Get A Little Lost, Tia

Ideas To Think About And Discuss

1. Make a list of the sticky situations that Tia got herself into. Then try to recall some sticky situations of your own (or of a friend or relative) that were part of getting through age thirteen. Make a list of them. Compare your two lists and see if you can discover any types of problems that seem to belong typically to thirteen- year-olds.

2. Think back over the scenes where Jason and Tia are in conflict. Which of these end with Tia reaching some new understanding of Jason’s feelings and needs?

3. Make a growth chart showing some important moments in Tia’s thirteenth year. Pick out the ones which you think produced the most growth and tell what you think Tia learned from each.

4. List the moments of closeness Jason and Celia shared. Where do you detect a deepening intensity in the moments? In which of them was Tia a force bringing Jason and Celia closer, even though Jason couldn’t see this at the time?

5. What do you think of the way Jason handled Tia in the following scenes? How would you have handled things differently in these instances:

b. When Tia and Sophie “crashed” the Latino picnic.

c. When Tia came home with the baby dress she was supposed to finish.

d. When the girls were hassling Tia at school

e. When Tia was determined to climb the fire trail alone.

f. When Tia finally stumbled back to the picnic area.

RELATED WRITING ACTIVITIES

1. Try to step inside either Jason’s or Celia’s head at the moment when Tia is presenting the concert tickets. Write down what you think is the interior dialogue going through Celia’s or Jason’s mind.

2. Write the story of Jason and Celia’s evening at the fairgrounds concert.

3. Write the story of Tia and Ricky’s next time together after the birthday party