Chapter 1 Marston Street: Water Booger Bears (pgs 1-15)

~ Read by Principal Mr. Mike Mennel

Discussion Questions

1. TJ and Jasmine's friendship is very evident in this chapter. How do you know they are great friends? What makes their friendship so strong?

2. Explain TJ's "Booger Hypothesis" (that humans are made up of boogers)

3. TJ and Jasmine both tell Ms. Macy that they learned nothing at schools that day. Have you ever said that before? What is a better question adults could ask?

Activity:

Alternate Names - Throughout the book, Jason Reynolds uses creative ways to label and describe common items. His style is fresh and imaginative. Be on the lookout for his innovative wording. E.g. "metal closet" (locker) and "munchie master" (candy lady). Challenge your students to write using his style. They can start by thinking of an activity they enjoy and list the top ten words that come to mind for that activity. Then, they create a short story WITHOUT using any of those common words, instead describing those items in new and creative ways. For example, a story about basketball might include information about bouncing the orange sphere and lobbing it in the hanging net with a swish. ~ or to save time, you can have them create headlines using the same criteria!