t mean you can’t have friends?”
- Do you think Aria’s fantasy life is healthy or not?
“Wanted: A Thug”
- Would girls be this vicious in your school?
- Would it be deserved?
“I Know a Stupid Boy When I See One”
- Discuss this quote: “I like boys like him…Slow, stupid
boys. They give you anything you want, and you ain’t hardly gotta do nothing
to get it neither.” What does this reveal about her character? Does this
contribute to what happens to her in the end?
- Did the ending surprise you? What did you think of it?
“Mookie in Love”
- Have you ever seen a family conspire against someone’s
relationship? Would your family ever find a reason to do this?
- Describe the family of aunties when they get together.
Do they remind you of your family in any way? How?
“Don’t Be Disrespecting Me”
- What was E’s first mistake?
- What choices did he have?
“I Like White Boys”
- Discuss this quote: “But do I only get to like boys that
look like me? Or can I be like girls who look like Wendy, and get to pick any
boy I want?”
- Where do you think Erika got her idea about what beauty
is? Can these ideas and influences ever be overcome? How?
“Jacob’s Rules”
- Would you like to see this experiment done in your own
school? Why or why not?
- Who, do you think, learned the most from this
experiment?
“Hunting for Boys”
- What do you think it would be like to be a member of a
strict church like the “Calvary Church of God’s Blessed Example?”
- Who do you think will stick to the rules and who will
not? What makes you think this?
“A Letter to My Daughter”
- Would you like to receive a letter like this from your
own father? Why or why not?
- Do you agree with this father’s opinions about who would
make a good companion? Why or why not?
The Skin I’m In
By Sharon G. Flake
About this book:
Thirteen-year-old Maleeka, uncomfortable because her skin is extremely dark,
meets a new teacher with a birthmark on her face and makes some discoveries
about how to love who she is and what she looks like.
Quotes and Reviews:
“Told in Maleeka's voice, this first
novel bristles with attitude that is both genuine and alarming.”- School Library
Journal
- Would you consider Maleeka Madison and Char friends? Why
or why not?
- Do you think Maleeka should’ve talked to her mom about
the homemade clothes? Why didn’t she?
- How would you handle a bully like Char?
- How is Mrs. Saunder’s face and Maleeka’s insecurity
about her color related? What could she learn from Ms. Saunders?
- Ms. Saunders gives up a lucrative business career to
become a teacher in a difficult school. What does this say about her as a
person? Would you ever consider teaching as a career? Why or why not?
- Do you think Maleeka should have forgiven Caleb? Would
you?
- What is the misunderstanding between John-John and
Maleeka? What does it reveal about them both?
- Predict what Maleeka is doing in ten years. What about
Char or Ms. Saunders. Give support from the text that helps support your
predictions.
- What is your favorite scene in the book? Why?
- How would this book be different if written through the
eyes of Char? Ms. Saunders?
- Were you surprised that Maleeka went along with Char’s
plan against Ms. Saunders?
- Can girls in this culture ever learn how to love the
“skin we’re in?”
Money Hungry
By Sharon G. Flake
About this book:
Thirteen-year-old Raspberry Hill is
starved for money. She will do just about anything legal to get her hands on the
almighty dollar. Memories of being homeless, sleeping in the streets, and eating
from handouts keep Raspberry’s eye on the only prize that matters to her --
cold, hard cash.
Quotes and Reviews:
“The razor-sharp dialogue and unerring
details evoke characters, rooms, and neighborhoods with economy and precision,
creating a story that's immediate, vivid, and unsensationalized. Without
synthetic drama or stereotypes, Flake shows poverty and how it touches everyone,
whether it's the actual absence of money or the fear of losing it.”
– Booklist, Starred Review
“The author
of The Skin I'm In offers another provocative slice of city life,
vibrantly evoking its sights, sounds and smells. With her brassy voice and saucy
attitude, 13-year-old Raspberry Hill emerges as a vivacious heroine. She knows
first-hand that living in the housing project is better than being out on the
streets, but she and her mother are equally determined to move to a safer
neighborhood.” - Publisher’s Weekly
Discussion Guide:
- What emotion do you think is behind Rasberry’s need to
make and hoard money?
- When Rasberry took the money Ja’nae owed her, her
friends were mad. Did you agree with them? Why or why not?
- Mai is obviously uncomfortable with her mixed heritage.
Her brother, Ming, doesn’t seem to have a problem with it. How do you account
for such opposite responses within the same family?
