Fourth Grade Rats

Analyze the fourth grade rat motif in the novel. Within the context of the story, what does it mean to be a rat? How do different characters react to becoming a rat? Use at least three examples from the text to support your analysis.

Examine the different kinds of peer pressure in the novel. How do Suds’s responses to peer pressure change throughout the novel? How does responding to peer pressure drive the action of the plot? What does the narrative ultimately suggest about conforming to or overcoming peer pressure?

Many of Jerry Spinelli’s novels feature protagonists who find themselves “outside” of society in one sense or another. How is Suds excluded from the upper echelons of school society? How does he ultimately learn to navigate his understanding of himself and his place in his society?

How is becoming a “fourth grade rat” a ritual for transitioning into a new stage of life? Connect your analysis to one of the novel’s themes and use specific examples from the text to support your response.

Consider the role of Suds’s mom and Mrs. Peterson. In what ways do these characters aid their sons’ growth? How do their roles suggest the importance of supportive familial bonds upon the transition into preadolescence?

Analyze how Suds’s understanding of adulthood evolves throughout the novel. How does Suds gather information about what it means to be a man? What models of manhood are available to him, and what does he ultimately learn?

Spinelli often uses action and dialogue to convey character development and important thematic moments. How does this stylistic choice work to enhance the relatability of the novel’s themes or characters?

Consider the actions of at least two different characters and analyze how modelled behavior can impact young people’s understanding of the process of maturing.