Boy21

Preface-Chapter 8

Reading Check

1. That “you can lose yourself in repetition—quiet your thoughts” (Preface)

2. “‘Just do your best. Remember it’s a long race and you can always outwork talent in the end.’” (Chapter 1)

3. Finley’s girlfriend, fellow basketball athlete, and his one true friend (Chapters 3-7)

4. If the team has more “white” or “black” players (Chapter 6)

5. Russell Allen (aka “Russ Washington”) (Chapter 6)

6. Jesus (Chapter 8)

Short Answer

1. Finley pretends that his childhood was mainly spent shooting hoops in his backyard. Occasionally, his dad plays with him and his Pop comes out to watch him. Later, his neighbor Erin plays with him too. (Preface)

2. Finley’s nickname is “White Rabbit.” In addition to being a part of the white minority at his school, as well as resembling the rapper Eminem’s character in the movie 8 Mile, the main reason his peers call him this nickname is because his story resembles that of a white basketball player from a book his class read in school. (Chapter 2)

3. Rod is Erin’s brother. He is feared by their community for being violent and aggressive. The community understands that Finley and Erin are under Rod’s protection after Rod beat up a boy who sexually assaulted Erin. This protection allows the couple to play basketball freely at the playground. (Chapter 4)

4. Coach reveals that a new student, under the alias of “Russ Washington” will be joining Finley’s school this year. Russ is an exceptional basketball player; however, Coach does not know if he will be ready to play as he is dealing with the loss of his parents. Coach tells Finley this secret because he wants Finley to befriend Russ. (Chapter 6)

5. From Boy21’s photos, Finley assumes that his family had money, and that he is a “good kid.” He notes that Boy21 was the only black player on his previous basketball team, and that he wears the number 21 jersey, which is the same number as Finley’s. (Chapter 8)

Chapters 9-17

Reading Check

1. Kobe Bryant (Chapter 9)

2. The Irish mob (Chapter 9)

3. “A calming presence” (Chapter 10)

4. Russ Washington / “Black Rabbit” (Chapters 11-12)

5. A vanilla cupcake (Chapter 17)

Short Answer

1. Boy21 introduces himself as a prototype who has come to Earth in order to collect data and information on emotions in humans. He will only be on Earth for a few more months. Finley does not say anything and instead stares blankly at him. (Chapter 9)

2. Finley feels empathy and worry for Boy21’s present condition and traumatic past, but he is also concerned for himself since he will lose his starting place on the team if Boy21 plays basketball this season. By helping Boy21 acclimate at school, Finley could be inadvertently helping Boy21 do well on the team, but if he does not help him, Finley will be disobeying Coach. (Chapter 10)

3. Coach has made sure that Russ is in all of Finley’s classes, that his locker is located next to Finley’s, and that they go to and from school together. Additionally, he has spoken to Rod about Russ receiving protection in Bellmont. Finley believes this reveals how powerful Coach is in the community, since their basketball team generally does so well. (Chapter 12)

4. Finley and his Advanced Placement Physics class take a field trip to Philadelphia to see an IMAX movie about outer space. During the film, Russ gets upset and quickly leaves the auditorium. Finley asks Russ what happened, and Russ says he does not want to talk about it. (Chapter 15)

5. Russ/Boy21 recalls that for his 15th birthday, his father took him on a surprise trip to see the Discovery space shuttle in Florida. He describes the image of the shuttle launch into space. It was the “best day of my life,” he recalls. Now Finley understands why he was upset at the IMAX field trip. (Chapter 17)

Chapters 18-25

Reading Check

1. That Russ gets a physical and attends the upcoming basketball team meeting (Chapter 18)

2. People usually sit segregated with “the people they look the most like” (Chapter 19).

3. Pop’s deceased wife’s rosary beads (Chapter 20)

4. Secrets (Chapter 20)

5. Harry Potter (Chapter 21)

6. The role of team captain (Chapter 21)

Short Answer

1. Every year, Finley and Erin break up during the basketball season; this is because Finley finds her too much of a distraction when he needs to focus on his game. Unlike in previous years, Erin wants to stay in a relationship during the season. (Chapter 19)

