1. Why does Esperanza call the kids “special”?
2. Why does Esperanza want to eat lunch at school?
3. What are some reasons Esperanza gives in trying to convince her mother to allow her to eat lunch as school? Are each of them good reasons? Explain your answer.
4. What kind of school does Esperanza go to? How do you know?
5. How do you think Esperanza feels standing outside Sister Superior’s office? What makes you think so?
6. What makes Ms. Cordero’s note humorous, or kind of funny?
7. The final scene in this chapter is repeated from another. Compare the two the scenes. How are they similar and how are they different? What does this chapter add to that scene?
8. How do we know that Esperanza did not get what she really wanted in the end?
9. As Esperanza sat in the canteen eating her sandwich, how do you think she felt? What is the real reason behind her tears?