Chapter 1

1. Chapter 1 1. Where does Shawn live and what’s special about it? 2. In chapter one, what’s Shawn’s “good news”? Why is it ironic?

2. Chapters 2 and 3 • 1. Describe Shawn’s condition and what it does to his body. • 2. How does Shawn’s condition affect his family? • 3. Why does the author include the scene of the dog being hit by the car? • 4. What does Shawn mean when he says that his life is “just in his head”? • 5 Shawn thought he knew about death from watching TV, but something happens that changes his feelings, What happened? How does he feel about death now?

3. Discussion Questions 1. Shawn is able to remember everything that he has heard since age five. No one else is aware that Shawn is near genius. How does this lack of understanding of Shawn’s mental abilities influence how people interact around him? Would they talk as openly if they knew he understood what they were saying?

4. Discussion Question 2. Shawn talks directly to you, the reader. He says he may have overheard that fight you had with your girlfriend or what your father said when you were shopping for a particular baseball glove. How would you feel if you knew someone could remember in detail, an incident in your life you would rather forget? Explain.

5. Discussion Question 3. Shawn states, “My dad didn’t divorce my mom or my sister, Cindy or my brother, Paul-he divorced me.” Is Shawn correct in his assessment of the situation? Why or why not?

6. Chapter 4-5 • Why does Shawn think his dad wants to kill him? Do you have any ideas about how Shawn feels about his dad?

7. Double Entry Journal • As we read the novel together, make notes (written or visual) in their readers notebook – this should not be a summary of what was read, but a reaction to what was read. For this use a double entry diary

8. Double Entry Journal

9. Discussion Question #4 Mr. McDaniel won the Pulitzer Prize for the poem he wrote about being a parent of a child with Cerebral Palsy. Shawn is “introduced” to an audience his father has brought to tears with the poem. How does Shawn react to this situation? How would you feel in Shawn’s place?

10. Chapter 6 independent Questions • How strongly does Shawn feel about his seizures? (please provide text evidence) • How physically damaging can a seizure be? • Shawn states, “Seizure trips are as real to me as sitting in this wheelchair right now, remembering.” What is reality? Is it perception? Can we experience something that isn’t reality? [you may want to use a dictionary]

11. Chapter 6 4. Shawn describes what it's like to have a seizure. • How does he feel about his seizures? • Did this surprise you? • Why or why not? • Have you ever had experience with someone having a seizure?

12. Discussion Question #5 Unable to handle his feeling that Shawn is in great pain during his seizures, Mr. McDaniel is considering the option of euthanasia. - Are Mr. McDaniel’s feelings justifiable? - What is your view about euthanasia? - Is there ever a time that euthanasia is acceptable?

13. Chapter 7 – Mini lesson on Character 1. In chapter seven Shawn talks about his social world (school). How do his insights reveal he’s an adolescent? 2. How does Sydney’s statements during the TV interview contribute further to Shawn’s suspicions (that his father wants to kill him)? 3. This chapter is about school. What is his father’s opinion about school for kids like Shawn? Do you agree or disagree? Why?

14. Discussion #6 Shawn ponders, “I do sometimes wonder what life would be like if people, even one person, knew that I was smart and there’s an actual person hidden inside my useless body. I am here. I’m just sort of stuck in neutral.” What does Shawn mean by being “stuck in neutral”?

15. Chapter 8 1. What “motive” is revealed in the overheard conversation between Shawn’s mom and her friend Connie, that might explain why Sydney would kill Shawn? 2. Shawn and his dad are both double-jointed in their thumbs. What effect does this similarity have on your understanding of Shawn’s dad? How do you think Sydney feels about the similarity?

16. Chapter 9 1. How does Shawn’s out-of-body experiences help him experience something close to a normal life? (Give specific examples from the chapter) 2. How does this particular experience make Shawn feel more strongly than before about the necessity of living? 3. How does the incident with the fly communicate Shawn’s disability in a more vivid sense?

17. Chapter 10 1. Why is Lindy distracted this morning as she feeds Shawn his cereal? 2. Why is Sidney’s new project a particularly sensitive topic? How does Lindy try to explain it to the kids? 3. What insightful perspective does Shawn see in regards to his father’s new project? 4. What does Mom tell Cindy and Paul? Predict: Will they agree or not? Support your answer

18. Chapter 11 • The Alice Ponds Show introduces the topic “Parents who Kill” from a very negative perspective. How does Sydney force them to consider another perspective? What the rationale for killing your child? What is the justification presented in the chapter? • Was your prediction from Chapter 10 correct whether Mom, Cindy and Paul agree or disagree?

19. Chapter 12 1. As Shawn returns from his seizure, the family is discussing what? How do we know? 2. What horrifying event occurs in this chapter? Please relate the entire event.

20. Discussion #7 Shawn’s father loses control of his anger when a crow lands near the porch where Shawn sits. He fears that Shawn cannot always be protected. Do you think the same type of fear is a factor in the severity of the beating Paul gives the two bullies who try to burn Shawn? Is all anger the same? Explain.

21. Chapter 13 • What does Sydney do for Shawn in this chapter? Why is it important for the reader to hear about this event? • Predict the ending (4.6)

22. Chapter 14 1. What happens in the dream? Why is this important?

23. Discussion #8 Reread Shawn’s description of his father. Is his assessment accurate? Would most fathers fit into Shawn’s description to some degree?Explain

24. Chapter 15 1. What is a “respite” worker? 2. What is the tone of this chapter? Why?

25. Chapter 16 1. Is the timing of Shawn’s seizure in the last chapter perfect or at exactly the worst time? Justify your answer.

26. Discussion #9 With his father sitting beside him verbalizing his uncertainty about the quality of Shawn’s life, a seizure hits. Shawn knows he can do nothing-either way he will be soaring. What does he mean by this comment?

27. After Reading Thoughts Do you think the title fits the book? Why do you think the book was written in first person rather than from an outsider’s point-of-view observing the situation that Shawn is in? How is Shawn just like a “normal” teenager? What does he have in common with you? What do you think of Shawn’s father? How would you describe him? What about Shawn’s family? Do you think Shawn’s father was using him for fame? How do you think that story would have worked if Shawn’s parents were not divorced? How might have that changed the family relationship?

28. After Reading Thoughts What roles do Cindy and Paul play in the story? How do you think they were affected by being raised in a family with a sibling like Shawn? Do you think their characters were realistic? Do you think they were important characters? Why? What do you think of Earl Detraux? Do you think he is selfish? Terry Trueman includes a note at the end, saying that his son, Sheehan has a condition similar to Shawn’s. Does knowing this about the author take away or add to the story? Why do you think Trueman wrote this story?

29. After Reading Thoughts Has this book changed your perception of disabled persons? Explain. Did reading this book give you an insight into living with a disability? How?