Book Talk January 2008

For those who love books, “Mayor’s Book Talk” has something for everyone. Join Mayor Pam Iorio as she examines today’s literary environment.

View Guest Author | View Kids Book Description | View Kids Book Discussion Questions

January's Guest Author is Dorothy Weik Smiljanich

Dorothy Weik Smiljanich is a journalist who has worked for Florida newspapers, including the Gainesville Sun, the Clearwater Sun, the St. Petersburg Times and, most recently, the Tampa Tribune, where she was Travel Editor. She has been a film and theater critic and an award-winning features editor. Her work also has appeared in other newspapers, including The New York Times, and in magazines, including Coastal Living. She has a B.A. and M.A. in English from the University of Florida in Gainesville and taught there, as well as at the University of South Florida in Tampa and at St. Petersburg Junior College in St. Petersburg. Born in Camden, N.J., she grew up in Clearwater and lives there now.

January's Discussion Group Book: Friendship According to Humphrey by: Betty G. Birney Betty Birney graduated from Webster College (now Webster University) in Webster Groves, Missouri with a major in English. After working in advertising for several years, she eventually moved to Southern California where she has written more than 200 episodes of animated and live-action television programs. She has also written a number of award-winning after school specials, made-for-television movies and many interactive CD-ROM programs. She has received a Writer's Guild of America Award and three Humanitas Prizes for her writing. In 2002, she won a Daytime Emmy Award for MADELINE. More recently, she received the Christopher Award for FRIENDSHIP ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY, many children's choice awards for THE WORLD ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY and was inducted into the Affton (MO) School District Hall of Fame.

Discussion Questions for At-Home Participation.

Humphrey, the problem-solving hamster, has a big problem of his own in this sequel to THE WORLD ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY when he must cope with his own jealousy over the new classroom pet, a frog.

HUMPHREY AND OG

1. Why does Humphrey feel jealous about Og’s appearance in the classroom? Think of three reasons why he would feel jealous.
2. Have you ever been jealous of a friend or family member before? What made you feel jealous? Were you able to get over those feelings of jealousy? If so,
what helped you?
3. Humphrey feels that Og does not want to be friends. Why does he think that? Is it true?
4. Have you ever formed an opinion about a classmate and then later found out you were wrong?

MEAN MARTIN BEAN

5. Mean Martin Bean is the school bully in FRIENDSHIP ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY. Humphrey helps put him in his place. Later, what adult helps
Martin learn to be friendlier to the other students? How does he do that?
6. The children who rode the bus with A.J. and Garth were all afraid of Martin Bean. If Humphrey had not helped them, name three other things they could
have done to deal with Martin’s bad behavior.
7. Have you ever had an experience with a bully or seen someone else have one? How did you or the other person handle it?
8. Why do you think someone becomes a bully? Name at least three reasons a person might act like a bully.
9. Do you ride the bus to school? What kind of problems have you run into on the bus? What would it feel like to be a bus driver? What kind of problems
might you have?

CRABBY ABBY

10. Miranda’s step-sister, Abby, seems extremely mean when Humphrey first meets her. But by the end of his visit, she seems nice. Why was Abby crabby
in the beginning? What changed her?
11. Many children live in families with step-sisters, step-brothers, half-sisters and half-brothers. If you live have step-siblings, how did it feel when you first met
them? Did you learn to get along over time? What helped you get to know them better?
12. Miranda and Abby try to stay awake all night by telling each other scary story.  JUST FOR FUN: Do you have a favorite ghost story?

WHEN FRIENDSHIPS GO WRONG
13. Humphrey becomes very upset when best friends Heidi and Gail stop speaking to one another. Have you and your best friend ever had a big argument? How did you feel?  Were you able to make up and become friends again? If yes, what steps did you take to make up? If no, what could you or the other person have done?What did you learn from that experience?

THE NEW KID
14.  Tabitha is the new kid in Room 26 and she has a hard time making friends until Humphrey lends a helping paw.  Have you ever changed schools and been “the new kid?” How did you feel on your first day of school? How long did it take for you to make a friend? Did other students try to make friends with you? What did you do to make friends?
15.  Why did Tabitha hang on to her toy bear, Smiley, even though the other kids felt she was odd? What did Humphrey do to help her reach out and make
friends?
16.  How did Seth end up being Tabitha’s first friend? Humphrey is surprised that boys and girls can be best friends. If you’re a boy, have you ever had a close
friend that was a girl? If you’re a girl, have you had a close friend that was a boy? Do you believe boys and girls can be good friends? If a boy and girl are friends, do their friends some times tease them or give them a hard time? Why do you think this is?
17. Do you have a favorite stuffed animal? ART SMART: Draw a picture of your favorite stuffed toy, either something you still have or were attached to when
you were younger.

RHYME TIME
Poetry doesn’t have to rhyme, but Mrs. Brisbane’s assignment to the class was to write a poem six lines long with rhyming words.

18. Many students wrote poems about Og because his name was easy to rhyme. Make a list of how many words you can think of that rhyme with Og.
19. None of the students could think of a word to rhyme with “Humphrey.” But Mandy Payne realized that her name rhymed with “candy cane.” Take your
first or last name and see if you can find a word that rhymes with it.

ALL ABOUT FROGS
Og is a common green frog, but there are many types of frogs. Some live only in water. Some live on land near the water. Some, like Og, live in both.
20. Have you ever had a pet frog? What kind of frog was it?