Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. How does experiencing violence affect a child? How can we help children?

Teaching Suggestion: Castle and his mother run and hide in the middle of the night as his father shoots at them. This event shapes parts of Castle for years. The scene could be difficult for students; some may have experienced domestic abuse in some way. Providing a safe place to talk about it, the effects, and ways to get help might be a helpful part of introducing this novel. It can also help prepare students to read this book and see the lasting effects of that night on Castle. Learning about some ways people face trauma could be a chance to connect those ideas to Castle and the theme of Overcoming a Traumatic Childhood. Depending on your class, the resources here could be teacher-facing, or excerpts could be given to students.

• “Cincinnati Students Get Violence Prevention Lessons to End Relationship Abuse” discusses a curriculum and how it is helping young people.
• “How Domestic Violence in One Home Affects Every Child in a Class” from NPR includes a written and audio interview with a school counselor exploring the effects of domestic violence and some ways to help children cope.