Reading Guide: THE MISFITS by James Howe

This book centers on the topic of name calling and fitting in at a small town middle school. Four students labeled by their peers on a repeated basis take a stand and run for Student Council on a platform of No Name Calling. The characters are all people who kids can relate to, this book is an excellent launch point for the topic of in-school bullying. Reading guide contains 79 questions organized by chapter and opportunities for students to REFLECT and share in small groups along the way on a variety of topics. REFLECT opportunities can be assigned as independent journal entries and help to facilitate discussions in class, and 8 discussion topics, with suggestions for interviews, independent research and large group discussion. Best suited for a middle school audience, alternates between narration/play format with good places for read alouds. It will prompt some excellent discussion around acceptance, difference, and hopefully some solutions to making middle school experience better.