Mayor's Book Talk

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

May's Guest Author is Jack Espinosa
	Ybor City native Jack Espinosa shares with Mayor Iorio some of the stories from his new book Cuban Bread Crumbs. Espinosa, the former spokesperson for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, is known throughout the Tampa Bay area for his comedic wit and his insights into Tampa’s treasured past.

May's Discussion Group Book: Stormbreaker by: Anthony Horowitz Anthony Horowitz has been writing since the age of eight, and professionally since twenty. He writes in a comfortable shed in his garden for up to ten hours per day.  Stormbreaker, the first in the series of seven popular Alex Rider books, is about an ordinary fourteen-year-old boy who lives with his Uncle Ian, a successful banker. But Alex’s world is turned upside down when, after his uncle's death, he discovers that Ian was actually a spy working for MI6 and now he is forced into the unseemly world of espionage.   His mission - to investigate special computers called Stormbreakers that have been donated to every school in the country.

Discussion Questions for At-Home Participation.

1.  Alex’s teacher asks, ‘So what is it that makes us who we are? What is it that defines us? Is it where we live? Is it our schooling? Or is it our family?’ Why is this significant? What light does it shed on the story? Why is it so important to many people to find out what makes us the way we are? What do you believe is the answer? How does our family affect this?

2. What has made Alex the way he is? How is he suited for work as a spy? Why? What motivates him to become a spy?

3. What do you think Ian Rider’s motivation is for being a spy and being away from Alex for so long? How is Alex affected by his uncle’s prolonged absences? What are the consequences of work consuming someone’s life in this way?

4. How does Alex feel when he finds out that his uncle was a spy and so lied to him for years? How does this affect the way he thinks and feels about his uncle? How would you have felt?

5. How does Stormbreaker portray the world of espionage and spying? Is it a positive or a negative portrayal? Was it portrayed the way you expected it to be? Why/why not? Which aspects of it do you think are realistic? How helpful do you think such portrayals are for children?

6. Alex is a vulnerable character. He doesn’t enjoy very much his adventures, he’s manipulated, and he’s lied to. I think that makes him very much in tune with how modern kids feel – the sense of having no control, of being told what to do all the time’ said author Anthony Horowitz. Do you think Horowitz is right in his assessment of many of today’s teenagers? Have you ever experienced this before? How does the feeling of being controlled and ordered around affect them? How is this portrayed through the character of Alex? What are the implications if Horowitz is right?

7. What is Darrius Sayle’s motivation for his actions? Do you understand his motivation? What does this say about the effect of bullying on people, both short and long term?

8. You’re never too young to die,’ said Darrius Sayle. What does this quote say about mortality and the nature of human life? How might this statement change the way we live our lives?

9. How do you think Alex feels on meeting his uncle’s killer Yassen? Why does Yassen save Alex’s life? How does this affect Alex?

10. Do you think Alex is telling the truth when he says he is not a spy anymore? Why/why not?