Take-Home Questions for

TVFS
By: Josh Bryant

Why do you think the author chose to have Ms. Olinski

paralyzed? How would you feel about having a teacher with a
disability? Would it impact the class?

I think the author chose to have Ms. Olinski paralyzed

because I think one of the themes of the book is about
understanding that it is okay to be different. Ms. Olinski is different
from the students and other teachers because she was in a car
accident and lost the ability to use her legs. She cant stand up or
write high on the board or walk around to help her students. The
author chose to make her a paraplegic so her students and the
reader would have empathy for her and accept her even though
she is different just like Noah, Ethan, and Nadia accepted Julian
even though he was like no one else they had ever met before.

If I had a teacher who had a disability, I would not treat him

or her any differently. I would feel eager to help my teacher with
anything he or she needed. I would also be more inclined to think
about the challenges that the teacher has to deal with so I could
be more understanding and accepting. If one of my teachers had
a disability I think it would affect the class because there might be
certain things the teacher couldnt do that the students would
have to adapt to and do themselves. It would also impact the
class because some students might laugh or make rude
comments like when Hamilton Knapp said, Excuse me, Ms.
Olinski, but I cant see what youve written. Could you write a little
higher on the blackboard please?

How do you feel about characters like Hamilton Knapp? Why

did the author put a character like this in her novel?

The author put a character like Hamilton Knapp in her novel

because his character made the book interesting and created
conflict with other students like Julian. Also, I think that every
good novel has characters that the reader is supposed to like and
dislike. The author wanted us to dislike Hamilton because he's a
bully and he chased and tackled Julian when he got off the bus.
He even wrote I am a *** on Julians backpack in permanent
marker. Julian didnt do anything to deserve this so it forced the
reader to dislike Hamilton Knapp. It also made the reader have
sympathy for Julian. Even though I dont like Hamilton Knapp, I
think his character is important to the story because it makes it
more interesting and suspenseful.