- Discuss the good and bad qualities of the girls in the
book: Rasberry, Zora, Ja’nae, and Mai
- The old man in the house the girls clean claims, “Money,
girl. Money,… money won’t never do you wrong.” (p. 123) Do you think Rasberry
would agree with this statement? Would you? Why?
- Many characters jump to conclusions and make assumptions
about other people’s behavior, even those with whom they are friends. Discuss
how this drives the conflict in the novel and give specific examples of how
each conflict resolves.
- Rasberry says to boys who tease her, “I’m gonna have a
Lexus one day, y’all won’t be laughing then.” Do you think her goals will come
true? Why do you think so or not?
- Mai is embarrassed that her dad doesn’t speak English
that well. Rasberry gets mad when her mom tries to change her grammar. Why is
the way we speak so important? What does it say about us?
- At first none of her friends want to help her clean
houses for money. What does this say about them? About Rasberry?
- Which scenes do you think reveal the most about each
character? Defend your choices.
Begging for Change
By Sharon G. Flake
About this book:
Raspberry Hill, who once was
homeless, vowed never to end up on the streets again. To her, money equals
security. But when a troubled neighborhood teenager attacks her mother,
Raspberry is desperate for things in her life to change and ends up stealing
from her best friend. But nothing good comes from bad money.
Awards and Reviews:
2004 YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers
CCBC Choices 2004
A Booklist Top Ten Fantasy Book
A Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book
A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book
A Texas Lone Star Reading List Book
A Bank Street Best Book of the Year 2004
"Flake's charged, infectious dialogue will sweep readers through the
first-person story as Raspberry describes her fears and moral quandaries; her
new romance; her fierce love for her mother; and her powerful, conflicted
feelings about her dad. . . . A hopeful novel." - Booklist STARRED REVIEW
Discussion Guide:
- Why does Rasberry steal Zora’s money? Do you think she
could be considered a friend anymore? Why or why not? Would you be able to
forgive her?
- How important are Rasberry’s friends to her? Do you
think her friends play a more important role in her life than yours do in
yours? Why?
- Which adults in Rasberry’s life act as surrogate
parents? How do other adults influence your own life? Can other people ever
make up for a missing parent?
- Ms. Hill says, “We can make something sweet and good out
of all the mess around us. If we want.” Do you agree with her? How does she
try to accomplish this in her life? How could you?
- Do you agree with Rasberry that Ms. Hill brings on some
of the grief in her life by her digging into other people’s business?
- Would you ever write letters that you wouldn’t send? why
or why not?
- Rasberry says, “I’m gonna live in a big house, with four
bathrooms, eight fireplaces, and a refrigerator so big it’ll have four doors
on it.” What qualities about Rasberry make you believe this statement? What
personality traits does Rasberry posess that will make her dreams come true?
Are their any qualities she’ll have to overcome to succeed as well?
- Why doesn’t Zora tell the other girls about what
Rasberry did? Would you have told them?
- Did you feel sorry for Rasberry when she got her own
money stolen? Why or why not?
- Why do you think Rasberry’s stealing escalates in this
novel?
About the author:
Sharon G.
Flake is the groundbreaking author of the 2002 Coretta Scott King Honor Book
Money Hungry. With The Skin I’m In, her first book for children, she
won the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for new authors. Ms. Flake lives
with her daughter in Pittsburgh, PA.
Hyperion
Books for Children
114 Fifth
Avenue
new York,
NY 10011
www.hyperionbooksforchildren.com
Prepared by
Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, a reading specialist and author of the poetry
collection Sketches from a Spy Tree
Who Am I Without Him?
By Sharon G. Flake
About this guide:
This guide includes
discussion questions intended to provoke thought and insight into the themes of
these books, which include friendship, family, race relations,
inter-generational issues, self-acceptance, poverty and homelessness.
About this book:
Sharon Flake takes readers through the minds of girls trying to define
themselves while struggling to remain relevant to the boys in their lives. This
is a complex, often humorous, always on-point exposition of black youth
resolving to find self-worth . . . any way they know how.
Awards, Reviews & Quotes:
"Flake's handling of her
theme is not didactic and paternalistic, but shines with an awareness of the
real-life social, emotional, and physical pressures that teens feel about
dating. Characters are vividly present, as each story seems to jump into life
exploring not just the sexual tension, but race and class as well. Honest and
valuable. - Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
"Hilarious and anguished, these 10 short stories about growing up black today
speak with rare truth about family, friends, school, and especially about
finding a boyfriend." - Booklist STARRED REVIEW
Discussion Guide:
“So I Ain’t No Good Girl”
- Why does Raheem treat her this way?
