14. The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore

1.  What are the main themes in the story?
Choices...how important they are and how the wrong choice can lead to other wrong choices until you end up in a place you never expected.

2.  Do you think having "positive" role models as a child serves as a deterrent to a life of crime? Is what constitutes a "positive" role model the same for everyone or does it vary?  If everyone around you is doing right you are going to want to do right.  Positive role models give children an example of how they should be in this world where there is always someone trying to influence them.  A role model should lead by example with actions not with words.   Positive role models influence others to lead a life that is productive, crime free, and hopeful.

3. Oprah Winfrey has said that "when you hear this story, it's going to turn the way you think about free will and fate upside down."  So, which is it... freedom or determinism?  If determinism, what kind of determinism-God, cosmic fate, environment, biology, psychology?  Or if freedom, to what degree are we free to choose and create our own destiny?  I think who we become is like a gumbo with several different ingredients.  Throw in biology, environment, and a dash of free will and you make a person.  I believe our biological make up is a start to who we will become.  Things we have no control of like height, skin color, "beauty" according to society standards, disposition. These qualities influence our behavior.  Then mix in environment.  Those around us who serve as an example to who we should be and how we should act. Those who create a haven in a dark situation.  Or those who make a mansion feel like living in hell.  Environmental factors weigh heavily on us.  Making us more likely to act one way or another.  But free will is not totally absolved in the situation.  After all the environmental and biological influences are placed on us we still have to make the choice about how we should act and react to our situations.

13. The Untelling by Tayari Jones

I already made a review for this book answered some discussion questions and somehow it got deleted.  I'm not about to go through that again.  So I'm going right off my head.  The book was good even though it is my least favorite out of the the three books I've read by Ms. Tayari Jones. I think about dealing with life when it goes somewhere unexpected and the importance of family.   Her books are so easy to read they keep you entertained.  You shouldn't hold on to secrets and telling them will help you go forth.  

12. Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones

Sad sweet. The story of a father's failures. As he tries to be a good parent to one child he mistreats the other. The father is a complete prick. How he treats his daughter Dana is despicable. The sad part of the story is even though it is a work of fiction things like this happen everyday. I like the layers in Tayari's works. The interconnections the thread she weaves. What I learned: a little honesty goes a long way. Make connections in my work. What I've noticed about the two novels I read from her is she uses different point of views. Also, she uses historical references. I want to consider using these methods in my works.

11. There is No Dog by Meg Rosoff

What if God were a teenage boy whose main priority involved seducing his beautiful creations. It actually would make a lot of sense to the pessimist individuals out there. There is no creature alive more indifferent to the feelings of others then some teenage boys. Bob became God of Earth because his mother won it for him in a poker game. He then willfully neglects it as he searches the world for ladies he can have sex with. This is a very quirky novel that deals with a lot of heavy subject matter. What touches me the most is when Bob's pet Eck is sentenced to death because Bob mom dealt him away in a poker game. Eck asks the questions every person asks. Why are we born? Why was I created? Book started slow but got more interesting as it went along. 3.5 0ut of 5.