Plot:
A Year With Butch And Spike takes place over
the course of a school year. But that's not a plot. The plot to this story involves the
Cootches' running battle with Mrs. McNulty and how Jasper gets involved in it. Here is an
opportunity to discuss the difference between a plot and a series of scenes. You could
also discuss whether or not individual events, or scenes, in the book contribute to the
actual story line.
Characters:
Characters should be dynamic (or if they're not, there should be a good reason
why they're not). The three main characters in Butch and Spike
definitely change as a result of their experiences in sixth grade and an argument could be
made that the three secondary characters (Lyddy, Christine, and Donny) do also. So, talk
about it.
Point of View:
Jasper Gordon is a first person narrator, so here is an opportunity to point out
the difference between first and third person point of view. When a first person narrator
is used in a book, readers can only find out about what the narrator knows. In Butch and Spike, how do we readers find out about: Butch's
and Spike's bad reputations? The grades they received on their report cards? The fact that
their fathers are twins and Cootches, too? That Spike is 'at risk'?
Setting:
The setting of a particular scene or event can tell us something about the
characters in the scene. Do the faded dictionaries, stiff, old National Geographics,
and rigid adherence to alphabetical order in Mrs. McNulty's classroom tell us something
about her? Does Mr. Gordon's yard tell us something about him? What about Jasper's
bedroom? And Spike's family room and bedroom?
Metaphor:
Spike gives a metaphor lecture early in Butch and Spike.
Younger kids usually associate metaphors with flowery descriptions of things, but the last
chapter of Butch and Spike includes a metaphor that
explains something about life. Point out to your students that metaphors can do more than
create pretty pictures.
