1. How would you assist By in freeing his lips when they become stuck to the "Brown Bomber's" side-view mirror?

2. Why does Mrs. Henry, Kenny's teacher, use Kenny as an example for other students to follow? How does this impact Kenny's friendships with his classmates?

3. What characteristics do you seek in a best friend? Why does Kenny struggle to make friends? What advice would you offer him about forming friendships?

4. In chapter five, By plays with matches again. Momma is intent on following through with her threat to burn By the next time she catches him playing with fire. Joey is frantic, trying to stop her. Is she really going to burn him? What is her actual plan? What does she aim to achieve with her actions? How would you persuade By of the danger of his behavior?

5. Why does By think they are going on welfare when Momma sends him to Mitchell's grocery for food items? Why would he go by himself and sign for food items without Momma's knowledge?

6. By often shows no empathy when he is mean to Kenny and other younger kids, but when he accidentally kills a bird with a cookie, he appears deeply remorseful. This reaction confounds Kenny. Explain By's behavior.

7. In chapter nine, Dad explains to Kenny why By needs to go to Birmingham. Kenny tries to grasp what Dad is saying but finds it difficult. Clarify what Dad is conveying about By, By's environment in Flint, and the significance of staying with Grandma Sands in Birmingham.

8. In chapter thirteen, Kenny disobeys his grandmother and By, nearly drowning in the whirlpool at Collier's Landing. Later, Kenny recounts the steps he took that led to his trouble. List these steps and analyze them. How would they compare to a list you might create if you examined a time when you got yourself into trouble?

9. By is frequently unkind to Kenny, leading readers and Kenny to believe he has gone to the guarded swimming area. Explain By's behavior. Why did he check on Kenny?

10. Later in the novel, Kenny and By discuss the church bombing and the injustice of it. What is your reaction to the questions By asks Kenny: "How's it fair that two grown men could hate Negroes so much that they'd kill some kids just to stop them from going to school? How's it fair that even though the cops down there might know who did it nothing will probably ever happen to those men?"

11. The main theme in this story revolves around relationships, particularly between children and their parents and between siblings. Discuss the relationships between Kenny and his parents, By and his parents, and Kenny and By. Explain how each of these relationships evolves as the story progresses.