True Colors Reading Guide: Session 9

 
            In this session we read chapters 24-27. Chapter 24 has Landry feeling left out by Devon and feeling very lost. Write down some of the things Devon does in this chapter that throw Landry off balance. Why do you think this is happening? What’s the motivation behind Devon’s actions?

            Landry goes to Ashanti’s house and there is a section talking about their clothes and hair styles. As they talk about these things, Landry thinks to herself about past comments that have left her with insecurities. I mentioned before to pay attention to how color is used in the story. What do you notice here about the way it’s mentioned in sweaters in the story?

            In chapter 26 Landry mentions she had to ask the janitor for help when someone stuck gum in her locker. Throughout the book she has had some people intimidating her or being mean to her whether it’s girls talking loudly about her so she can hear the rude things they’re saying or someone trying to trip her. It’s not the outright kind of bullying where someone gets physically hurt, but it’s the beneath the surface bullying that still hurts and that adults often miss because it is more subtle. Sometimes the adults question if something is going on, but often times the person that it’s happening to doesn’t want to make a big deal out of it. Maybe the person going through it worries it will get even worse if they speak up. Sometimes they might be in denial about it and not wanting to admit that it’s happening by someone they consider a friend. Have you ever been in a situation like this or witnessed something like it? How did it make you feel and what did you do? How would you handle it if you saw it happening to someone else?

            Landry is feeling overwhelmed and she’s walking on eggshells trying to keep all her friends happy. She ends up having Ashanti, Devon, and Peyton over, but things don’t go as planned and it gets tense.

            Those BFF bracelets Devon and Landry have keep coming up. What started as a symbol of Landry belonging and fitting in somewhere is now creating different feelings. How does Landry describe the bracelet in chapter 27? What do you make of the bracelet situation?

            At the end of chapter 27 we see everything overwhelming Landry. Even her lunch and the weather aren’t going her way! In literature classes they call that, “pathetic fallacy.” List some of the ways Landry is being overwhelmed and what you think would help her situation.

Behind the scenes: Even though years have passed since I went through friend drama, reading through these scenes still gets to me! It’s like middle school was yesterday. One of the things I’ve learned since those days is that hurting people hurt people. Read that again. Yup, hard to believe, but the reason people lash out are because they’ve been hurt themselves. If you had told me that back then I wouldn’t have believed it, but now I can see it. It takes some time, but you can actually feel sorry for the very people causing you pain once you realize there’s a reason for the way they act. You’ll see more of that in the next session and in the next book in the series.

I hope as you read these scenes that you’ll pay attention to if things like this are happening to you or a friend. Maybe you might even see yourself doing some of these things without realizing it. The important thing to note is there is a reason behind why people act a certain way, so pay attention to things the girls are dealing with along the way to see if you can tell why they might be acting a certain way.  

            Read chapters 28-31 as we’re finishing book one up this time! The previous sessions can be found here: www.krystenlindsay.com/teacherparentbook-club-guide.html        
            

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