86 pages • 2 hours read
James HoweA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Students at Paintbrush Falls Middle School often call each other mean names as a form of bullying, but nicknames can also be used as a term of endearment, such as Bobby and his dad’s nicknames for each other, Skip and Hammer. What kinds of nicknames are used throughout the novel? What do they tell you about each character and their relationship to one another?
At the beginning of the novel, Bobby tries not to draw attention to himself. How would you describe Bobby’s character at the end of the novel? How does he change over the course of the story?
What does Bobby learn about Mr. Kellerman the longer they work together? How does his impression of Mr. Kellerman change over the course of the novel?
By James Howe
American Literature
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Coming-of-Age Journeys
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Juvenile Literature
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Laugh-out-Loud Books
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LGBTQ Literature
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Modernism
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Pride Month Reads
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Satire
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YA & Middle-Grade Books on Bullying
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