Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What are some challenges teen mothers face?

Teaching Suggestion: One of the central themes of the novel is The Challenges Faced by Teen Mothers, so exploring this topic before reading can guide students to more fully access the novel. It could be beneficial to make a list of challenges prior to reading, then pause after each section of the novel to compare and update the list based on challenges Jolly faces. It might be important to discuss how every experience is different to avoid stereotypes. This question could expand to a research project continuing throughout the novel.

• The US Department of Health and Human Services Department offers statistical information including maps and graphs on “Trends in Teen Pregnancy and Childbearing.” Readers might compare this information to statistics that were accurate in the novel’s time of publication (1993).
• This resource from Nemours TeensHealth is written for a teenage audience, presents information about pregnancy and beyond, and includes English and Spanish versions in both print and audio forms.