Excerpt

"As he met Diego’s eyes, James realized that the paleness of his own skin had shielded him from some discrimination, which might have been too familiar for others. Diego was neither white nor black. The white of his eyes contrasted nicely with the light brown even tone of his face, indicative of his Hispanic background, and the intensity of his black irises revealed the difficult experiences of prejudice."  (Excerpt from "The Ghost of Sorrow")

 

The Ghost of Sorrow

Synopsis: A ghost is haunting the bedrooms of the town’s children, leaving them sleep deprived and weak. While trying to free the city from the ghoul's relentless intrusion, James discovers that his best friend and the phantom have something in common... 

Book Club

Fitting in a culturally diverse world and acceptance of others

 

Fitting in

•         What are the reasons Diego lied to James about his real name?

•         Have you ever felt that you did not belong or that you would not be accepted in a group because of the way you looked? If so, what did you do to “fit in”?

•         Are you a member of a group (sport club, book club, chess club, church…)? What do you like the most about belonging to that group?

 

National and Cultural Diversity

•         What is your cultural background/heritage?

•         What does “ethnicity” mean to you?

•         Do you have friends of different ethnicities, nationalities, or cultural backgrounds?

•         What are the traditions your family celebrates?

 

The Need to Fight Intolerance

•         Why was Camilla alone the night of the Harvest Ball?

•         Have you ever been discriminated against because of your cultural background, your physical appearance or your religion? What did you do?

•         What does ‘stereotype’ mean to you? Do you know any and what do you think of them?

 

It’s a Small World

•         Have you ever eaten pizza, sushi, dumplings, quesadillas, tacos, or maybe escargots? Can you tell what the origins of these foods are?