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Overview
Every day, she sits at the top of the stairs leading to the beach.
Always writing in her little notebook.
Always watching.
Watching the loving big brother, so caring and attentive to his little sister.
Watching the handsome lifeguard with his golden tan.
But no matter how closely she watches, she can't begin to know the secrets behind the perfect facades of their lives.
And they can't begin to know the truth about the strange, sad girl who each day sits alone — and watches.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780689835339 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Atheneum Books for Young Readers |
| Publication date: | 04/01/2001 |
| Edition description: | Reprint |
| Pages: | 192 |
| Product dimensions: | 4.19(w) x 7.00(h) x 0.70(d) |
| Lexile: | 830L (what's this?) |
| Age Range: | 12 - 18 Years |
About the Author
Reading Group Guide
About the Book
“ . . . Hilarious and poignant . . . An upbeat and reassuring novel that encourages preteens and teens to celebrate their individuality.” —Publishers Weekly
« “Howe tells the truth about the pain and anger caused by jeers and name-calling in a fast, funny, tender story that will touch readers.” —Booklist, starred review
Bobby, Skeezie, Addie, and Joe are “the misfits.” Bobby is fat. Skeezie dresses like it’s 1957. Addie is tall, brainy, and outspoken. And Joe is gay. They’re used to being called names, but they know they’re better than the names they’re called.
Besides, they’ve always had each other when times got tough. And surviving seventh grade looks like it’s not going to be easy. Starting with Addie’s refusal to say the Pledge of Allegiance and her insistence on creating a new political party to run for student council, the Gang of Five, as the four friends call themselves, is in for the year of their lives. It’s a year in which they learn about politics and popularity, love and loss, and what it means to be a misfit. After years of insults, the Gang of Five is determined to stop name-calling at their school. Finally, they are going to stand up and be seen—not as the one-word jokes their classmates have tried to reduce them to, but as the full, complicated human beings they are just beginning to discover they truly are.
Discussion Topics
• Why do you think the author chose the character of Bobby Goodspeed to tell the story of The Misfits? Could you see another character narrating the novel instead? How would the novel be different with another narrator? How is Bobby wise beyond his years?
• The Misfits is a uniquely written novel. Part of the story is written in prose and part of it is in a play format. Do you like this style of writing? Did it help you to learn more about the characters as you were reading?
• Celebrating one’s individuality is a strong theme throughout The Misfits. Which characters “celebrate their individuality” more than others?
• We don’t learn that Bobby’s mother has died until halfway through the novel. Does learning this important fact about Bobby’s life enable us to understand him better? Why do you think the author chose to withhold this information about Bobby until halfway through the story?
• Other characters in The Misfits have also endured a loss. These losses have shaped their personalities and have affected each of them differently. Discuss how this is so. Is there a “right” way to deal with loss?
• How do you feel about the character of Addie? Do you find her frustrating, or refreshingly honest? Would you be friends with Addie if you had the opportunity? Can you sympathize with Ms. Wyman regarding her feelings toward Addie? Do you think that Ms. Wyman was once a little like Addie when she was younger? And how is Addie ultimately like Ms. Wyman?
• Bobby, Skeezie, Addie, and Joe rebel against name-calling and base the platform for their new political party on banishing name-calling. However, they are guilty of calling people names themselves. Cite examples throughout the book where they fall into this trap. Do you think they realize that they are name-callers? Is name-calling a natural part of who we are or is it learned? Can name-calling ever be a positive thing?
• Examine and discuss the following pairings: Bobby and Mr. Kellerman, Addie and Ms. Wyman, Joe and Colin. How does each relationship demonstrate how people who seem outwardly very different can actually be very much alike?
• The role of family is significant in the development of each character in The Misfits. Talk about each character’s connection with his or her family. How do the families help to define each character?
• Bobby is surprised to discover that Pam was not popular when she was his age. How is this eye-opening and ultimately inspiring for Bobby? Do you think that Ms. Wyman, Mr. Kellerman and Bobby’s dad were “popular” when they were in seventh grade, or do you think they were more like the Gang of Five?
• Bobby tells his friends that his dad says, “It’s better to just get along [and] not make waves . . . [B]ringing attention can be a dangerous thing.” Why do you think he said this to Bobby?
• Mr. Kellerman makes the comment that “we’re all so ready to believe the worst about ourselves . . . we just accept them without even thinking about what they mean or even if they’re true.” Do you agree or disagree with him?
