Discussion Questions:
1. Many of the incidents described by Curtis are funny. What purpose does the humor serve in this novel? What are some of your favorite scenes?
2. Think about things Kenny might not understand about his friends Rufus and Cody, or the character of the Wool Pooh. What things does he share with the reader that he himself does not understand or acknowledge? Why might these things be important?
3. Although Kenny describes Byron as being a bully, the reader is actually shown many different sides of Byron, who could be described as a complex character. What are some things Byron does to show there is more to him than just being a bully?
4. How does the mood of the novel change from the beginning to the end? Did you like the change?
5. The novel highlights differences between the North and the South, especially concerning race relations. What differences are expressed in the novel? Had you been aware of these differences before you read the book?
6. Byron tells Kenny, " '...if you don't want people to look at your messed-up eye you just gotta do this....keep your head straight and look at me sideways' " (p. 26). How else does the author show that Byron really cares about Kenny even though he teases him?
7. The idea of the Wool Pooh starts off as a funny story that Byron tells Kenny, but by the end of the novel, it seems to mean something more. (p176) Explain what the Wool Pooh might symbolize.
8. At the end of the novel, after Kenny cries for a long time over what happened in Birmingham, Kenny thinks about all the ways there might be magic, genies, or angels in the world. (p199) What is the significance about the novel ending in this way?