Driver’s Ed by Carolyn Cooney – Study Guide
Chapter 1 Questions (pages 1-19)
1. How does Mrs. Bee feel about supervising the driver’s ed students? Why does she
feel this way?
2. As soon as Remy gets her license, what will she be doing for her parents? How
does she feel about that? What do her friends think about that?
3. How does Mr. Fielding feel about his job?
4. What is his excuse for not learning anyone’s name?
5. Is Mr. Fielding really teaching his students how to drive?
6. How do you think his teaching will affect the kids in the class?
7. What was the “best mistake yet?”
8. In Morgan’s opinion, does being popular mean you have a lot of friends?
9. What do some people call Remy’s little brother “Jesus,” even though his name is
really Henry?
10. How does Remy feel about Morgan? Is the feeling returned?
Chapter 2 Questions (pages 20-33)
1. What event made Remy, Lark, and Morgan talk about stealing signs?
2. Why is it surprising that Lark has a drill sergeant’s voice? Which literary device is
used here?
3. What rule did the kids make? In other words, what must they do before they get
theirdrivers license?
4. Is there anyone in the class named Joanne, Carson, or Chrystal?
5. Why did Morgan think he’d get a car for his 16th birthday?
6. Did he get the car? If so, what kind? If not, what did he get instead?
7. How often does Morgan talk to his parents?
8. Are Morgan and Nickie really friends? Explain your reasoning.
9. Do you think kids should automatically be entitled to a car and a license at age
16? Why/why not? Write a short essay to explain your stance.
Chapter 3 Questions (pages 34-54)
1. What’s the most dangerous thing that has happened to Morgan?
2. What are the differences between how Mr. Willit feels about the students’ names
and how Mr. Fielding feels about them?
3. Does Mr. Willit’s belief about students apply to NickieBudie, too?
4. Remy re-did her makeup before going out to take signs. Why did she do this?
5. What kind of punishment did Remy’s parents have to give Mac before his
behavior got better? Explain why you think this punishment worked.
6. What does it mean to say that Morgan is “gone” on Remy?
7. What were the 3 signs they stole?
8. Out of these 3, which was the most important? Explain your reasoning.
9. Where were they going to store 2 of the signs?
Chapter 4 Questions (pages 55-71)
1. Where did Remy hide her sign?
2. How does Remy’s mother feel about her?
3. How does Remy’s mother feel about Morgan?
4. What new type of vandalism was reported on the news?
5. What happened because there was no stop sign at the corner of Warren Street and
Cherry Road?
6. How does Morgan feel when he sees this story on the news? Why?
7. Who did Denise Thompson leave behind?
8. What does Morgan’s dad say about the people who took the sign?
9. If you were Morgan, how would you have responded to the news story, and what
would be your next move?
Chapter 5 Questions (pages 72-86)
1. Who broke the news to Remy about the accident?
2. How had “Remy Marlands just made a dent in the world?”
3. Who did Morgan feel was really to blame for this entire incident?
4. How was Remy trying to justify the accident and convince herself it wasn’t all her
fault? (page 79)
5. Why did Morgan believe he was in the same league as Nickie (pond scum) now?
6. Create a front page of a newspaper that might appear in the Driver’s Ed novel.
Your newspaper should include the following:
a. Title, editor’s name, and edition date
b. A featured article: the complete story of the stop sign accident. The stop
sign article should include the following:
i. Who, what, when, where, and how
ii. An interview quote with someone in the story
iii. A related graphic
Chapter 6 Questions (pages 87-102)
1. What unusual thing did Remy do?
2. Why would no one be driving in Driver’s Ed today?
3. How did Morgan feel when he found out who was visiting?
4. Put yourself in Morgan’s shoes. Write a diary entry to describe your feelings at
this point in time.
5. What was sitting in front of the school on the grass?
6. Why would the car stay at the school?
7. Think about the car sitting in front of the school on the grass. Do you think this
was an effective tactic? Explain your reasoning.
8. How does Nickie feel about Denise and the accident?
9. Why does Lark not want people to go through her things?
10. Why will Lark be “cooling” the friendship between her and Remy? (page 97)
11. What is Morgan’s reaction when Remy calls them murderers?
12. What was in the Wednesday newspaper?
Chapter 7 Questions (page 103-116)
1. What time of year does the story take place?
2. What was Denise’s family probably doing this Thanksgiving?
3. What was Morgan’s heart’s new hobby?
4. What was put up on the main bulletin board on Monday?
5. Does Mr. Fielding know who took the signs or smashed the mailboxes?
6. What kind of commercial came on while the Campbell family was watching the
news?
7. Pretend you are Denise’s husband. Design your own commercial for the same
purposes he did. Be sure to tell us what background music (if any) would be
playing, what images would be showing on the screen, and the script of the
commercial.
