Author's Craft + Structure
Why does the author make some words BIGGER on the page?
To exaggerate them for the reader, and to give the poem energy and rhythm.
"I'm a fly caught in a web. What do I do?"
Metaphor
What is Josh's nickname for the new girl at school and WHY?
Miss Sweet Tea - because she brought J.B. iced tea after a basketball game
Define "pulchritudinous."
Pulchritudinous (adj.): Having great physical beauty or appeal.
"I'm really sorry about your hair, man. I owe you, Filthy."
J.B.
What is a free verse poem, and why does the author use them sometimes throughout the book?
A free verse poem has no rhymes and has no specific structure or length. The author uses these to explain exactly what is happening and to move the plot forward.
"See, when I play ball, I'm on fire."
Hyperbole
What is Josh/J.B.'s mother's job?
Reggie Lewis Jr. High Assistant Principal
Define "crossover."
Crossover (n): A basketball term in which a player dribbles the ball quickly from one hand to the other.
"Filthy, back in the day, I was the boss, never lost, I had the sickest double-cross. I kissed so many pretty ladies, they called me Lip Gloss."
Chuck Bell
The author called the first section of the book the "Warmup", because... (2 possible answers)
He wanted to structure the book's sections like a basketball game (warm-up, Q1, Q2...). He also called it the warm-up to introduce our characters, setting, conflicts, etc.
"...the red scissors from Coach's desk smiling at me, their steel blades sharp and ready."
Personification
What was Josh's punishment if he lost the bet? What was J.B.'s punishment if he lost the bet?
Josh: had to let J.B. cut a lock of his hair
J.B.: had to moon the sixth graders at lunch
Definition: "publicly praised or celebrated."
Acclaimed
Josh/J.B.'s mom / Dr. Crystal Bell
The author titles some poems, such as "pul-chri-tu-di-nous" and "ca-lam-i-ty" and "cross-o-ver" in a similar form. What makes these titles different from others in the book? Why does the author choose to write them like this?
These titles are written to show their pronunciation and part of speech, almost to imitate how the word looks in a dictionary. He does this with vocabulary he predicts might be unfamiliar to his readers to show them what it means.
"...a greenish-looking ham that prompted Mom to ask if she had any eggs to go along with it."
Allusion (to Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham)
What was the name of the injury that caused Chuck Bell to stop playing basketball? (Bonus 100 pts. if you can define it!)
Patellar Tendonitis - a condition where the connection between the knee and shin bone becomes inflamed due to jumping
Definition: "A disease otherwise known as high blood pressure."
Hypertension
"Dad can't eat foods with too much salt because Mom said he can't."
J.B.
In this book, how is dialogue (a conversation between two characters) shown? How is it normally shown in regular prose/paragraph form books?
Character responses are written in italics, while other books use quotation marks to show when someone is responding.
What THREE types of figurative language are in this sentence?
"I'm sneaky and silky as a snake."
Simile, alliteration, consonance
How many total locks of hair did Josh have to cut off of his head?
37
Definition: "an unexpected, undesirable event, often physically injurious."
"Don't play me, Charles. Hypertension is genetic."
Crystal Bell