New Library of Young Adult Writing

Discussion Starters:

1. Like Mark Twain, the author often uses a combination of down-to-earth regional dialect (“Ain’t nothin’ gonna stop me from it,” “The days passed by like a slug through warm beer,” “all liquored up”) and complex, even lyrical narrative (“Decaying words, wafting from my grandfather’s mouth like dust through sunlight,” “above the schoolhouse shingles, beneath the innocent stars,” “The fireworks took flight over the small pond and winked back at me”). What effect does this “dual” narrative voice have for you as a reader? Do you find the contrast in language funny? Jarring? 2. Fleamont, Oklahoma, is described as “one of the quietest and dullest towns there had ever been.” How important is setting to this story? Would Jim’s “feat” have attracted much attention in a large, busy city?

3. Does the grandfather’s saying, quoted in the first paragraph of the story, have any connection to the plot? Does it have a symbolic meaning? In your opinion, is this a good opening, one that “hooks” the reader into the story, or would you have preferred an opening paragraph that introduced Jim Charlton and focused on his character?

4. Tall tales usually focus on a larger-than-life character (for example, Paul Bunyan) who accomplishes amazing deeds of strength, cleverness, or daring. Would you describe “Prophets” as a modern-day tall tale? Why or why not?

5. Is there any practical benefit gained by Jim’s “battle against the odds?” Is it heroic or pointless? Must a deed have a useful purpose to be great, or is it enough for a hero to scale Mt. Everest, like Sir Edmund Hillary, “because it’s there”?

6. “Mt. Flea was the last time I ever saw Jim try to overcome his weaknesses. Mt. Flea was the first time he failed, and I guess this is what changed him.” Based on the context of the story, would you say that Jim has changed for better or worse? Can failure ever be a positive experience? If so, how?