When Julio’s family moves to Cincinnati, Ohio, Julio’s grandfather offers the following advice: “Keep the river in [your] heart and follow it” (20). With either Julio, Romi, Destiny, or Ben in mind, in what ways do they adhere to this advice?

With Malaka in mind, argue why a high school student might want to join a gang. Research the psychology of gang membership to support your response.

Read William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. In what ways does Romiette and Julio prove that the play is still relevant? Does the novel’s ending take away from the play’s themes?