Compare and contrast Owen’s and Russell’s groups of friends. How are the thoughts and actions of the groups similar and different, and what do these similarities and differences say about the universal experiences of middle school? Overall, are the groups more alike or unalike, and why? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

Analyze how Owen’s and Russell’s identities change over the course of the book. What aspects make up who each boy is at the story’s outset? Which of these aspects remain or have been discarded by the end of the book, and what do the changes say about how each character has grown? What critical moments shift how the boys view themselves? What does each of these moments offer them that they didn’t previously have, and how do their actions in these moments influence one another?

In Chapter 8, Russell equates jump shots to the egg problem from Masters of the Mind. Discuss how this collision of Russell’s worlds contributes to his character arc and identity struggles. What overarching messages does this moment offer about The Effects of Peer Pressure on how different activities are viewed—specifically why