Link to Angela Johnson:
http://www.teachingbooks.net/slideshows/johnson/Reads_FirstPartLast.html
http://thebrownbookshelf.com/2009/02/08/angela-johnson/
Discussion Questions:
1. How did Bobby’s parents respond to the news of Nia’s pregnancy (pg. 12)? How did Nia’s parents respond to this (pg. 20)? How would your parents respond to this same announcement?
2. Look at how Bobby’s friends react (pg. 37-40). How would your friends react?
3. What does Bobby mean by saying, “I walk to my room…look around my room and miss me” (pg. 35)?
4. How does Bobby feel about Feather? Would this be different if Nia were awake? (pg 81)
5. What do you think about everyone’s reaction to Bobby and Nia’s decision to put their baby up for adoption?
6. Do you agree with the way Bobby’s parents support (or don’t support) him and Feather?
7. Imagine your room at home. What things would you have to change if you became a full-time parent? What everyday things would you have to do differently?
8. Where do you see these characters five, ten years from now?
ASHLEY LAWSON
ReplyDelete2.) My friends would be disappointed if I got pregnant at such a young age. Nevertheless, they would be supportive and help me out if i need help.
3.) Bobby says, on page 35, "I walk to my room...look around my room and miss me." He means that having the responsibility of being a father, has taken away his childhood. He misses being a teenager, and sleeping through the night. He misses being himself.
7.) When I look around my room, I see things that I would have to change if i were a parent. I would need to take my desk out, so a crib could go their. I would have to clear out some space in my dresser for my baby's clothes. I would also have to get a bin or a drawer for my baby's diapers. I would probably have to downsize my bed, in order to fit everything I need for her in my room. I would have to get up in the middle of every night, find a babysitter for when I am in school, and find transportation.
3. When Bobby looks around his room and says "I look around and miss me" He means everything has changed for him. His room is now mostly a nursery for his child, and he no longer can have his friends hanging around all the time, and he can barely sleep. He can no longer be the teenager he is. He has to man up and be a father.
ReplyDelete4. Bobby loves Feather. He can't put her down because she wants him. She knows he is her father, and he can't stop how much he loves her. I believe if Nia were awake he wouldn't feel nearly as strong. He would respect her wishes to put Feaher up for adoption. Since she is in a coma, Bobby knows he'll forever be missing something. Feather will grow up at least knowing of her mother, instead of thinking her parents were some sort of thugs who ditched her in the adoption agency.
5. Everyone seems relieved that Nia and Bobby decided to put Feather up for adoption. They know Nia and Bobby are to young for parenthood, and if the two can move along they'll probably act like nothing happened in a few years. I think they reacted like most parents would if their children were having babis before they were done being children themselves.
Shannon Kalia Discussion Questions
ReplyDeleteMrs. Gamzon October 9, 2009
Discussion Questions
1.) When Bobby tells his parents that Nia’s pregnant, it “…had turned both of them to stone.” Bobby’s mother sits still and stares at him, and then silently, his pops just starts to cry. His mom is angry, but she just sits there, biting her lip until it bleeds, refraining from lapping him. When Bobby and Nia tell her parents about the pregnancy, they both just look at them, straight ahead, hand in hand, like no one said anything. Nia’s mom is just smiling, which is what she does when she is really angry and can’t deal with it. They both ask them a bunch of questions, which Bobby answers with “Yes ma’am,” “No sir,” “I don’t know, ma’am,” and “I know, sir.” At the end of telling her parents, they both stand up and say something about how they need to speak to Bobby’s parents. Then Nia starts to cry, before Bobby does. If I told my mother I was pregnant, she would be angry with me and disappointed. She would tell me that it’s my fault I got pregnant, and that it was my problem and I would have to deal with it. She would tell me that since I got pregnant, I would have to take care of the child, not her.
2.) Bobby says “I walk to my room…look around my room and miss me.” By saying this, Bobby means that he misses how he and his life used to be before the baby. He misses all the things he could do before he came a father, probably like hanging out with his friends all the time, going places, and just getting to hang out and act like a regular teenager. Now Bobby is faced with the challenge of raising a baby, and he misses how everything used to be.
3.) I agree with how the parents support Bobby and Feather. It is obvious in the story that even though they don’t take care of Feather and help Bobby out, they still deeply care for Bobby and the baby. I think that by them not babysitting and helping financially with the baby is right of them, because they tried to always teach Bobby to use protection and not get a girl pregnant, yet he was careless and still did. They raised Bobby, but it’s not their responsibility to raise his child too, and I agree with the way that they are treating Bobby and the baby.
Gabriela Julia
ReplyDelete2.) In the book, I see that Bobby’s friends do not want to take any part in this situation. They try to avoid the subject and when it is brought up, they make remarks on how Bobby was stupid. My friends would most likely be in shock. I would hope that they would still be there for me, but we wouldn’t have the same relationship. We would hardly have anything in common and my time would always be occupied.
