Fourth Grade Rats

Analyze Jerry Spinelli’s diction. How does his colloquial sentence structure help to create Suds’s unique voice? Explain how this style contributes to the verisimilitude of the story and enhances the reader’s connection to the larger message of the novel.

Analyze the fourth grade rat motif in the novel. Within the context of the story, what does it mean to be a rat? How do different characters react to becoming a rat? Use at least three examples from the text to support your analysis.

Examine the different kinds of peer pressure in the novel. How do Suds’s responses to peer pressure change throughout the novel? How does responding to peer pressure drive the action of the plot? What does the narrative ultimately suggest about conforming to or overcoming peer pressure?