60 pages • 2 hours read
David LubarSleeping Freshmen Never Lie
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2005A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Each member of Scott’s elementary school alliance has a role to play in the group. What is each member’s role? How does this dynamic shift in the novel?
What conflicts does Lubar introduce on Scott’s first day of school? How do these conflicts shape the person that Scott becomes by the end of the novel?
Discuss the relationship between Scott and Bobby. Is Bobby a role model for Scott? Why or why not? In what ways does their relationship grow throughout the book?
In most young adult novels, quitting is a negative trait. When Scott quits student council, however, he feels relieved and happy. In this case, how does quitting develop Lubar’s theme on forging an identity as an individual?
The title of this book is a pun. What are the two meanings of the word “lie?” How do both these meanings tie into the conflicts that Scott experiences?
Modes of transportation, specifically cars and buses, play a significant role in the novel. Discuss the importance of cars or buses to Dad, Wesley, and Scott. What does their choice or lack of choice in transportation say about their characters?
Scott believes that all guys lie to each other. What kind of lies do they tell? Why is this a “guy thing?” Which lies hurt Scott the most—the ones he tells himself or the ones he tells other people?
Lee, Mouth, and Wesley illustrate typical stereotypes associated with high school. How do they fit their stereotypes? How does Lubar twist the stereotypical image to illustrate the true complexity of their characters?
What purpose does the journal fulfill for Scott? How does it help him to make sense of the changes in his life?
A common criticism of Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie is that the writing tropes become gimmicky with overuse. Does Scott’s use of figurative language distract from the story? Why does Lubar employ so many examples of literary devices in the novel?
