About a Boy

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

Creator Nick Hornby had a significant impact on 1990s and 2000s popular culture in the forms of literature and film. Why do you think Hornby’s work has made such a lasting impact? How does it capture the essence of life during these time periods?

Teaching Suggestion: Students may have seen Hornby’s movies or read his books in the past; students familiar with his work will be able to answer this question directly. For those students who are unfamiliar with Hornby’s works or the movies they inspired, it might be useful to reframe the prompt to ask why other authors with whom they are familiar become so important in their field and/or why certain books make excellent film adaptations and others do not.

• “An Interview with Nick Hornby 2022” discusses how the author finds inspiration and immerses himself in popular culture.
• “How Does Culture Influence Literature” is a brief summary of the many factors involved in the complex relationship between culture and a work of literature, and how each influences the other.

Short Activity

In this activity, you will work in pairs to discover more about the cultural context of About a Boy by researching life in 1990s London. Your approach to research should be logical and rely primarily on scholarly sources, although you are welcome to source credible videos and news articles, as well. Consider thinking creatively and drawing on literature, film, and/or art of the period.

Teaching Suggestion: Reviewing what makes a credible source might be helpful, and students can seek guidance if they are unsure about a particular source. Students’ research might be summarized into a descriptive paragraph or a bulleted list of 8-10 points. The activity will assist students in understanding how the setting influences the novel’s characters and their positions in life.

• “20 Famous British Rock Bands of the 1990s” details the most influential British musicians of the 1990s and includes a song from each band. It could be useful as an example or pre-activity discussion prompt to demonstrate one aspect of 1990s culture in Britain. (Content Warning: Some discussion and connected videos might not be appropriate for all groups.)
• “The People’s Archive - 1990s” is a collection of photographs of everyday people in 1990s Britain. This is another example of a more creative approach to research for this activity and can be used by students to complete it.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

The stressors that life sends our way can be difficult to cope with at times, and protagonists Will and Marcus both seek ways to escape the stress of life. How do you cope with the stress of life? What strategies do you use to manage your self-care and stay grounded?

Teaching Suggestion: This prompt might help to prepare students for considering whether Will and Marcus’s coping strategies are healthy and how they help one another to approach life from a more positive place. It also allows students an opportunity to connect to other areas of study (psychology, health, education, etc.) and think about their own ways of handling stress during particularly challenging times in their lives. Private journaling or small group discussion might be fitting methods for addressing the question.

• “Coping With Stress” provides tips and strategies for students, parents, and teachers to manage their own stress and handle adverse life events.

Differentiation Suggestion: Visual students and more abstract thinkers might create an illustrated representation of what causes them stress and/or how they cope with it. This alternative option might also be applied for English language learners or any student who is more comfortable with a visually creative approach.