One of the central cultural beliefs among the Igbo is that balance is very important in life. How is this belief reflected in the group of young people chosen to battle against Black Hat Otokoto? Consider these points in responding to the question.

• Where do you see evidence in the novel that balance is an important value to the characters?
• How do the personalities and abilities of Sunny, Orlu, Chichi, and Sasha balance and complement one another?
• How does the outcome of their battle against Black Hat Otokoto support the idea that the balance among the group is important?

Teaching Suggestion: The first bulleted question asks students to provide evidence that the characters in this text value balance. Students may tend to focus exclusively on the four friends, so you might want to remind them that other characters also express a preference for balance. You can make this prompt more or less challenging for students by requiring more or less evidence for this first bulleted question.

Differentiation Suggestion: English language learners, students with dyslexia, and those with attentional and executive function differences may find it difficult to sort through the text to find evidence for the first bulleted question above: While they are gathering evidence, these students may benefit from working with a partner or small group.