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What are 10 important items to Dave Packer?

We know that Dave is a thoughtful boy, someone who's not overly attached to objects or possessions. But if we consider anyway the items that may be of importance to him, we can understand his character better. Here are some suggestions:


1. Dave's library books about India and Gandhi. These open his mind to the new ideas that really get this story going.


2. His own hands. Dave discovers at the end of Chapter 2 that he can communicate very well just by doing a thumbs-up or a high five, or even by sliding his hands into his pockets to show that he doesn't want to talk.


3. Pizza and fruit cups. These are the foods that he chooses out of all the others in the lunch line, so he must like them best.


4. A baseball, a soccer ball, or a football. Dave loves sports, and he loves talking about sports, too.


5. Rocks. We also learn in Chapter 3 that Dave enjoys looking for interesting rocks.


6. His Playstation, Nintendo, or Xbox. Like most American boys his age, Dave loves playing video games.


7. Comic books. Of course Dave loves these! Again, he's an American kid in the fifth grade.


8. An iPod. Although Dave doesn't actually have one, he wishes for one in Chapter 3 so that he could block out the sounds of Lynsey talking on and on.


9. Candy and gum. In Chapter 7, we find out that Dave found it really hard to follow the school rules against chewing gum or eating candy on the school bus or on campus. He must really like this stuff!


10. His voice. By learning to use it more selectively instead of just chattering, Dave understands better how powerful it is.


Finally, just for fun, let's finish up by thinking about the objects Dave definitely doesn't like: Mrs. Escobar's bull horn, memos sent home about how noisy he is in class, and Lynsey's notebook where she records all the mistakes that the boys make!

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