Hey, Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt with Family Addiction

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

What serves as inspiration for creativity? What impact does reading have on creativity, and how might illustrations in books contribute? How are stories used in artwork? How might artists use creative processes to cope with difficult circumstances?

Teaching Suggestion:  Jarrett Krosoczka is an author and illustrator of many graphic novels. In Hey Kiddo, Krosoczka tells the story of his upbringing and the ways in which his family inspired and encouraged him to become an illustrator. Students may want to investigate the article about Jarrett Krosoczka, the books that inspire him, and the ways in which he inspires others with art. It may be beneficial to watch the video or a similar resource to inspire discussion on the importance of storytelling and art.

• This article provides an interview with Jarrett Krosoczka that describes his creative space and inspiration for his books.
• This 9-minute video is an illustrated TED Talk by author Jarrett Krosoczka describing the relationship between artwork stories. (Please note that the author refers to Hey Kiddo and discusses events and outcomes in the book.)

Short Activity

Explore three digital books by Jarrett Krosoczka. Describe the book cover and explain whether you would read the book. Share the books you previewed with peers.

• Describe the cover of the book including details that make it appealing.
• Summarize the written description of the book  in your own words.
• Would you consider reading this book? Why or why not?

Teaching Suggestion: You may want to consider dividing students into small groups to explore Krosoczka’s books. Students may explore Krosoczka’s digital books on his website here, or students may wish to explore the resources as a printed description or physical copy in the form of a book tasting. As time allows, students might share the books they previewed in small groups with peers.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

What are the different forms of art? What are ways, other than drawing or painting, in which people can express creativity? How do you feel when you participate in artistic activities? How can the arts be a valuable escape? How can artistic pursuits or other outlets help you deal with difficulties? What advice would you give someone who feels they are not adept in artistic pursuits?  

Teaching Suggestion: Jarrett uses drawing as a coping mechanism to deal with his volatile family life. Consider discussing the benefits of various forms of art in dealing with emotions. Additionally, you might consider having students practice using art to convey emotions by creating their own pieces that reflect emotions. These can be emotions they are currently feeling or emotions that are selected from a teacher-created list of prompts or options.

Differentiation Suggestion:  For students who require an additional challenge, one option might include researching the impact of artistic pursuits on psychological well-being. Students may wish to share findings with peers in the form of brief presentations or visual aids like an infographic.