1. Report on the history of African Americans in professional sports in the United States. You will probably want to focus on one sport. Who are some of the best players from the past and the present? Who was the first player to be allowed to play on a mainstream professional team and how long ago was it?

2. Many people study the effects of death on family and friends. Find information about people's reactions to death. Compare your information to the way Louie reacted in the book.

3. In Chapter Five, Coach Lednecky says, "Now I don't want to sound prejudiced, but I played with blacks up at the U, and there's only one way you can stop them. That's to hurt 'em." Describe the role of prejudice in this novel. Do you see evidence of prejudice in your community against any...