Characters and Background
Where is Ishmael Beah originally from?
What is Sierra Leone?
Why did some schools deny Ishmael admission at first?
What is because he didn’t have a report card?
What major theme is reflected in the title “Unusual Normality”?
What is adjusting to a new life after trauma?
What game did Ishmael’s friends invite him to play upstate?
What is paintball?
What tone does Ishmael often use when describing serious events?
What is humorous or light-hearted?
How old was Ishmael when he became a child soldier?
What is 13 years old?
What was the title of Ishmael’s entrance essay?
What is “Why I Do Not Have a Report Card”?
Why did Ishmael enjoy listening to his friends talk about violence?
What is because their experience was imaginary and innocent?
Why did Ishmael excel at paintball?
What is because of his real combat experience?
What American expression did Ishmael learn after joking at school interviews?
What is “weirded out”?
Who welcomed Ishmael when he first arrived in the U.S.?
Who is his adoptive mother?
What school did Ishmael eventually get accepted into?
What is the United Nations International School?
What is the story’s message about childhood?
What is that reclaiming childhood is possible, even after trauma?
How did Ishmael trick his friends during the game?
What is by using guerrilla tactics like hiding and doubling back?
Why does Ishmael say “unusual” instead of “weird”?
What is because “unusual” sounds more respectful and sophisticated?
What personal item did Ishmael lose during his flight to the U.S.?
What is his luggage?
Why did Ishmael stay silent about his past at school?
What is because he feared being judged or feared?
Why didn’t Ishmael tell his friends the truth during paintball?
What is because he feared they would stop treating him like a kid?
What did his friends assume about his skills?
What is that he was a hunter or from a royal African family?
What kind of English did Ishmael speak when he first arrived in the U.S.?
What is British-African formal English?
What term does Ishmael prefer over “weird”?
What is “unusual”?
What did some parents think about Ishmael attending school with their children?
What is that they were uncomfortable or disapproving?
What does Ishmael wish his friends had known about their own lives?
What is that they were lucky to live in peace with caring families?
What did Ishmael say to his mom when she asked if paintball triggered him?
What is “No, absolutely not — I know the difference between real war and pretend war”?
How does Ishmael’s use of language affect how other teens see him?
What is they find him odd or different, which makes them curious or uneasy?