Besides, they've always had each other when times got tough. And surviving seventh grade looks like it's not going to be easy. Starting with Addie's refusal to say the Pledge of Allegiance and her insistence on creating a new political party to run for student council, the Gang of Five, as the four friends call themselves, is in for the year of their lives. It's a year in which they learn about politics and popularity, love and loss, and what it means to be a misfit. After years of insults, the Gang of Five is determined to stop name-calling at their school. Finally they are going to stand up and be seen -- not as the one-word jokes their classmates have tried to reduce them to, but as the complicated human beings they are just beginning to discover they truly are." (Simon & Schuster: www.simonsays.com/content/book.cfm?sid=813&pid=412408&agid=21)

1. Cyberbullying:In today's society, we see more a new type of bullying called cyberbullying. What is cyberbullying and how is it different than traditional forms of bullying? Describe a situation in the news where cyberbullying was used to ruin a person's reputation and eventually lead to tragic events.

2. Name-Calling:Research the history of name-calling. Did you know that in the past, people were jailed or even killed for calling people names? Research historical situations where this was an outcome of name-calling. Can name-calling still carry significant consequences in today's world?

3. Pledge of Allegiance:Research the history of the Pledge of Allegiance and the controversies that have arisen over its use in schools and students' refusal to participate in its recital. What are some of the pro and con arguments about whether the words 'under God' should be in the US Pledge of Allegiance?

4. Political Parties:Find out more about the different political parties that exist in the United States, other than the Republican and Democratic parties. Choose five other political parties and describe why they were launched, and what do they stand for? What party would you join? What party would you not join?

5. Author:James Howe is a popular author of children and teen issues books. Learn about his life and his writiing inspirations. How do the characters in The Misfits represent James Howe's own life?