6.) The way Bobby’s parents show little support of him and Feather is easy to agree with. It is not the grandparent’s responsibility to take care of this baby. Bobby and Nia made adult decisions and they would have to face adult consequences. Bobby’s parents never abandoned him or Feather. They showed him that he couldn’t always rely on someone else to take care of his problems.
8.) In five to ten years from now, I see these characters in the story struggling to get along with their lives. It would be hard for Bobby to continue taking care of his daughter without Nia. Feather would be older, and I’m sure it would be hard for her as a child to not know who her mother was. The parents would show more support for Bobby because of the tragic death of Nia and the challenges he will face from taking care of Feather.
Donyel jackson
ReplyDelete2. Bobby’s friends acted in a weird way. They were saying that he was stupid for having it happen. Personally I think my friends wouldn’t say anything and support it but soon as I leave they’d all talk about how dumb I was. I think after that we wouldn’t probably hang out as much because they’d be doing things they felt like they had to do and I’d be worried about taking care of the baby.
3. Bobby means that he misses the old him. He misses the way he used to be before he became a father. Now he has the responsibility of taking care of his family and he is facing consequences for his actions.
7. If I became a full-time parent I would have to change everything. I would have to put a crib, dressers for the baby and many other things I couldn’t fit in my room. I wouldn’t be able to do all my homework if I could still go to school. While all my friends were hanging out I would be at home taking care of a baby that I have to be fully responsible of. I would have to get a job to take care of the baby and myself. I would lose sleep. It would be hectic.
1. At first they were shocked, but then, they wanted to explain to bobby on how to be a good father. They were informational. And his dad was very emotional. My mom would probably try to kill me, and my dad would be mad too. But later would probably be like Bobby’s dad.
ReplyDelete2. if I told my friends that, they would probably be shocked, concerned, uncomfortable, and there for me.
3. I guess he means he misses his room and apartment after going to the hospital.
4. Bobby feels old that he is carrying feather everywhere.
Evan bartter 10/16/09
ReplyDeleteMs.Gamzon First part last
1) Bobby’s parents freaked out about her pregnant with all the trips and talks they had with him to have him not and all the STD pamphlets that she put beside their bed.
Nia’s parents didn’t really react they just sat hand in hand on the couch like they did before they told them then Nia started to cry thinking they where mad.
My parents would have reacted as it’s my fault and I would have to take care of it all by myself not by their money
2) Bobby says on page 35, “I walk to my room…look around my room and miss me” he means he misses all the time he can be with his friends that this child is taking his childhood taking his youth he misses being himself out with a cold drink and pizza with friends but now he has a big responsibility
3) If I got a girl pregnant my friends my family would look at me with. disappointment because I actually did that to soon and did not use what I learned in health to be protected.
1) Bobby`s parents did not even know how to react to the news that Nia was pregnant. it was a shock to them aas it would be to any parent. All they knew how to do was sit still and listen in amazment. Bobby`s father began to cry because he was so surprised.
ReplyDelete2) If I was to tell my friends that I was going to be a father I know that I would get a lot of different opinions. I would get congrats and scolding. They would be shocked and disappointed but at the end of the day I would still be a father and that’s what it is.
7) I would have to change a lot of things like my mattress and I would have to change my sheets everyday that is something that would be affected by me being a full time parent. I don’t change my sheets everyday. I would have to keep my room clean and uncluttered so that it is safe for the baby. I would have to keep my room cool or warm enough for the baby. I would not have time to do things like use the computer, do homework, and watch t.v. Etc
Cassidy Rose Hammond
ReplyDelete2. My friends would be completely worried, and really surprised that I would do something like that.
3. He means that he misses how his old life was before Feather came.
7. I would have to put a crib in my room, and get a job to provide for the baby, then buy all the necessities like diapers and put them in my room. I’d have to use the computer less and move the guitars out so I would have more room.
1.Bobby's parents responded to the news of Nia's pregnancy by becoming very still and quiet and turning to stone.The dad started to cry and the mom wanted to slap him. Nia's parents responded to her pregnancy by being cool and calm and sit hand in hand on the white couch with iron arms until Booby talked. My parents would respond to this situation by yelling at me and being very angry. They would tell me that this is my responsibility now for my kid.
ReplyDelete2.My friends would react to this situation by telling me how hard it's going to be for the responsibility of the kid and how it feels bad for me and my friends. We wouldn't hang that much and talk about what's happening with our lives.
3.What Bobby means by saying "I walk to my room...look around my room and miss me" is that he's not going to be around his own life any more with his family. He won't be able to enjoy his own life growing up with his friends and having a great life again. He throw's everything away from his life now that he has to take care of his child.