SO B. IT by Sarah Weeks List Price: $15.99 Pages: 256 Format: Hardcover ISBN: 0066236223 Publisher: Laura Geringer, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

You couldn't really tell about Mama's brain just from looking at her, but it was obvious as soon as she spoke. She had a high voice, like a little girl's, and she only knew twenty-three words. I know this for a fact, because we kept a list of the things Mama said tacked to the inside of the kitchen cabinet. Most of the words were common ones, like good and more and hot, but there was one word only my mother said, soof.

Although she lives an unconventional lifestyle with her mentally disabled mother and their doting neighbor, Bernadette, Heidi has a lucky streak that has a way of pointing her in the right direction. When a mysterious word in her mother's vocabulary begins to haunt her, Heidi's thirst for the truth leads her on a cross-country journey in search of the secrets of her past.

A dramatic tour de force by the best-selling author of Regular Guy.

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1. The title, SO B. IT, could have several meanings. What do you think the title means?

2. Bernadette selflessly and patiently takes care of Heidi and her mother, who both need a caretaker. Why do you think she is willing to spend her time and money on people she does not know? What benefits, if any, does Bernie receive?

3. As a young child, Heidi has tremendous responsibilities; shopping with her mother, running errands for Bernie, and baby-sitting for a neighbor to earn money. How do these experiences influence Heidi as she grows up?

4. When Heidi develops the mysterious roll of film and brings the pictures home to view, Bernie asks her, "What's the worst it could be?" Heidi responds: "nothing. The worst would be if there was nothing" (p50). Why would nothing have been the worst thing for Heidi to find?

5. Heidi is afraid she will end up like her mother, full of missing pieces, if she does not go to Liberty to discover her past (p85). Do you think that taking this journey is worth the pain it causes Bernie?

6. Heidi is afraid to take the trip to Liberty alone, and several times en route she is ready to turn around and return home to Bernie. What is the driving force that keeps her on the road to Liberty? Does she have any regrets. If so, what are they?

7. When Heidi lies to Alice, she realizes her lies are unnecessary but that she doesn't feel remorseful until she gets caught (p117). What do you think this indicates about Heidi's character and her search for identity?

8. Heidi realizes she doesn't miss her dad because she has never known him, therefore life without him seems normal. She tells Georgia, "You can't miss what you don't remember having" (p126). Do you think this is true? Why or why not? What are some experiences you have longed for even though you have never had them.

9. Ruby tells Heidi that it probably doesn't mean anything that Elliot says "soof" regularly, but Heidi says, "I think everything means something, even when you don't know what it is" (p181-182). Based on Heidi's life experiences, how would you support her belief?

10. Roy and Ruby cannot understand why Mr. Hill is not telling the truth about Heidi's mother. But even though Heidi does not know why, she knows that "sometimes people lie because the truth is too hard to admit" (p201). What truth is Mr. Hill afraid to admit? How do the choices he made affect Heidi's life?

11. Roy and Ruby cannot understand why Mr. Hill is not telling the truth about Heidi's mother. But even though Heidi does not know why, she knows that "sometimes people lie because the truth is too hard to admit" (p201). What truth is Mr. Hill afraid to admit? How do the choices he made affect Heidi's life?

12. One of the lessons Heidi learns is that life is not fair. Discuss the people and events in Heidi's life, and list the ones that are unfair. How do these life experiences help Heidi become a stronger person?

13. Until Heidi's trip to Liberty, she lives a sheltered life with only one friend and very little communication with anyone other than Bernie. Even though Bernie teaches her a multitude of lessons, do you think Heidi's social development suffers? How do you think Heidi will adjust to attending school for the first time in junior high? What hurdles will she have to overcome?

14. In chapter one, Heidi says, "I'd be lying if I said that given a choice I wouldn't rather know than not know." What does Heidi learn about knowing and not knowing on her journey to find her identity?

15. After Heidi's journey to learn about her personal history ends, her lucky streak seems to disappear. What is the significance of Heidi losing her luck?

© Copyright 2004 by Sarah Weeks. Reprinted with permission by Laura Geringer, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.

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