In Robin Roe’s novel, there are many instances where people are insensitive to Julian and his situation. Describe the people who do not support Julian. How do each of these characters have an opportunity to make life easier for Julian, but instead, due to their insensitivities, make his life worse? How does this connect to the theme of Mean Versus Unhappy People?

Teaching Suggestion: This prompt may be daunting for some students because there are so many people in the novel who mistreat Julian. It may be beneficial to first allow students to brainstorm a list of people who hurt Julian; then they might write a sentence or two about each character and what they do that is unkind. Students might follow up by writing a sentence describing how each character could have made life easier for Julian if they had made a different choice.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who benefit from organizational assistance in writing may benefit if the topic is narrowed to one person who is often insensitive to Julian’s situation. The student can then describe how that one person hurts Julian, how they could have instead made things better, and how this relates to the theme of Mean Versus Unhappy People.