- What kind of marriage do you think this girl will have
someday? Why?
“The Ugly One”
- Did you agree with Barley when he said, “Just ‘cause you
ugly, don’t mean you can’t have friends?”
- Do you think Aria’s fantasy life is healthy or not?
“Wanted: A Thug”
- Would girls be this vicious in your school?
- Would it be deserved?
“I Know a Stupid Boy When I See One”
- Discuss this quote: “I like boys like him…Slow, stupid
boys. They give you anything you want, and you ain’t hardly gotta do nothing
to get it neither.” What does this reveal about her character? Does this
contribute to what happens to her in the end?
- Did the ending surprise you? What did you think of it?
“Mookie in Love”
- Have you ever seen a family conspire against someone’s
relationship? Would your family ever find a reason to do this?
- Describe the family of aunties when they get together.
Do they remind you of your family in any way? How?
“Don’t Be Disrespecting Me”
- What was E’s first mistake?
- What choices did he have?
“I Like White Boys”
- Discuss this quote: “But do I only get to like boys that
look like me? Or can I be like girls who look like Wendy, and get to pick any
boy I want?”
- Where do you think Erika got her idea about what beauty
is? Can these ideas and influences ever be overcome? How?
“Jacob’s Rules”
- Would you like to see this experiment done in your own
school? Why or why not?
- Who, do you think, learned the most from this
experiment?
“Hunting for Boys”
- What do you think it would be like to be a member of a
strict church like the “Calvary Church of God’s Blessed Example?”
- Who do you think will stick to the rules and who will
not? What makes you think this?
“A Letter to My Daughter”
- Would you like to receive a letter like this from your
own father? Why or why not?
- Do you agree with this father’s opinions about who would
make a good companion? Why or why not?
The Skin I’m In
By Sharon G. Flake
About this book:
Thirteen-year-old Maleeka, uncomfortable because her skin is extremely dark,
meets a new teacher with a birthmark on her face and makes some discoveries
about how to love who she is and what she looks like.
Quotes and Reviews:
“Told in Maleeka's voice, this first
novel bristles with attitude that is both genuine and alarming.”- School Library
Journal
- Would you consider Maleeka Madison and Char friends? Why
or why not?
- Do you think Maleeka should’ve talked to her mom about
the homemade clothes? Why didn’t she?
- How would you handle a bully like Char?
- How is Mrs. Saunder’s face and Maleeka’s insecurity
about her color related? What could she learn from Ms. Saunders?
- Ms. Saunders gives up a lucrative business career to
become a teacher in a difficult school. What does this say about her as a
person? Would you ever consider teaching as a career? Why or why not?
- Do you think Maleeka should have forgiven Caleb? Would
you?
- What is the misunderstanding between John-John and
Maleeka? What does it reveal about them both?
- Predict what Maleeka is doing in ten years. What about
Char or Ms. Saunders. Give support from the text that helps support your
predictions.
- What is your favorite scene in the book? Why?
- How would this book be different if written through the
eyes of Char? Ms. Saunders?
- Were you surprised that Maleeka went along with Char’s
plan against Ms. Saunders?
- Can girls in this culture ever learn how to love the
“skin we’re in?”
Money Hungry
By Sharon G. Flake
About this book:
Thirteen-year-old Raspberry Hill is
starved for money. She will do just about anything legal to get her hands on the
almighty dollar. Memories of being homeless, sleeping in the streets, and eating
from handouts keep Raspberry’s eye on the only prize that matters to her --
cold, hard cash.
Quotes and Reviews:
“The razor-sharp dialogue and unerring
details evoke characters, rooms, and neighborhoods with economy and precision,
creating a story that's immediate, vivid, and unsensationalized. Without
synthetic drama or stereotypes, Flake shows poverty and how it touches everyone,
whether it's the actual absence of money or the fear of losing it.”
– Booklist, Starred Review
“The author
of The Skin I'm In offers another provocative slice of city life,
vibrantly evoking its sights, sounds and smells. With her brassy voice and saucy
attitude, 13-year-old Raspberry Hill emerges as a vivacious heroine. She knows
first-hand that living in the housing project is better than being out on the
streets, but she and her mother are equally determined to move to a safer
neighborhood.” - Publisher’s Weekly
Discussion Guide:
- What emotion do you think is behind Rasberry’s need to
make and hoard money?
