82 pages • 2 hours read •
Slam!
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Essay Topics
Describe how Slam changes throughout the novel. What prompts this change? Use evidence from the text to support your arguments.
Examine the relationship between Slam and Ice. In what ways are they similar? In what ways are they different?
Describe Slam’s most impactful relationship and how that relationship affects him throughout the novel.
What is the most important thing Slam learns at Latimer, and how does that knowledge impact him?
Describe Slam’s relationship with Grandma Ellie. Why is she included in the story, including but not limited to the advice she gives Slam? What role does she play?
How does Slam respond to help in the beginning of the novel compared to the end? What is the reason for those changes?
Is Coach Goldstein correct in his advice about the game of life? Can life be boiled down to winning or losing? Why or why not?
What is the novel’s main theme, and why? How does it contribute to the overall message of the novel?
Compare Coach Nipper and Mr. Parrish. Each has different methods of motivating and encouraging Slam, but Sam perceives both as working against him. How does each motivate Slam, and is one more effective than the other?
The novel ends with a few unresolved storylines, namely Latimer’s performance in the tournament, Ice’s commitment to stop dealing drugs, and Slam’s future. Choose one of these storylines and write a final chapter as if you’re Walter Dean Myers tying up that part of the novel.
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By Walter Dean Myers
