Friday, January 17, 2014

Week Two: Leaving Atlanta

Hello Bookies!!!

Well, all I can say is The Direction Opposite of Home was truly a jaw dropping ending!! I really couldn't imagine Rodney would do that, did you?

Ok so lets dive in to week two's discussion!!

1. One of the most powerful moments in the novel comes at the end of the second section. Do you think that Rodney Green purposely puts himself into the killer’s hands?

2. What do you think is the best way to explain tragedy to young
people?

3. Now that you know how the second section ended, do you think the letter Rodney wrote could cause issue regarding his disappearance?

4. Towards the end of the section Rodney's father found out that not only he was stealing, but hanging with the wrong crowd. Do you think Mr. Green should have allowed Rodney to explain what happened before he embarrassed him in front of his peers?

5. Discuss a time in your childhood where you were embarrased in the way Rodney was embarrassed. If not, do you recall ever seeing someone knew endure a public scolding from their parent.

Til next post,

Natty Luv

P.s. Please remember to keep comments respectful!

5 comments:

  1. 1. I think Rodney did put himself in harms way. At the end of the book it sated that Rodney ran his fingers across the metal and it was smooth as chocolate and fake as a glass eye. Could he have known that it was the killer? no, but he knew this person was not a Police Officer and he still jumped in the car.

    2. I think the best way to to be honest with them. Kids will find out anyway, so it is best to tell them and provided correct information. I do recommend making the conversation fit their age. What you tell a 10 year old is not the same thing you tell a 6 year old. Gear the conversation for the appropriate age group.

    3. The letter that Rodney wrote to Octavia earlier in the section was the first thing that came to my mind when he jumped in the strangers car. This can be a big issue if the letter is found. Mr. Green could possibly be the person of interest for his disappearance.

    4. "Spare the rod, spoil the child" Mr. Green definitely did use the rod, however I think he should have had a conversation with his son before he embarrassed him in front of this classmates. This possibly would've stopped Rodney from running away with the stranger. I understand teaching him a lesson, however I think the lesson was done in haste and not thought out! Mr. Harrell should had stepped in and not allow that to happen. My view has change for Mr. Harrell after that.

    5. The first time I was really embarrassed was when I left church service early to get ahead of the crowd. My mom's friend saw me leave and head to the parking lot. Me and my friends would typically leave right before the benediction and chill by the car. My mom saw me and yelled my name and asked me to come to her. I obeyed not thinking about what was waiting for me. I was immediately hit and got a royal whooping. I hollered like a hit dog! My friends could not believe their eyes. I was so embarrassed smh She told me who told her I left church. I tried to explain to her, just like Rodney did but she didn't want to hear it.

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    1. 2.My point of view about Mr Harrell changed earlier in the story. I felt as if he treated Rodney differently. I remember Rodney stating that Mr Harrell would give him a hard time. Rodney seemed like a good kids at school; that's why its hard for me to understand why he was given a hard time from the adults.

      4. I think Mr Green should have talked to his son; especially since he found out that he was stealing. Mr Green knew that his son never stole before; so he should have known something was going on with him. Sometimes adults are quick to ignore the root of children's action. But if some adults pay close attention to their behavior pattern and talk to them more; some problems can be resolved before they are escalated.

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    2. Ashanti,

      I really couldn't believe that he allow such a beating to happen in his class room! I would have at least thought he would tell Mr. Green that he understands his frustration but to deal with scolding Rodney at home. It's like Mr. Harrell didn't like Rodney for no reason at all. Mr. Green should know his son well enough to not jump to conclusion and to speak with him to see what was going on and why he was hanging with the wrong crowd before beating him in class, but parents sometimes do not listen very well or do not take the time to listen. They just punish now, ask later lol

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    3. The story is so sad, because the entire situation with Rodney could have been prevented. Rodney just wanted to be accepted and loved. I knew that his dad loved him, but only showed tough love. Sometimes kids need to hear that they are loved. It seemed that in Rodney's family more favoritism was showed towards his sister; which made him feel like the outcast of the family.

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  2. 1. One of the most powerful moments in the novel comes at the end of the second section. Do you think that Rodney Green purposely puts himself into the killer’s hands?
    I believe that Rodney knew that there was a possibility that he would get kidnapped. Rodney felt that his life was worthless, and he didn't care at that point. I don't think that Rodney wasn't thinking straight when he got in the van, but he did know the driver wasn't a cop.

    2. What do you think is the best way to explain tragedy to young
    people? By answering this question I can only answer it by the emotions that I felt when dealing with a tragedy at a young age. Curiosity can play a big factor when dealing with tragedy at a young age. Kids tend to be more curious in regards to the situation and scared as well. The reason as to why they are scared would be, because they don't know as to why or how the tragedy may have occurred.


    3. Now that you know how the second section ended, do you think the letter Rodney wrote could cause issue regarding his disappearance? Yes, I wished that Rodney would have never wrote that letter. Rodney's father would never do anything to hurt him; he just shows tough love that Rodney doesn't understand at this point. Writing that letter is going to cause suspicion within the adult community.

    4. Towards the end of the section Rodney's father found out that not only he was stealing, but hanging with the wrong crowd. Do you think Mr. Green should have allowed Rodney to explain what happened before he embarrassed him in front of his peers? Sometimes you have to embarrass kids in order for them to get the point. In this day in age, parents are not allowed to publicly whoop their kids. I think his dad should have waited until he got home. Rodney was already having a rough time in school with the kids anyway.

    5. Discuss a time in your childhood where you were embarrased in the way Rodney was embarrassed. If not, do you recall ever seeing someone knew endure a public scolding from their parent. My parents never embarrassed me the way that Rodney's dad embarrassed him. I can remember this one kid's mom in my class; she whooped him in the boy's restroom.

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