Hush

by Jacqueline Woodson

Discussion Guides and Activity Ideas
ABOUT THE BOOK

There's bad news and good news about the Cutter High School swim team. The bad news is that they don't have a pool. The good news is that only one of them can swim anyway.

A group of misfits brought together by T. J. Jones (the J is redundant) to find their places in a school that has no place for them, the Cutter All Night Mermen struggle to carve out their own turf. T. J. is convinced that a varsity letter jacket--unattainable for most, exclusive, revered, the symbol (as far as T. J. is concerned) of all that is screwed up at Cutter High--will be an effective carving tool. He's right. He's also wrong.

Still, it's always the quest that counts. And the bus on which the Mermen travel to swim meets--piloted by Icko, the permanent resident of All, Night Fitness--soon becomes the cocoon inside which they gradually allow themselves to talk, to fit, to bloom.

Chris Crutcher is in top form with a cast of characters--adults, children, and teenagers--fighting for dignity in a world where tragedy and comedy dance side by side, where a moment's inattention can bring lifelong heartache, and where true acceptance is the only prescription for what ails us.

(Greenwillow Press)
 

DISCUSSION STARTERS:

  • What are some of the issues that Whale Talk tackles that are relevant to teens’ lives?

  • In an interview about the book, the author Chris Crutcher said, "Being an outsider means not being heard, not having a voice. It means being treated as a second-class citizen, being diminished in the eyes of others." Do you agree with this statement? How does it relate to the book? Do you know any outsiders?

  • This book, like many others by Chris Crutcher, often hits a raw nerve with his honest use of language and dark situations. Did you like how it was written? Did some parts bother you?

  • What is TJ’s objective for putting the team together? Is he trying to help other students, prove something to himself, or get revenge?

  • What does the book’s title relate to?

  • What does this novel tell us about the abusers and bullies of the world?

  • What role does athletics play in the novel? How does it relate to athletics in your school?

  • What pivotal decisions does TJ make in the novel? How and why are those decisions made?

  • How are families portrayed in the novel?

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES:

  • Look at our Events Calendar to find times & locations of OTSP events.
  • Check out the author Chris Crutcher’s website to learn more about him at http://www.aboutcrutcher.com/ 
  • If you just want to see if you'll like the book, read the first chapter at http://www.harperchildrens.com/catalog/excerpt_xml.asp?isbn=0688180191
  • Get 3 or 4 friends together to read the book. After you’ve all read it, get together at a local coffee shop or restaurant. You can use the discussion questions to talk about the book together, or just read your favorite parts out loud.
  • If you have a parent or other adult in a book club, see if their book club will read the book and host an inter-generational discussion.

 

Other Teen Books about Human Worth & Dignity

6th GRADE & UP:

Stand Tall by Joan Bauer. Tree, a six-foot-three-inch twelve-year-old, copes with his parents' recent divorce and his failure as an athlete by helping his grandfather, a Vietnam vet and recent amputee, and Sophie, a new girl at school.

Who Will Tell My Brother by Marlene Carvell. During his lonely crusade to remove offensive mascots from his high school, a Native American teenager learns more about his heritage, his ancestors, and his place in the world.

Mississippi Trial, 1955 by Chris Crowe. In Mississippi in 1955, a sixteen-year-old finds himself at odds with his grandfather over issues surrounding the kidnapping and murder of a fourteen-year-old African American from Chicago.

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer. In a future where humans despise clones, Matt enjoys special status as the young clone of El Patrón, the 142-year-old leader of a corrupt drug empire nestled between Mexico and the United States.

You Don't Know Me by David Klass. Fourteen-year-old John creates alternative realities in his mind as he tries to deal with his mother's abusive boyfriend, his crush on a beautiful, but shallow classmate and other problems at school.

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. In this story about the perils of popularity, the courage of nonconformity, and the thrill of first love, an eccentric student named Stargirl changes Mica High School forever.

Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman. Fourteen-year-old Shawn McDaniel, who suffers from severe cerebral palsy and cannot function, relates his perceptions of his life, his family, and his condition, especially as he believes his father is planning to kill him.

9th GRADE & UP:

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher. The daily class discussions about the nature of man, the existence of God, abortion, organized religion, suicide and other contemporary issues serve as a backdrop for a high-school senior's attempt to answer a friend's dramatic cry for help.

Breathing Underwater by Alexandra Flinn. Sent to counseling for hitting his girlfriend, Caitlin, and ordered to keep a journal, sixteen-year-old Nick recounts his relationship with Caitlin, examines his controlling behavior and anger, and describes living with his abusive father.

Buddha Boy by Kathe Koja. Justin spends time with Jinsen, the unusual and artistic new student whom the school bullies torment and call Buddha Boy, and ends up making choices that impact Jinsen, himself, and the entire school.

 
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