• Although the No-Name Party ultimately loses the student council election, Bobby puts the loss into perspective by saying “sometimes it is about winning something much bigger.” How does the No-Name Party “win” anyway? Can you think of other examples where something has been lost, but something much bigger has been won?
• The ending of The Misfits gives a glimpse into the Gang of Five’s future. What surprised you about the ending of the story? Can you try to predict how your circle of friends at school will end up one day? • After finishing the story, do you think Addie, Bobby, Skeezie, and Joe are really misfits?
• Does The Misfits present a realistic portrayal of life in middle school or junior high? Why or why not?
• After reading the book, do you wish that any of the characters were your friends? Who and why?
• Do you think it’s possible for two boys or two girls to go out together in your school? Why or why not?
• What do you think of the expression, “That’s so gay,” or “He/she is so gay”? Does being gay or not affect your opinion?
• Is your school and/or your community a safe place to be a “misfit”?
• What is the difference between seeing someone as “different” from you and “less than” you?
• Do you think it’s possible for a mixed-race couple to date in your school? Why or why not?
• Why does Addie refuse to say the Pledge of Allegiance? What do you think of her position? Do you agree or disagree with the position of the principal, Mr. Kiley?
• Of all the characters in the book, who do you think shows the most courage and why?
• Do you think the resolution of the story is realistic or a fairy-tale ending? Is it better for fiction to reflect the way things are or point the way to how things could be?
• Is it possible for unpopular kids to be friends with—or go out with —popular kids? If not, what gets in the way of making this possible?
• Addie, Joe, Bobby, and Skeezie are strong characters. What are their strengths and how do these strengths help them?
• Addie makes assumptions about DuShawn. What are they and what does she learn that’s different from what she thought? Discuss other assumptions the characters make and what they’re based on. What assumptions do you make about groups or types of people?
• Discuss the character of Kelsey. What is it that makes someone “painfully” shy?
Activities and Research
• Research the history of name-calling. Did you know that in the past, people were jailed or even killed for calling people names? Research historical situations where this was an outcome of name-calling. Can name-calling still carry significant consequences in today’s world? When has name-calling been used to oppress people?
• Cite situations today where name-calling is used to ruin a person’s reputation. Provide current examples involving celebrities, members of the media, politicians, or local figures by reading the newspaper or scanning the Internet for several days or a week.
• Find out more about the different political parties that exist in the United States, other than the Republican and Democratic parties. Why and when were these political parties launched, and what do they stand for? What party would you join?
• If you had the opportunity to create a new political party for a school election, what would your platform be? How would you promote the party? Design several potential election posters with different logos and share them with your classmates.
• Talk with your parents, grandparents, a teacher, or an older sibling about their experiences in middle school or junior high. Do they reveal anything surprising? Did you have any preconceived notions about that time in their lives, only to find out that they were actually very different?
• Research the history of the Pledge of Allegiance and the controversies that have arisen over its use in schools and students’ refusal to participate in its recital.
• Research the experiences of gay students in the past and the present. An excellent resource is www.GLSEN.org, the website of GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network).
• Write about your own experiences of being a misfit, or what you imagine it is like for others who don’t fit into the mainstream in your school.
This reading group guide has been provided by Simon & Schuster for classroom, library, and reading group use. It may be reproduced in its entirety or excerpted for these purposes.
Introduction
Teaching Guide
About the book
A seemingly idyllic summer at the beach reveals the inner lives of four young people in James Howe's remarkably moving tale of a troubled teenage girl and the individuals her life touches.
The young girl, nicknamed the "watcher", silently observes the people on the beach and writes in her journal. Meanwhile, Evan plays with his beloved sister Callie and frets over the mysterious sadness that has come over his parents. And Chris, the lifeguard who seems heroic to Evan and the watcher, secretly nurses doubts about himself. Interwoven with these narratives is a fairy tale of a remarkable little girl imprisoned by a beast, a story written by the watcher that closely resembles her own life and that shows powerfully how storytelling can be used to confront the issues we face.
As the lazy days of summer reveal the characters' inner turmoil, the novel moves toward its stunning climax and the revelation of just who the mysterious girl is and what compels her. In The Watcher, James Howe has crafted a subtle and compelling tale of the power and importance of family. In the process, he has created a layered text that is easily accessible and also highly rewarding, making it perfect for readers of varying skill levels.
