Reader's Praise

“...a delight to the heart...
I (was) laughing out loud.”
– Don H.

“...a charming memoir...
a masterful job!”
– Judy L.

“I was mesmerized.”
– Tom S.

“Well crafted and entertaining.”
– David E.

“Inspiring!”
– Mikala W.

READER’S DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Part One

  • What are your fondest memories from your childhood?
  • What are a few of the “mischievous” things you did?
  • What hardships did you face?
  • Who in the Alderwood Court Gang were you most like?
  • Do you remember boys and girls like them? (including Sally)
  • Did you have a “woods,” or a special place, where your imagination could soar and you could find adventure?

Part Two

  • What are some of the “pranks” you played at school?
  • Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
  • Do you remember your own school assemblies? Were you in the audience or on the stage?
  • Can you relate to the school environment in the 1950s, as described in this book?

Part Three

  • Who was your favorite TV hero? (or heroine)
  • Who was your favorite movie hero? (or heroine)
  • What was your favorite radio show?
  • How important are heroes or alter egos to kids, in any era?

Part Four

  • What do you remember most about the Lone Ranger and Tonto?
  • What do remember most about Roy Rogers and Dale Evans?
  • When did your family get a TV? (Or, when did you see your first TV show?)
  • Did you ever have a “dream” come true?
  • Did you get an allowance? What did you spend it on?

Part Five

  • Did you have a “sliding hill”?
  • What did you learn about having friends and being part of a team?
  • What was your favorite Halloween costume? (Or, what costume do you remember most?)
  • How do you think you and your friends would have reacted during the Halloween Caper and the Halloween Adventure?

Part Six

  • What did you want to be when you grew up?
  • Did you ever try out an “experiment”?
  • Did you ever do anything dangerous? Or, anything that turned unexpectedly dangerous?
  • What event or change in your life showed you that you were “growing up”?

Part Seven

  • Have you ever revisited the favorite spots of your childhood? How did you feel?
  • What experiences did you have that taught you lessons you have kept with you all of your life? What were the lessons?

Lessons We Learned

  • Which of the lessons Jack and Doug learned do you identify with most?
  • If you could tell current day “makers of mischief” anything, what would you most like to say?
  • Have you filled out your “Dream Card?”
  • Have you given a “Dream Card” to anyone else?

 

Copyright (C) 2007 by John Osborne. All Rights Reserved.