1. Do some research on the characteristics of child molesters, then using your research and what information Atkins reveals about Ray, write a character analysis of this man.

2. Write a character analysis of Jeff's father, using his reactions to Jeff to explain the emotions he feels. Find examples from the story that illustrate how guilty Ken feels about being unable to protect his son.

3. In When Jeff Comes Home, Atkins concentrates primarily on Jeff's emotions and she touches on Jeff's father's emotions after his son's return. Read Sue Beth Pfeffer's The Year Without Michael, which concentrates on the emotions experienced during the time their son is missing. Compare the emotional experience of this family to the emotional experience Jeff's family must have had during the time they knew nothing of their son's whereabouts.

4. Do some research on the trials faced by...