1. If Anger Is a Gift had a soundtrack, which songs would you want to include? Pick your five favorite scenes and choose a song to match each scene.
    
2. Though West Oakland High School is fictional, the novel’s three settings are very real. Research the history of the Fruitvale neighborhood, West Oakland, and Piedmont. Make a timeline that lists the historical highlights of all three, and then compare the timelines. How have historical events shaped current life in this corner of America?  
    
3. On page 226, Javier tells Moss that he and his mother came to the United States from Guatemala when he was around eight years old, “right after my father disappeared. . . . I’m not actually a citizen. We never managed to get citizenship for either of us.” Imagine that you are elected to Congress, with the power to introduce new immigration laws for the United States. What changes would you propose? Who would qualify for citizenship, and who would qualify to live in the States as a long-term guest? Research how a federal bill becomes a law, and then discuss what it would take for your plan (or parts of it) to become enacted.
    
4. Principal Elliot says he is trying to keep students safe, but his actions actually make school more dangerous. How safe do you feel at your school and in your community? What would it take for you to feel safer? Research the names of your local elected officials including your mayor, city council representative, and school board representatives. Brainstorm for ways to make your ideas known to decision makers. Would it be more effective to send a letter, meet in person, post on social media, or use another communication method? Which candidates and propositions would you like to promote, even if you’re not yet old enough to vote?  
    
5. The Texas Legislature recently enacted the Community Safety Education Act, written by Royce West, an African American state senator. This new law will require public high schools to implement a police-interaction curriculum that includes a video in which police officers demonstrate what a driver should do and say if stopped by the police. The law also requires such training as part of driver’s ed courses as well as “civilianinteraction training for peace officers.” Explore the rationale behind the new law and discuss whether you think this type of legislation is a good idea. Would Moss support it? Has similar legislation been introduced where you live?
    
6. In his author’s note, Mark Oshiro provides an extensive list of nonfiction books that taught him that “anger is indeed a gift, and that to wield that gift is an awesome experience.” He also includes a list of novels that inspired him. Along with the other members of your reading group or class, choose one of the books from the author’s note (you could also include the novel Mrs. Torrance assigned, Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart) and check it out from a local library. After you have had time to read the selections, come together as a group to report on the books you chose. Read paragraphs aloud to the group, or perform scenes from the novels, to help each other hear the book’s message. Share the most surprising, enraging, or profound information you learned from the authors.  
    
7. Moss’s school is seriously underfunded, although money is available to administer tests and install military-grade security equipment. Research how public schools, including charter schools, are funded in your state. Make charts to compare how the funding varies by district and how your state’s funding compares to that of the rest of the country.
    
8. Anger Is a Gift is a work of fiction, but it reflects the reality of numerous similar tragedies, as well as the reality of countless heroes who persist in the face of adversity. Read online articles about Oscar Grant, a young man who was killed by a BART police officer at Fruitvale Station. Then read online articles about Dr. LuPaulette Taylor, who has taught at McClymonds High School in West Oakland for more than forty years. What parallels and differences did you notice between their lives and the world depicted in Anger Is a Gift? How can novels, fictional films, and online games enhance the way we see the real world? In your reading group, work together to create a fictional character inspired by multiple people from your community. Write a short story, brief screenplay, or video game narrative that features the character you created, giving your imagination ample freedom.

Discussion questions and activities adapted from Tor Teen's Reading Group Guide