Chapter 1:
1. How is Starr different from her peers at the party?
2. Why did Khalil quit the store and start being “busy”?
- Starr lives in a poor neighborhood but attends a wealthy private school, which makes her feel like she doesn’t fully belong in either world. unlike her carefree peers at a party.
- Khalil’s family was struggling.
- His grandmother was sick
- his mother had addiction issues.
- He quit his job at the store because it didn’t pay enough
- Turned to drug dealing as a faster way to make money.
Chapter 2-3:
1. What two talks did Starr’s parents have with her when she turned 12?
2. What happens to Khalil
3. What happened to Natasha 6 years ago?
4. Why doesn’t Seven leave his mom’s house?
- Why is Starr afraid to speak up about what happened to Khalil?
- Why doesn’t Starr tell her father about Chris?
- “the birds and the bees” talk
- a talk about what to do if she encounters the police, - teaching her how to stay safe.
- Khalil is shot and killed by a police officer during a traffic stop
- even though he was unarmed.
- Natasha, Starr’s childhood friend
- was killed in a drive-by shooting while they were playing outside.
- Seven stays to protect his younger siblings from their abusive father, King.
- She is afraid of backlash from the police and gangs and is concerned about its impact on her family and friendships.
- Starr is nervous because Chris is white, and her father has strong opinions about interracial relationships.
Chapter 4:
- What do you think justice would look like in this case?
2. Why are Starr’s father and uncle always at odds?
3. How did Starr get her name?
4. What does Starr mean by “people like us in situations like this become hashtags, but they rarely get justice”?
- Justice would be the officer held accountable and change to stop this from happening again.
- Starr’s father, Maverick, prioritizes independence and doesn’t trust the police
- her uncle Carlos, a cop, represents the system Maverick dislikes.
- Maverick tells Starr she was born soon after his cousin died during a drug deal.
- Starr was a light during a dark time, so he named her Starr.
- Black victims like Khalil are remembered online but rarely get real justice.
Chapter 5
1. How is Starr’s school environment different from her neighbourhood.*
2. Who is “Williamson Starr”? How is she different?
3. Who was Emmet Till
4. Why hasn’t Starr told about Natasha? Should She? She doesn’t want him to look at her diffrently.
5. How did Khalil make sense of his mom’s crack addiction when he was little?
- Do you think Brenda has a right to grieve for her son?
- Starr’s school is rich and mostly white
- her neighborhood is poor and mostly Black.
- “Williamson Starr” is the version of herself she acts out at school to fit in and not seem “too Black.”
- Emmett Till was a Black teenager killed in 1955 for allegedly whistling at a white woman.
- Starr hasn’t told Chris about Natasha because she’s scared he’ll see her differently. She should tell him when she’s ready.
- Khalil thought his mom loved drugs more than him, which hurt him.
- Yes, Brenda has the right to grieve because she loved her son, even with her mistakes.
Chapter 6-7:
1. Why do you think it is so important to Starr to never appear “ghetto” around white people?
2. How does Starr feel around police?
3. What do the questions the police ask indicate about their intentions?
4. How has witnessing Khalil’s killing affected the way Starr feels around Chris and her friends at Williamson?
- Starr avoids appearing “ghetto” around white people to escape stereotypes and judgment, fearing they won’t take her seriously.
- Starr feels scared and nervous around police.
- After Khalil’s death, she sees them as a threat and feels like they don’t always treat people like her fairly.
- The police’s questions focus more on Khalil’s actions than on the officer’s
- showing they might be trying to find a reason to excuse the shooting instead of focusing on justice.
4.
- Starr feels distant from Chris and her friends because they don’t understand what it’s like to experience racism or police violence.
- She struggles to be herself and feels like she has to hide parts of her life.
Chapter 8:
1. How does Khalil’s funeral make Starr feel?
- What are the implications of Khalil being a King Lord?
- How could Starr be exploited in this situation?
- Starr feels grief, anger, and frustration over how Khalil is judged.
- It could discredit him and make justice harder to achieve.
- The media and activists might use her to push their agendas.
Chapter 9:
- Why does Starr think the riots are her fault?
- Do you think it matters whether Khalil was a drug dealer or a King Lord? Explain.
