We are family!
What are the names of Jarrett's mother, grandfather, and grandmother?
Leslie (mother), Joe (grandfather), and Shirley (grandmother)
Who is Miguel?
Leslie's boyfriend
Who is Jarrett's best friend?
Patrick (Pat)
When does the author use dark colors in the book?
When the mood/tone is dark, depressing.
In Ch. 2, Leslie gets caught _____________________ and Joe and Shirley have to bail her out of jail.
Stealing scarves from the mall
Why didn't Jarrett invite his grandparents to his 8th grade graduation?
Jarrett's grandparents were much older than the other kids' parents.
How did Joe and Shirley meet?
High school
Who are two people that influenced Jarrett to continue his passion for art?
Joe and Mark at the Art Museum
Where does the title of the book come from?
Jarrett's mother always saying "Hey, Kiddo"
Where did Jarrett’s mother and father meet?
At the father’s family bar
What are two ways that prove that Leslie had good intentions as a mother despite her addiction?
Letters, visits, birthday party, hugs, Snow Cone, etc.
What did Joe tell Jarrett at the first family meeting? What did Joe tell Jarrett at the second family meeting?
1. They are going to Disney World
2. The truth about Jarrett's mother
Explain how Jarrett's relationship with his grandfather differed from his relationship with his grandmother.
Joe was more understanding with Jarrett and Leslie's situation compared to Shirley.
How does Kroscozka use real artifacts from his life to contribute to the memoir? Give an example and explain.
Letters, pictures, drawings
- Shows connections to characters
- Shows reality of situation
- Helps create mood
For his birthday, Jarrett’s grandfather gives him a wonderful birthday present. What was it?
A drafting table for his art
Name and explain two flaws in Shirley's character.
Drinking, smoking, judgmental, poor relationship with daughter, frequent yelling at Joe, etc.
What made Jarrett want to reach out to his father?
After volunteering at Camp Sunshine, he wanted to know if he had any siblings.
Explain Jarrett's reoccurring dream and explain why he likely had that dream.
- Monsters are trying to get him in a field
- Monster would creep up behind him
- Could be from Jarrett having an unstable home life, being a child, Leslie's negative influence on his home life as a kid, etc.
Why did Krosoczka write a chapter dedicated to Joe and Shirley's early life? What would the book lack if this chapter was not included?
- Showed how they met
- Showed flaws in characters
- Showed character development
What is Jarrett's Dad's name?
Richard
Identify two good events involving Leslie and two bad events involving Leslie.
(Just being around Jarrett or using drugs does not count. Be specific with events from the book.)
Good: Snow Cone the polar bear, birthday party, when she got a job, etc.
Bad: Overdose in newspaper, when she went to jail, etc.
Who is Rusty? Explain the experience with Rusty from start to finish.
Rusty is Jarrett's hamster that his grandparents allowed him to get. He got lost in the house, which freaked Shirley out. Jarrett loved him, but one night Rusty made horrific noises and died. They had to put him in a shoebox when he died, but they couldn't bury him because the ground was too hard to break. The shoebox sat in the trash for a few days where it was eventually covered in banana peels and cigarette butts.
What is the turning point for Jarrett and his passion for drawing?
Joe and Shirley sign him up for comic art classes at the museum
Explain why the author may have chosen to begin the book in the cemetery.
- Shows dynamic of relationship between Joe and Jarrett
- Shows that Jarrett has older family members that will not be around forever
During the art classes, his teacher comments on the book that Jarrett read and studied, How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way. What does he say to Jarrett?
FORGET EVERYTHING YOU LEARNED!