Romiette and Julio (29 page)

Draper writes: “I learned to dream through reading, learned to create dreams through writing, and learned to develop dreams through teaching. I shall always be a dreamer.” How does this apply to Romiette? What do you think Draper’s dream is for Romiette and Julio?

Chapter 2 records the beginnings of Romiette’s new journal. She begins by “describing who she was.” Write your own journal entry, introducing yourself and your family as Romiette does.

What do you know about gangs in contemporary society? See what you can find out using the Internet, newspaper, and magazine articles. Then, using the same resources, find about about gangs in your own city.

Is the danger of meeting people over the Internet overplayed in the novel? Research actual stories of such connections. Why might your research be biased one way or the other?

Ben says, “Pink and silver hair is what poetry is all about. Expression! Creativity!” (Chapter 28) What do you think? Try to respond in a poetic format.

Compare the structure of
Romiette and Julio
with
Draper’s first novel,
Tears of a Tiger.
How are the two novels similar? How are they different? What do you think Draper’s purpose was in using this technique to tell her stories?