When Lafayette complains that his brother Charlie has changed, Ty’ree insists that they have all changed. What evidence does the novel provide to support this claim? In which direction has each brother moved, and do they overlap at all in their stages of grief? If so, where is this seen in the text?

What role does the character of Aaron play in unifying the brothers in the novel? What does Aaron represent about the past, and what does his removal from Charlie’s life suggest for the future?

Woodson explains that a key inspiration for the book was that she wanted to write a book without any female characters (“Miracle’s Boys.” Jacqueline Woodson). How does the lack of female characters impact the novel? In what ways do the boys display both masculine and feminine traits? How is the memory of their mother used without taking on a full character role, and in what ways does her memory inform the boys’ actions?