- When Rasberry took the money Ja’nae owed her, her
friends were mad. Did you agree with them? Why or why not?
- Mai is obviously uncomfortable with her mixed heritage.
Her brother, Ming, doesn’t seem to have a problem with it. How do you account
for such opposite responses within the same family?
- Discuss the good and bad qualities of the girls in the
book: Rasberry, Zora, Ja’nae, and Mai
- The old man in the house the girls clean claims, “Money,
girl. Money,… money won’t never do you wrong.” (p. 123) Do you think Rasberry
would agree with this statement? Would you? Why?
- Many characters jump to conclusions and make assumptions
about other people’s behavior, even those with whom they are friends. Discuss
how this drives the conflict in the novel and give specific examples of how
each conflict resolves.
- Rasberry says to boys who tease her, “I’m gonna have a
Lexus one day, y’all won’t be laughing then.” Do you think her goals will come
true? Why do you think so or not?
- Mai is embarrassed that her dad doesn’t speak English
that well. Rasberry gets mad when her mom tries to change her grammar. Why is
the way we speak so important? What does it say about us?
- At first none of her friends want to help her clean
houses for money. What does this say about them? About Rasberry?
- Which scenes do you think reveal the most about each
character? Defend your choices.
Begging for Change
By Sharon G. Flake
About this book:
Raspberry Hill, who once was
homeless, vowed never to end up on the streets again. To her, money equals
security. But when a troubled neighborhood teenager attacks her mother,
Raspberry is desperate for things in her life to change and ends up stealing
from her best friend. But nothing good comes from bad money.
Awards and Reviews:
2004 YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers
CCBC Choices 2004
A Booklist Top Ten Fantasy Book
A Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book
A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book
A Texas Lone Star Reading List Book
A Bank Street Best Book of the Year 2004
"Flake's charged, infectious dialogue will sweep readers through the
first-person story as Raspberry describes her fears and moral quandaries; her
new romance; her fierce love for her mother; and her powerful, conflicted
feelings about her dad. . . . A hopeful novel." - Booklist STARRED REVIEW
Discussion Guide:
- Why does Rasberry steal Zora’s money? Do you think she
could be considered a friend anymore? Why or why not? Would you be able to
forgive her?
- How important are Rasberry’s friends to her? Do you
think her friends play a more important role in her life than yours do in
yours? Why?
- Which adults in Rasberry’s life act as surrogate
parents? How do other adults influence your own life? Can other people ever
make up for a missing parent?
- Ms. Hill says, “We can make something sweet and good out
of all the mess around us. If we want.” Do you agree with her? How does she
try to accomplish this in her life? How could you?
- Do you agree with Rasberry that Ms. Hill brings on some
of the grief in her life by her digging into other people’s business?
- Would you ever write letters that you wouldn’t send? why
or why not?
- Rasberry says, “I’m gonna live in a big house, with four
bathrooms, eight fireplaces, and a refrigerator so big it’ll have four doors
on it.” What qualities about Rasberry make you believe this statement? What
personality traits does Rasberry posess that will make her dreams come true?
Are their any qualities she’ll have to overcome to succeed as well?
- Why doesn’t Zora tell the other girls about what
Rasberry did? Would you have told them?
- Did you feel sorry for Rasberry when she got her own
money stolen? Why or why not?
- Why do you think Rasberry’s stealing escalates in this
novel?
About the author:
Sharon G.
Flake is the groundbreaking author of the 2002 Coretta Scott King Honor Book
Money Hungry. With The Skin I’m In, her first book for children, she
won the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for new authors. Ms. Flake lives
with her daughter in Pittsburgh, PA.
Hyperion
Books for Children
114 Fifth
Avenue
new York, NY
10011
www.hyperionbooksforchildren.com
Prepared by
Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, a reading specialist and author of the poetry
collection Sketches from a Spy Tree
Who Am I Without Him?
By Sharon G. Flake
About this guide:
This guide includes
discussion questions intended to provoke thought and insight into the themes of
these books, which include friendship, family, race relations,
inter-generational issues, self-acceptance, poverty and homelessness.
