Don't You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey   by Margaret Peterson Haddix

1. Discuss ethics and degrees of honesty with a partner.  Jot your thoughts down.

2. Discuss some of the problems that latchkey kids encounter. What are some possible solutions for communities to consider?

1. For 1 week, keep a journal like the one that Tish kept. Do you encounter any of the same social problems that Tish faced? Who, if anyone, would you allow to read your journal?

2. Do you find that keeping a journal is therapeutic, much like it was for Tish?

1. Research some of the government programs that are designed to help students with family problems similar to the one's Trish had.

2. Research what individuals can do if they encounter sexual harassment or discrimination.

• http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/diary/index.htm   
  Writing With Writers Workshop webpage from Virginia Hamilton.  Includes writing tips, writing challenges, help with revision and her personal South Africa journal.
• http://dramy.net/teens.html
  Website includes a reading list of popular fiction that deals with similar themes as Don't You Dare Read This Mrs. Dunphrey
• http://usf.edu/news/2000/06.27.literature.htm
  "USF professor: Literature can help teens cope with abuse"

Resources:  Material on this page was adapted by Teresa Phillips from http://faculty.ssu.edu/~elbond/dd.htm.  The site was designed by students at Salisbury State University on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

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