Handbook For Boys - Discussion #3

Today, Lindsay, Heather, Sam, and I met for a third time. We used Google Plus Hangouts to discuss pages 97 – 157. For our discussion today, we mainly focused on more life lessons taught by Duke and how they apply to everyday life (no matter the person).

First, we all agreed that everyone can make the same choices in life. Every individual is free to speak however they want to speak and free to act the way they want to act. Obviously there are different outcomes and some individuals may have advantages/disadvantages, but overall, we have the ability to make the same types of choices in life. This led us into talking about the consequences to actions. No matter what choices one makes in life, there are always consequences to actions, both good and bad.

In Duke’s shop, we see all different types of people coming in and out. Some of these people make an impression on Jimmy, especially Dr. Ernie Colfax. Dr. Colfax could have been in the NBA, but instead, he chose to go to medical school and become a doctor. This captures Jimmy’s interest, making him wonder if that was a hard decision. Dr. Colfax explains how  med school was definitely hard, but totally worth it. Duke and Dr. Colfax also get into talking about drugs. One thing we know is that drugs don’t discriminate. As much as one may say they will never do drugs, there is no guarantee that they won’t, and we see this every day. All you can do is make a plan for your life, make smart decisions, and think about what the consequences of your actions may be.

In addition, we got into talking about “good” and “bad” people. Everyone is innately born good, but how they are raised and the people they choose to associate with can definitely have an effect on the way they turn out. It is important to have someone whom you can look up to in your life, someone who wants to help you become successful. Especially during adolescence, this type of guidance and support is key.  In this case, Duke is that role model for Jimmy, whether he likes to admit it or not.

Throughout my reading, I saw Jimmy becoming more open minded and receptive Duke’s life lessons. One thing that made me happy was when Duke took Jimmy to the basketball game. At first Jimmy wanted nothing to do with it, but with a little push from his mother Jimmy went with Duke. To his surprise, he had a great day and was thankful to have shared it with Duke. Even when Kevin called him that night to ask how it was, Jimmy said he had a great time and actually became a little defensive when Kevin was talking poorly about the day.

The more I read, the more I get the idea that Kevin is very self centered and selfish. He only wants to associate himself with people  who have excellent grades and involvement with clubs/organizations. From what I know, he judges from outer appearance and doesn't give other individuals a chance. One thing I don't like is that Kevin has been acting as if he were above Jimmy, when in reality, they both have gotten trouble with the law.

Questions while reading:

• Is Jimmy's dad going to somehow come back into the picture?
• Will the tension increase between Jimmy and Kevin? Or will they just drop it?

Handbook for Boys - Discussion #2

For our second Discussion, Lindsey, Sam, Heather, and I met face to face. I like this better because I feel like it’s more of a personal setting and it’s definitely easier to talk. During our discussion we tried to focus on some of the life lessons Duke teaches Jimmy.

One of the first topics we discussed was: is everybody entitled to the same things? Yes, everybody is entitled to a good life, meals to eat, etc., but we decided that you have to work for it. With the exception of certain situations, most individuals should work for what they want. We agreed that there are too many people today who don’t want to work and expect things to be handed to them, which is not fair to those of us who do work every day.

Another topic we discussed was just sliding by in life and taking the easy way out. The book made several references to how young boys today think they can lay professional sports and become a millionaire just like that. Although this can be possible, professional athletes only make up a small percentage of the population, so the odds are definitely against them. Duke wants Jimmy to think practically. He stresses the importance of staying in school and working hard in order to have a life he can be proud of.

Towards the end of where my group and I stopped reading, Cap and Mr. M get on Jimmy’s case about not being motivated in school and just life in general. Their constant criticism eventually makes Jimmy reach his breaking point and he storms out of the shop.

Predictions for future reading

• Jimmy is going to realize Duke was right and is only trying to help him. Once he has cooled down, he is going to come back to work with a new attitude.

Handbook For Boys - Discussion #1

For our first meeting, Heather, Lindsey, and I decided to discuss Walter Dean Myers Handbook for Boys over Google Plus Hangouts. We read all had up until page 61, but weren’t quite sure how to begin the discussion. We decided for this meeting to mainly just go over the Characters and their personality traits.

Jimmy is the main character. He is a sixteen year old from the Bronx who has gotten himself into a little bit of trouble.  With an assault record, he was given an opportunity to not go to a juvenile detention center if he works for Duke, who is a local barber shop owner. Up until he meets Duke, Jimmy is just going through the motions. He was raised by a single mother and really is a good kid, but just needs guidance and someone who shows that they care.

Then there is Duke, another key character in this book. Duke is a 68 year old widow who owns a small barber shop. He owns more than a shop; it is a place for some of the locals to come every day and spend their time. Duke is more than a business owner. He is a mentor, role model, and passionate about helping others who deserve help.

Some smaller, but frequent characters include Kevin, Cap, and Mr. M.  Kevin is also a student who works in Duke’s shop in exchange for Duke paying for his college tuition. Kevin is a good kid, but his mother had him arrested for marijuana possession.  He seems to be an involved student with good grades, but lacks a little bit of work ethic/time management skills when it comes to working in the shop. Cap and Mr. M are Duke’s longtime friends. Cap is a very opinionated man. Jimmy and Kevin frequently get annoyed/worked-up when Cap decides to comment on the things they do. Currently, we do not know a great deal about Mr. M, but what we do know is that he is a Hispanic immigrant who had also owned a business.

Part of the reason Jimmy has gotten into trouble is because he doesn’t fully know who he is and what he wants out of this life. With the help of Duke, Heather, Lindsey and I look forward to seeing how Jimmy ‘s character develops.

Some questions we thought of after reading/discussion:

• Did Duke go to college?
• Will Jimmy’s father come back into his life?