About this book:
Sharon Flake takes readers through the minds of girls trying to define
themselves while struggling to remain relevant to the boys in their lives. This
is a complex, often humorous, always on-point exposition of black youth
resolving to find self-worth . . . any way they know how.
Awards, Reviews & Quotes:
"Flake's handling of her
theme is not didactic and paternalistic, but shines with an awareness of the
real-life social, emotional, and physical pressures that teens feel about
dating. Characters are vividly present, as each story seems to jump into life
exploring not just the sexual tension, but race and class as well. Honest and
valuable. - Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
"Hilarious and anguished, these 10 short stories about growing up black today
speak with rare truth about family, friends, school, and especially about
finding a boyfriend." - Booklist STARRED REVIEW
Discussion Guide:
“So I Ain’t No Good Girl”
- Why does Raheem treat her this way?
- What kind of marriage do you think this girl will have
someday? Why?
“The Ugly One”
- Did you agree with Barley when he said, “Just ‘cause you
ugly, don’t mean you can’t have friends?”
- Do you think Aria’s fantasy life is healthy or not?
“Wanted: A Thug”
- Would girls be this vicious in your school?
- Would it be deserved?
“I Know a Stupid Boy When I See One”
- Discuss this quote: “I like boys like him…Slow, stupid
boys. They give you anything you want, and you ain’t hardly gotta do nothing
to get it neither.” What does this reveal about her character? Does this
contribute to what happens to her in the end?
- Did the ending surprise you? What did you think of it?
“Mookie in Love”
- Have you ever seen a family conspire against someone’s
relationship? Would your family ever find a reason to do this?
- Describe the family of aunties when they get together.
Do they remind you of your family in any way? How?
“Don’t Be Disrespecting Me”
- What was E’s first mistake?
- What choices did he have?
“I Like White Boys”
- Discuss this quote: “But do I only get to like boys that
look like me? Or can I be like girls who look like Wendy, and get to pick any
boy I want?”
- Where do you think Erika got her idea about what beauty
is? Can these ideas and influences ever be overcome? How?
“Jacob’s Rules”
- Would you like to see this experiment done in your own
school? Why or why not?
- Who, do you think, learned the most from this
experiment?
“Hunting for Boys”
- What do you think it would be like to be a member of a
strict church like the “Calvary Church of God’s Blessed Example?”
- Who do you think will stick to the rules and who will
not? What makes you think this?
“A Letter to My Daughter”
- Would you like to receive a letter like this from your
own father? Why or why not?
- Do you agree with this father’s opinions about who would
make a good companion? Why or why not?
The Skin I’m In
By Sharon G. Flake
About this book:
Thirteen-year-old Maleeka, uncomfortable because her skin is extremely dark,
meets a new teacher with a birthmark on her face and makes some discoveries
about how to love who she is and what she looks like.
Quotes and Reviews:
“Told in Maleeka's voice, this first
novel bristles with attitude that is both genuine and alarming.”- School Library
Journal
- Would you consider Maleeka Madison and Char friends? Why
or why not?
- Do you think Maleeka should’ve talked to her mom about
the homemade clothes? Why didn’t she?
- How would you handle a bully like Char?
- How is Mrs. Saunder’s face and Maleeka’s insecurity
about her color related? What could she learn from Ms. Saunders?
- Ms. Saunders gives up a lucrative business career to
become a teacher in a difficult school. What does this say about her as a
person? Would you ever consider teaching as a career? Why or why not?
- Do you think Maleeka should have forgiven Caleb? Would
you?
- What is the misunderstanding between John-John and
Maleeka? What does it reveal about them both?
- Predict what Maleeka is doing in ten years. What about
Char or Ms. Saunders. Give support from the text that helps support your
predictions.
- What is your favorite scene in the book? Why?
- How would this book be different if written through the
eyes of Char? Ms. Saunders?
- Were you surprised that Maleeka went along with Char’s
plan against Ms. Saunders?
- Can girls in this culture ever learn how to love the
“skin we’re in?”
Money Hungry
By Sharon G. Flake
About this book:
Thirteen-year-old Raspberry Hill is
starved for money. She will do just about anything legal to get her hands on the
almighty dollar. Memories of being homeless, sleeping in the streets, and eating
from handouts keep Raspberry’s eye on the only prize that matters to her --
cold, hard cash.
Quotes and Reviews:
“The razor-sharp dialogue and unerring
details evoke characters, rooms, and neighborhoods with economy and precision,
creating a story that's immediate, vivid, and unsensationalized. Without
synthetic drama or stereotypes, Flake shows poverty and how it touches everyone,
whether it's the actual absence of money or the fear of losing it.”
