07.28.06

Surviving the Applewhites

Posted in Books at 11:04 am by Meg

Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie Tolan has to be the first book on this list.  It is recommended for ages 10 and up, but our group ranged from 8 to 14 and no one had problems with it.

If you aren’t familiar with it, this book is about a middle school troublemaker that is sent to live with an unschooling family and finds himself.  It is very pro-homeschooling (as these things go) even though the author claims to have no connection to homeschooling.

The discussion questions:

• Compare your typical day to a day at Wit’s End?  Would you like to have an education like theirs?  Is the Creative Academy a good example of homeschooling?

• “’What gives you joy?’  …  ‘Once you know that, you will know what you want from an education and you’ll be able to set your own program.’” (p. 123-124) What kind of program will Jake choose?  How might you change your education?

• Why did the author choose to alternate chapters between Jake and E.D. telling the story?

• After the reporter shows up at the Applewhites and discovers the artistic dynasty, E.D. is angry at not being mentioned and feels she is the invisible Applewhite.  (p. 68) Later, “Jake was beginning to feel he was disappearing altogether.”  (p. 85) Why don’t Jake and E.D. feel noticed?  Have you ever felt invisible?

• Have you ever felt like you didn’t belong?

• Would you prefer to be on stage or work behind the scenes on a play?

• There is a discussion about E.D.’s father, Randolph, doing color-blind casting, or as he says rainbow casting, for the play (chapter 17, p. 112-117).  Do you think he was right to cast the best person for the part or should he remain true to the fact that The Sound of Music is based on a true story and there weren’t any black or Asian people in the Von Trapp family?

• Who was your favorite character and why?

• Cordelia has a passion for dance, Archie has a passion for creating furniture, and Randolph has a passion for theater.  What are E.D.’s and Jake’s passions?  What do you have passion for?

• What do you prefer—creativity with some chaos or order and predictability?  Why?

• Why did Jake decide to change his hair back to its original color?

• Does Jake survive the Applewhites?  Why or why not?  Why didn’t he “survive” at other schools?  Why did the Creative Academy work for Jake when all the other schools failed?  How do you think Jake would fare if he went back to a traditional school?

• According to Jake, the students, teachers, and administrators at Traybridge Middle School labeled him a “bad kid.”  Why do people label Jake as bad?  What effect does this label have on Jake?  How can labels affect individuals?

• E.D. says she is the only noncreative member of the Applewhite family.  How does E.D. feel about this?  How does she define creativity?  What are E.D.’s strengths and talents? 

• Describe E.D. and Jake’s relationship.  What, if anything, do the two have in common?  How does their relationship develop over the course of the story?

• “Passion is necessary to all of life.  All of life.  Meditating, working, cooking, eating.  Especially eating!”  (p. 142) —Govindaswami to Jake  - How does Govindaswami define passion?  Why does he feel it is so critical?  What is the opposite of the kind of passion Govindaswami describes?  What effects do passion, or lack of passion, have on your schoolwork, extracurricular activities, or friendships?

• How does Jake feel when Randolph asks him to play the part of Rolf in his production of The Sound of Music?  How does participating in the production change Jake?  Have you ever had an experience that changes the way you think about yourself?

• Do you think that the author had a reason to choose The Sound of Music to be the play that was produced?  What was the point(s) she was trying to make?  Would another play have worked?

• What did you enjoy about this book? Have you read anything that is similar to it?

• At the end of the book, did you want the story to continue?  It you were writing it, what would happen next?

• Was the story and characters credible?  Were there any flaws that you would want to see corrected?

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