Hey, Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt with Family Addiction

Describe each character’s growth as the novel progresses. Consider these questions as you formulate your response:

• How does Leslie grow and change?
• In what ways does Leslie fail to show growth and how does Jarrett respond?
• How do Jarrett’s grandparents exhibit a change in behavior?
• Why is it important that Jarrett’s grandparents are willing to apologize when they have wronged him?
• How does Richard demonstrate change in the novel?
• What are some common reasons the characters experience a change in their behavior?
• Why do some of the characters change less than Jarrett had hoped?

Teaching Suggestion: Before whole-class discussion, it may be beneficial for students to create a written response to the questions using a t-chart to guide and track their thinking. Students may find it helpful to list the characters on one side of the t-chart paired with their growth on the other side.

Differentiation Suggestion: For students with executive functioning or attentional challenges, consider limiting questions to Jarrett’s character growth and perspective (or one other character of their choice). Students may still find it beneficial to use a t-chart to discuss one character’s attributes and growth throughout the novel. Students who are tactile, spatial learners might benefit from marking relevant passages or moments in the text with sticky notes.