3. What did Lisa learn when Starr was born not breathing?
- Chris says Starr’s race is “no big deal.” Is he right?
- Starr feels the riots are her fault because she stayed quiet about Khalil’s death, thinking her voice could have helped prevent the chaos.
- No, Khalil’s past doesn’t matter. He was unjustly killed, and his actions don’t justify the officer’s use of deadly force.
- When Starr was born not breathing, Lisa learned to fight for her life and appreciate every moment they had together.
- No, Chris is wrong. Race is an important part of Starr’s identity and affects her experiences in ways he doesn’t fully understand.
Chapter 10:
1.What is Maverick’s “Harry Potter is about gangs” theory?
2. What did Tupac mean by “The Hate U Give Little Infants Fs Everybody”?*
- What “hate” does society inflict on the children in Garden Heights?
4. What is Maverick’s inner conflict regarding Starr speaking out?
5. Why is Maverick helping DeVante?
6. Why does Maverick insist on staying in Garden Heights?
- Maverick thinks the Hogwarts houses are like gangs
- Gryffindor and Slytherin representing rival groups.
- Tupac meant that when society spreads hate to kids, it creates bigger problems for everyone later.
- Society inflicts racism, poverty, violence, and a lack of opportunities on the kids in Garden Heights, making it harder for them to succeed.
- Maverick wants Starr to speak up for justice but worries about her safety and the dangers of being in the public eye.
- Maverick helps DeVante because he wants to guide him away from gang life and show him a better path.
- Maverick stays because he believes he can make a difference and help improve the community by being a good role model.
Chapter 11:
1. Why is Starr offended by the Williamson protest?
2. Why did the police harass Maverick?
- Kenya calls Starr a coward. Is this fair? Explain.
- Starr is offended because many students join the protest just to skip class, not because they care about justice for Khalil.
- The police harass Maverick because of racial profiling and their assumption that he’s involved in illegal activity due to his past.
- It’s partly fair because Starr is hesitant to speak out about Khalil’s death, but it’s also unfair since Starr is scared for her and her family’s safety.
Chapter 12:
- Should police have military-style heavy weapons like the tank Starr sees rolling down her street?
- What does Starr do to honor Khalil and push back against the media narrative that he was a thug? How is it effective?
- Some say these weapons protect police and maintain order, but others argue they cause fear, escalate issues, and aren’t necessary for regular policing.
- -Starr talks about who Khalil really was
- shares personal stories to show he was more than a stereotype.
- This helps people see him as a real person.
Chapter 14:
1. Why does Maverick take DeVante to Carlos’ house?
2. Why is Maverick so resistant to leaving Garden Heights? Is he being selfish?
3. Why is it wrong to call it a “black thing” when Starr’s father struggles with her dating a white boy?
4. Why did DeVante join the King Lords? What did they provide for him and his brother?
- to protect him from King and the gang.
- Carlos’ neighborhood is much safer than Garden Heights.
- Maverick feels responsible for helping his community and doesn’t want to abandon it.
- Maverick is not selfish, his decision risks his family’s safety.
- Calling it a “black thing” reduces Maverick’s concerns about racism and historical struggles.
4.DeVante joined the King Lords for protection and a sense of belonging after his brother was killed.
Chapter 14:
1. What is the real reason Hailey dropped Starr on Tumblr?
2. Uncle Carlos says about Khalil, “he was more than any bad decision he made.” What does he mean? Give other examples where this holds true.
3. How is Carlos trying to atone for “dropping the ball” on Khalil?
1.
- she didn’t want to see posts about police brutality and racism
- showing her discomfort with facing those issues.
2.
- Uncle Carlos means Khalil’s worth isn’t defined by his mistakes, like selling drugs.
- This also applies to DeVante, who joined the King Lords but is trying to change
- and Maverick, who turned his life around after leaving the gang.
3.Carlos tries to atone by helping Starr seek justice for Khalil and protecting DeVante, who is in a similar situation.
Chapter 15:
1. How was Nana responsible for Lisa staying with Maverick after he slept with Iesha?
2. What finally makes Maverick decide to give in and move out of Garden Heights?
- she convinced Lisa to stay with Maverick
- saying it was better for Starr to have her father around.
- Maverick decides to move after the shooting at the store puts his family in immediate danger.