2. For the first practice, all of the previous players show up; however, Coach, unlike his usual self, is late. Finley’s suspicions as to why Coach is late are confirmed when he sees Coach entering practice with Russ. Finley decides to ignore this development and focus on his own game. (Chapter 21)

3. Russ reveals that he did poorly during practice on purpose because he did not want to take Finley’s position away from him. Finley decides that if he is going to lose his position, then he should lose it fair and square through competition. (Chapter 21)

4. Finley, Russ, and Wes watch a Harry Potter movie together and listen to music. They decide to form a Harry Potter book club as well. Finley is happy to find a sense of belonging in a group outside of basketball. (Chapter 22)

5. Russ asks Finley if he can use his extraterrestrial powers in the game. Finley is tired of the outer space talk and doesn’t respond. (Chapter 25)

Chapters 26-32

Reading Check

1. Because Finley changed his number as well (Chapter 26)

2. Character (Chapter 27)

3. That he will no longer go by Russ and instead will be called Boy21 (Chapter 28)

4. Because she was hit by a car (Chapter 29)

5. Because Finley’s dad gives him $20 for the cab home (Chapter 32)

Short Answer

1. Finley feels embarrassed that he is unable to make any of his shots. After being benched, he realizes this is not how he imagined the game against Pennsville would go. He struggles with the fact that despite his hard work, he is outshined by Russ (Chapter 26).

2. Prior to the Pennsville game, Russ would follow Finley and Erin around silently, with many peers ignoring him. After the Pennsville game, Finley feels invisible, while Russ receives all the attention at school. (Chapters 1-28)

3. Boy21 plays a CD that he and his dad used to listen to together for Wes and Finley. The boys pretend they are in outer space, as they listen to avant-garde music. While Wes is very concerned about Boy21, Finley thinks the music is interesting, noting that “the whole record is about black culture and about how it might thrive more easily in the cosmos.” (Chapter 28)

4. Pop suggests that Erin was hit on purpose by someone who wanted to get back at Rod. Finley is shocked by the news, but Coach and Dad neither confirm nor deny this suspicion, making it plausible. (Chapter 30)

5. He leaves during the first quarter of the game to go to the hospital and see Erin. By leaving the game after it already started, Finley is essentially quitting the team. (Chapter 32)

Chapters 33-40

Reading Check

1. To buy flowers for Erin (Chapter 33)

2. By making Finley a “galaxy” in his room (Chapter 33)

3. Her house is put up for sale and all the items are removed. (Chapter 34)

4. Waiting for Erin to contact him (Chapter 36)

5. Belmont loses. (Chapter 38)

6. Because compared to the cosmos, he feels like his problems are small (Chapter 38)

Short Answer

1. They are informed that Erin does not want any visitors today except for her family. Finley sends a note through to her, and Mrs. Quinn comes back with a note saying that Erin does not want to see Finley anymore and that he should not have missed his game for her. (Chapter 33)

2. Finley visits the bar so he can speak to Rod and try to find out Erin’s whereabouts. A man named Lewis tells him to call his father to pick him up and leave immediately. When Dad shows up, Lewis informs Dad that he will owe him a favor in the future for protecting Finley. (Chapter 34)

3. Russ has stopped referring to himself as Boy21, and he is now playing basketball full-time. He has accepted a scholarship to play for Duke University. Finley believes these changes are because he is playing basketball again. (Chapter 37)

4. Russ takes Finley on a surprise stargazing trip in a rural location outside of Bellmont. The boys confide in each other about their parents’ deaths and reflect on the magnitude of their meeting. (Chapter 38)

5. Dad gives Finley a coded letter from Erin, who says she is in New Hampshire, along with a train ticket. Erin invites him to come live with her in New Hampshire, where they can build a new life together; however, this means he will never be able to return to Bellmont again. Dad and Pop encourage him to leave, and take him to the train station. Dad gives him $500 and Pop gives him his rosary beads. After an emotional farewell, Finley is hopeful about his future with Erin. (Chapter 40)