One thing the students on the thirtieth floor are constantly learning is how to make good choices. When is it okay to talk in class, and when should you listen? Is it ever okay to pull your classmate's pigtails? Is it worth it to sell your toes if you're not using them? What do you do when you accidentally turn your teacher into an apple? Sideways Stories explores these and other head-scratching dilemmas, and how kids learn about their choices along the way.
Questions About Choices
- Todd always gets in trouble for talking in class—sometimes it's for good reasons, and sometimes it's not. What does his story tell you about making choices?
- Paul spends most of his own story trying not to give in to temptation and pull Leslie's pigtails. He makes up his mind not to do it, but his arm has a different idea. Do you think he made a conscious or unconscious choice?
- Leslie makes up her mind to sell her toes. Do you think this is a wise choice? What's Louis's strategy for convincing her not to do it?
- Joy decides to steal Dameon's lunch, and doesn't exactly tell the truth. What does she learn from her choice?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
A few of the kids at Wayside School consistently make bad choices, like Kathy and Terrence, but they don't always learn from their mistakes.
Nancy and Mac decide to switch names, which turns out to be a positive choice for both of them.