Analysis
- What are some of the chief differences between Jesse’s family and Leslie’s family?
- Should children call their parents by their first name?
- One of Jesse’s favourite songs is “Free to be You and Me”.
- What do you think the title of the song means? S1
- How does it apply to Miss Edmunds, Jesse and Leslie?
- Why do you think that Jess and Miss Edmunds got on so well?
- How does Jess treat Janice Avery prior to the “Twinkies” episode?
- If you had discovered Janice Avery was regularly beaten by her father what would you have done?
- Was the revenge taken by Jesse and Leslie on Janice Avery justified?
- Janice Avery and her so-called friends are a good comparison for the friendship Jesse and Leslie have. Why are Janice’s friends not genuine?
- Leslie and her family are concerned with environment issues like Save the Whales. When talking about Janice Avery, Janice says “If she was an animal predator we’d be obliged to try to help her”. (p81) What is Jesse trying to explain to Leslie?
- Why is Chapter 7 called the “Golden Room”?
- How does the relationship between Jesse and Leslie grow and develop?
- How did Jesse discover Leslie had died? P.117
- Did Jesse feel responsible for Leslie’s death?
- What was it that hurt Jesse about Leslie’s death? P.128&129
- How would you describe Jesse’s relationship with his father at the end of the novel?
- How did the author prepare us for Leslie’s death? Pp90,99, 101
- Should Mr Burke have given Prince Terrien to Jesse? S4
- Why do you think he wanted to keep the dog?
- Compare and contrast the families of Jesse and Leslie?