Chapter 8 Questions (page 117-128)
1. Who is Mr. Bailey?
2. Why is Mr. Bailey questioning Morgan? What does he want to know?
3. What reason does Remy give her mother for not wanting Henry to play the part of
Jesus in the play?
4. What is the actual reason Remy doesn’t want Henry to play the part of Jesus?
5. What does Remy think about polish taking away sin?
6. What does Nickie plan to do to Morgan when he finds out Morgan wants to tell?
7. How does Mac find out who took the stop sign?
8. Pretend you are Mac. Create a pros and cons list for “tattling” on Morgan and
Remy. At the bottom of your lists, please tell what decision you would make
regarding this matter: would you tell or keep quiet? Please explain your
reasoning.
Chapter 9 Questions (page 129-143)
1. What does Remy beg Morgan to do before he tells?
2. Why do you think Mac said Remy is in trouble, whether or not anyone tells? Do
you agree with Mac?
3. How does Nickie say the police will be able to connect Morgan to that stop sign?
In other words, how could they prove Morgan took it?
4. What does Nickie threaten to do if Morgan ever mentions his name in association
with this accident?
5. What would happen to the kids if the authorities found out who took the sign?
6. Think about your answer to number five. Did Morgan feel that was fair?
Why/why not?
7. Think about your answer to number six. Do you think it is fair? Why/why not?
8. What is Morgan’s dad hoping to change about how the legal system deals with
teenagers? Do you agree that this change needs to be made? Why?
9. How might Remy’s parents react if/when they hear Nickie’s suggestion?
10. Was the stop sign actually numbered?
Chapter 10 Questions (page 144-153)
1. Who does Mr. Fielding think stole the sign?
2. Why should Mr. Fielding not teach Driver’s Ed again?
3. Did Remy pass her driver’s test?
4. How did Remy feel after her test? What was her reasoning for this?
5. To whom did Remy tell her secret?
6. Even though it was not Remy who actually cut the post, was she still responsible
for the death of Denise Thompson? Write an essay to prove your point.
Chapter 11 Questions (page 154-162)
1. What was the only thing worse than telling Morgan’s father?
2. What is Remy’s mother’s first reaction?
3. Under what conditions would Remy’s mother have been more understanding?
4. Why is a planned crime worse than a spur-of-the-moment one? Do you agree with
this sentiment?
5. How did Morgan’s father’s reaction to the confession differ from Remy’s
mother’s reaction?
Chapter 12 Questions (page 163-177)
1. How do Nickie’s parents respond when confronted with the fact that Nickie
helped steal that stop sign?
2. What does “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” mean? To which book is
this an allusion?
3. Why does Remy’s mother get so angry that Remy is crying?
4. Why did Mr. Fielding respect Remy’s wishes to wait to call Mr. Thompson?
5. Why were the fathers less angry than the mothers?
6. Mr. Campbell said it wasn’t manslaughter that happened, but ______.
7. What did Mrs. Campbell show Morgan at the car dealership?
8. Why does Mrs. Campbell say she’s a terrible person?
9. What does Mr. Fielding say about life and death?
10. Why does it not matter what punishment Remy and Morgan get for stealing the
sign? (page 173)
11. How does Starr feel toward Morgan?
12. Do you think Starr grasps the “big picture” of this whole incident, or is she angry
for selfish reasons? Explain your answer.
Chapter 13 Questions (page 178-187)
1.What was the unspoken “dress code” for meeting Mr. Thompson?
2. What punishments did Mr. Thompson think of for Remy and Morgan?
3. How does Remy compare herself to NickieBudie? What type of literary device is this?
4. Why is an apology worthless in this case? Do you agree that it is worthless?
5. Even if Remy and Morgan didn’t intend for anything bad to come of their sign-stealing
incident, do you think they should still be punished for it? Why/why not?
6. Why does Mr. Thompson reject the gift Remy tries to give him?
7. Why can Mr. Campbell still run for office?
Chapter 14 Questions (page 188-199)
1. Why does Remy decide to always wear the music necklace?
2. To where does Mr. Fielding have Morgan and Remy drive?
3. What does Morgan mean when he says, “blame doesn’t spread?” Do you agree
with this quote? Why/why not?
4. How did Mr. Thompson decide to punish Remy and Morgan? (page 198) Do you
think this was an acceptable punishment? Why/why not?
5. Who explains to Mrs. Campbell that Morgan needs to be forgiven and loved?
6. What does Morgan’s father say about love? “Nobody ______it. It
______.”
7. On a sheet of 8.5” x 11” plain paper, create a billboard ad to persuade people not
to steal signs. Remember that text must be fairly large and minimal in order for
drivers/passengers to fully read it while driving down the highway! Use color and
graphics to your advantage. On the back, describe which of Aristotle’s techniques
you used (ethos, pathos, logos), how you used them, and why you think they’ll be
effective.