Questions on the text
LANGUAGE ARTS
Fairy tales like the watcher's narrative often use archetypes (the good princess, the evil beast) to create a universal message out of an individual story. Write your own fairy tale using aspects of your life. Try writing the same material as a short story or journal. Which proves to be more effective for this particular plot?
The characters in this novel are very clearly drawn,but some of the less central characters we see only fleetingly; characters like Callie's friend Sarah, the lifeguard Jenny, Shane, Chris's roommates, Evan's mother and father, and Margaret's mother and father. Pick one of these characters and try to imagine their inner lives. What are they thinking and doing during the period in which this novel takes place?
SOCIAL STUDIES
Parts of this book address people's misconceptions about those around them. Can you think of instances in which you might have misinterpreted the thoughts of someone else? Take one instance and imagine a number of possible interpretations of that person's thoughts. Discuss ways that we can better understand others and ways we can communicate more clearly.
The main characters in this novel are all confronting problems in their lives. Write a story about these people ten years in the future. Have they resolved the problems? Have they encountered new ones? What are their lives like?
- How does the alternating viewpoint (the tales of the watcher, Chris, Evan, Callie, and the fairy tale) change the way you understand and react to the story? Why do you think the author chose this method of presenting the novel?
- The watcher thinks "They would not have seen her." (p. 4) What does she mean by this?
- The watcher is described as watching the families "most intently" (p. 5), and when Evan kisses Callie on the head the watcher "became so dizzy she was forced to drop her head to her knees and think of other things until the dizziness went away." (p. 7) Why is the watcher obsessed with families? And why does the incident between Evan and Callie affect her so much?
- What role do angels play in the book? Do any of the characters resemble angels in any way? How is the angel imagery used throughout the book?
- All the children have different names for the girl on the steps: the watcher (p. 35), Harriet the spy (p. 71), the flake (p. 47). Why do people's impressions differ so drastically? What does each nickname tell you about the person who uses it and his or her attitudes toward the girl on the steps?
- Family looms large in The Watcher. What are the main characters' views of family? How are they similar and how do they differ? Many different family situations are portrayed, but each of the children has a unique relationship with their parents. How would you describe these relationships? How would you characterize the sibling relationship between Callie and Evan?
- Evan repeats the quote "you can't always get what you want" to himself. Why? Why does this saying have meaning for him? Read the epigraph (or introductory quote) to the book. Why do you think the author chose this?
- Why do you think Evan has such strong feelings about the character of Holden Caulfield? What do those feelings reveal about his feelings toward himself? What do you think the character represents to Evan? (See p. 61)
- How does the watcher respond when Chris first tries to talk to her? (p. 90-91) Why do you think she responds in the way she does? Does this response seem like her normal behavior?
- What does it mean to you when Chris imagines that "he wanted to dive into that water and pull his brother out and save his fathers life?" (p. 145). If he could really do this, what difference does he think it would have made in his own life?
- Why do you think Evan tells his mother he is never going to get married? (p. 111) Does he seek to accomplish something with this line of discussion? What is your reaction to the mother's response? What do you think Evan's response is?
- What is Evan's attitude toward the watcher? (p. 35) What is his mother's? (p. 117) How do they differ and why?
- Callie tells her friend that her parents are getting a divorce (p. 67), which is not necessarily true. Why do you think Callie makes up this story?
- Look at the various ways each of the characters sees the others. Why do you think their perceptions are so often at odds with the reality of the characters they're observing? What do their perceptions say about their own needs and desires?
- We learn a great deal about these characters that is initially hidden, just as our thoughts are hidden in real life. How do these discoveries change your attitudes toward the characters? How do you think they change the characters' attitudes toward each other?
- The watcher believes that her "head is the perfect place for words nobody else uses." (p. 121) What do you believe she means by this?
- The watcher steals a number of things from Evan and Callie's family: a kite, a shawl, and Callie's picture. Why does the watcher steal from them and why does she pick the items she does?
- In light of the ending, what does Margaret's fairy tale reveal about her life? What does the ending mean for Margaret? For Chris? And for Evan? Have they addressed the issues that face them?
- James Howe once said, "one of the best reasons I know for being a writer is having the chance to rewrite reality." Do you think this may be reflected in The Watcher? Are there aspects of this book that could be considered wish fulfillment?
About the author
James Howe is the author of over fifty books for children, including the popular Bunnicula series. The Watcher is his first book for young adults. The author has spent parts of many summers on Fire Island, off the New York coast, which serves as the setting for this book.