What are some important discussion questions you are considering in regards to this book? These questions will be ones that the group members will really want to talk about. They are questions which might invite debate, and speculation using information from the text and the readers background knowledge.
Post your important discussion question or questions.
Please respond to one other entry regarding discussion questions.
11 comments:
just practicing
test run
This might seem like a silly question but it is one that has been in the back of my mind throughout the entire book:
How did Ralph remember in such detail all of these small stories that took place in his life? Had he been writing them down all along and decided to put them together in a memoir? This book made me think back to my own childhood and I realize that my memories are not as detailed as his. I have vague rememberences of certain happenings during the ages of 5 - 10 but nothing to the extent of his descriptions. After 10 years old I can remember more in detail some of my fond memories.
What do you think made him feel the need to create a memoir about his life in Marshfield, MA?
Some of his consecutive chapters had nothing to do with each other. How do you think he decided the order of the chapters?
These are just some questions I've had in my head as I read the book. Maybe you guys have a much better memory than me and can remember vividly these kind of stories from your childhood!
Actually, Meg, I agree with you. I have very vague recolections as well. I'm thinking that with all those siblings maybe they all helped him clarify what happened. Although, another thing I just thought of was my oldest sister, who is 4 years older that me, actually remembers a lot of things that I don't. Maybe because Ralph was the oldest it was easier for him to remember.
Hey Meg. I'm thinking that maybe his parents could have told him some stories about their lifein Marshfield. My parents tell descriptive memoirs to me all the time.When I was younger my mom told me that I hated trying new foods to eat. She would tell me how my face looked when I tried the new food and my reaction to it in detail. You know parents remember everything in detail (at least my parents do). They see it first hand and when my mom tells me a story of the many things I used to do in the past, its like she relives it all over again.
It's so funny because I was thinking the same exact thing as you Meg while I was reading. I was thinking, Wow, how does he remember things in such detail. As far as what Jennifer said, that could be true. Maybe his parents and siblings helped him recollect memories and different details that they had. But, what about his childhood friends? Especially the one that he met at the beach and played with for one day. It amazed me that he could remember that day so vividly. He wrote about it as if it happened yesterday. I'm wondering if maybe he kept a journal while growing up.
I felt as if his memoirs left me with a lot of questions. I found myself wanting to know more. In this book, he writes as if he is reliving the experiences, as a child. He writes about experiences he had and not quite understanding them. For example, Ralph didn't understand why his dad stopped hugging him. He probably understands now as an adult/father. Maybe they drifted apart or maybe it was because Ralph was getting older. Additionally, he talked about how it was being the oldest child, wanting a pet and your parents saying no, and moving away from friends. It's hard to understand as a child why certain things happen but when you grow up you begin to understand. These are experiences that children can relate to.
Do you think he uses this as a technique to reach out to his young readers so they can connect with the same feelings?
Okay. One question I still have is how did Ralph make out once in Chicago? It drove me crazy how the book ended. I was thinking to myself "are you kidding me? you're going to leave me hanging like that?" So, I'm dying to know. How, at 13, did he make out? I like how his mom reassured him that he was going to be okay because he would have all his siblings to hang out with. I remember that being a comfort to me when my family moved from Hawaii to Massachusetts. It seemed like an eternity before we met any friends even though in reality is was probably all of 2-3 days. Even though it was a short period of time I can remember being thankful I had my sisters.
Leigha I agree with you. It probably was a technique for him to connect with his young readers. I wonder how the youth that read this memoir do react to it? I found him hitting upon so many teenager type situations that I would imagine they would really connect with him.
Michelle - Maybe there is a sequel called Chicago Hopes!!!! I agree - what happened to him in Chicago? I think he lived a lot of different places throughout his life. I read a book by him in my writing class (585 i think) called "Breathing in, Breathing out." It is about keeping a writer's notebook. He wrote a lot personal information in there and one part said his mother was having heart surgery in Dallas and he was living NH. I went back through that book and the parts where he spoke about his family meant more to me now that I had read this book. I didn't realize what a large and interesting family had came from!
Leigha, Now that you said it, yes I do think he wrote this story to reach out to young readers. I wonder if middle or high school teachers use this book with their classes. I think it would be an effective way of teaching about memoirs as well as a great start for interesting discussions.
I totally agree Michelle. I was very upset with the way the book ended. I hope their is a sequel. Maybe we can ask that after we present our book in class? The teacher might know. Meg, this is a really good book for middle school and high schoolers. It's not adifficult book to read at all and is very interesting for children who move a lot because of financial situations, job changes, of even because their parents are in the army.
I agree with you Meg. How did he remember all these memories and be able to describe them so you can picture the events in your mind just like a movie? I would like to ask him that question. I also wondered the same as Michelle, how did he make out in Chicago? Did he keep in touch with those friends? Were there any woods for Jimmy to run too? How did Jimmy do in school?
This was an easy read and many students would be able to relate to the experiences that Ralph wrote about. I thought it was a good book and hope that there is a sequel. I would like to know how Ralph made out in his teenage years. I am sure that high school students would enjoy reading about that time as they would be going through the same.
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