– Booklist, Starred Review
“The author
of The Skin I'm In offers another provocative slice of city life,
vibrantly evoking its sights, sounds and smells. With her brassy voice and saucy
attitude, 13-year-old Raspberry Hill emerges as a vivacious heroine. She knows
first-hand that living in the housing project is better than being out on the
streets, but she and her mother are equally determined to move to a safer
neighborhood.” - Publisher’s Weekly
Discussion Guide:
- What emotion do you think is behind Rasberry’s need to
make and hoard money?
- When Rasberry took the money Ja’nae owed her, her
friends were mad. Did you agree with them? Why or why not?
- Mai is obviously uncomfortable with her mixed heritage.
Her brother, Ming, doesn’t seem to have a problem with it. How do you account
for such opposite responses within the same family?
- Discuss the good and bad qualities of the girls in the
book: Rasberry, Zora, Ja’nae, and Mai
- The old man in the house the girls clean claims, “Money,
girl. Money,… money won’t never do you wrong.” (p. 123) Do you think Rasberry
would agree with this statement? Would you? Why?
- Many characters jump to conclusions and make assumptions
about other people’s behavior, even those with whom they are friends. Discuss
how this drives the conflict in the novel and give specific examples of how
each conflict resolves.
- Rasberry says to boys who tease her, “I’m gonna have a
Lexus one day, y’all won’t be laughing then.” Do you think her goals will come
true? Why do you think so or not?
- Mai is embarrassed that her dad doesn’t speak English
that well. Rasberry gets mad when her mom tries to change her grammar. Why is
the way we speak so important? What does it say about us?
- At first none of her friends want to help her clean
houses for money. What does this say about them? About Rasberry?
- Which scenes do you think reveal the most about each
character? Defend your choices.
Begging for Change
By Sharon G. Flake
About this book:
Raspberry Hill, who once was
homeless, vowed never to end up on the streets again. To her, money equals
security. But when a troubled neighborhood teenager attacks her mother,
Raspberry is desperate for things in her life to change and ends up stealing
from her best friend. But nothing good comes from bad money.
Awards and Reviews:
2004 YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers
CCBC Choices 2004
A Booklist Top Ten Fantasy Book
A Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book
A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book
A Texas Lone Star Reading List Book
A Bank Street Best Book of the Year 2004
"Flake's charged, infectious dialogue will sweep readers through the
first-person story as Raspberry describes her fears and moral quandaries; her
new romance; her fierce love for her mother; and her powerful, conflicted
feelings about her dad. . . . A hopeful novel." - Booklist STARRED REVIEW
Discussion Guide:
- Why does Rasberry steal Zora’s money? Do you think she
could be considered a friend anymore? Why or why not? Would you be able to
forgive her?
- How important are Rasberry’s friends to her? Do you
think her friends play a more important role in her life than yours do in
yours? Why?
- Which adults in Rasberry’s life act as surrogate
parents? How do other adults influence your own life? Can other people ever
make up for a missing parent?
- Ms. Hill says, “We can make something sweet and good out
of all the mess around us. If we want.” Do you agree with her? How does she
try to accomplish this in her life? How could you?
- Do you agree with Rasberry that Ms. Hill brings on some
of the grief in her life by her digging into other people’s business?
- Would you ever write letters that you wouldn’t send? why
or why not?
- Rasberry says, “I’m gonna live in a big house, with four
bathrooms, eight fireplaces, and a refrigerator so big it’ll have four doors
on it.” What qualities about Rasberry make you believe this statement? What
personality traits does Rasberry posess that will make her dreams come true?
Are their any qualities she’ll have to overcome to succeed as well?
- Why doesn’t Zora tell the other girls about what
Rasberry did? Would you have told them?
- Did you feel sorry for Rasberry when she got her own
money stolen? Why or why not?
- Why do you think Rasberry’s stealing escalates in this
novel?
About the author:
Sharon G.
Flake is the groundbreaking author of the 2002 Coretta Scott King Honor Book
Money Hungry. With The Skin I’m In, her first book for children, she
won the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for new authors. Ms. Flake lives
with her daughter in Pittsburgh, PA.
Hyperion
Books for Children
114 Fifth
Avenue
new York, NY
10011
www.hyperionbooksforchildren.com
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