Discussion Report, Group __________________ Reporter:__________________________

Others participating:
 
 
 

(Circle the number(s) of the question(s) your group chose)

1. How is Ragged Dick similar to/different from Tom Brown's School Days?

2. How is Dick himself made both likeable and exemplary? What about other characters?

3. How is Ragged Dick similar to/different from Hans Brinker?

4. This book explicitly addresses two different groups of boys, those whose lives are like Frank's and those whose lives are similar to Dick's. What does it try to teach each group, not only in terms of values but also in terms of life skills? Does it still address both groups?

5. How is Ragged Dick similar to/different from Alice in Wonderland? (This is the most difficult of the comparison questions, but be ingenious.)

6. What is realistic about Ragged Dick? What is romantic?

7. (Opinion question: for all groups that have time for it) Your edition tells you about Alger's life. Does this knowledge affect the value of the book? In general, if the lifestyle of an author was problematic, is that fact especially relevant in the case of books for children, or no more so than in the case of books for adults? Why? (Related question: is it necessary to discuss the life of the author in presenting books to children?)