Meet the Boys
He broke his foot when a concrete slab fell on it while trying to fix a park bench.
Who is Sampson Davis?
The city and state where all three boys grew up
What is Newark, New Jersey?
Sampson and his friends were caught stealing these from "Jack's".
What are Icees?
The woman who acts as Rameck’s primary role model and supporter.
Who is his grandmother ("Ma")?
"You don't have to cut my foot off, do you?" was said by this person.
Who is Sampson?
He enjoyed acting and was frequently bored in his Catholic school, causing him to act out.
Who is Rameck Hunt?
The specific, dangerous housing project neighborhood where Sampson grew up.
What are the Dayton Street Projects?
Rameck was tempted to use this to look cool in front of his friends when confronting a crackhead.
What is a knife?
The man who taught Sampson and his friends martial arts, but focused on mental discipline.
Who is Reggie?
Rameck referred to the strict, stern nuns at his school as this word.
What is "dour"?
He was in the third grade, loved school, and was inspired by a teacher who introduced him to Shakespeare.
Who is George Jenkins?
This place was seen as a sanctuary for George, but a place of judgment by others.
What is school?
The reason Rameck gave his grandmother’s money to his mother, despite the warning.
To pay for electricity/bills?
The third-grade teacher who inspired George to dream big and value his intelligence.
Who is Miss Johnson?
"She wants what's best for you, but sometimes life gets better than she is," she was talking about this person.
Who is Rameck's mother?
As a young boy, Rameck’s main passion was this art form, which he wanted to pursue in a professional portfolio.
What is acting?
The type of school Rameck attended, where he was considered a troublemaker by the nuns.
What is a Catholic school?
Sampson was tricked by his friend Eddie into doing this, resulting in a shoplifting arrest.
Stealing a carpet cleaning machine?
The older, street-wise boy who was with Sampson when he broke his foot.
Who is Leslie (or Andre)?
This term describes the ability to recover from difficult situations, a key trait of the boys.
What is resilience?
At the end of Chapter 7, this friend of Sampson's dies after crashing a stolen car.
Who is Razor?
The name of the specific hospital where Sampson became fascinated with medicine after breaking his foot.
What is Newark Beth Israel?
The principal suggested sending Rameck to this type of program because he was bored.
What is special education?
The neighborhood "legend" who used a baseball bat to beat a man behind a dumpster.
Who is The Bomb?
The phrase "walking with a ______" was necessary to avoid looking like a target in their neighborhood.
What is "a purpose"?