This is a teacher's guide to the novel Belle Prather's Boy which includes teaching ideas and related themes. For this vivid coming-of-age story, two cousins develop a real friendship while discovering the truths about their families and themselves. Twelve-year-old Gypsy Arbutus Leemaster develops an immediate friendship with her cousin, Woodrow Prater, when he moves next door with Granny and Grandpa Ball after his mother disappears. The two unlikely friends embark on a journey of self-discovery that will intrigue all young readers.