1. Cooper’s plan not to tell anybody about the robbery they witnessed sounded okay at first, but how was it really like lying?
2. Cooper thought the only way to stay truly safe was to stay quiet. Was that really the only way to stay safe? What could he or should he have done different?
3. Cooper pressured Hiro and Gordy to be dishonest, too. Hiro felt really uncomfortable with agreeing to the Code. What could she have done instead?
4. Even when Cooper didn’t come right out and lie to his parents, he deceived them by allowing them to believe something he knew wasn’t true. How is deceiving someone just another form of lying?
5. When friends or someone else pressures you to lie, or to deceive someone else, how can you handle that in a way where you won’t be dishonest?
6. Cooper was afraid of what would happen to him if the truth came out. How does fear tempt us to lie—and what can we do when we’re afraid to tell the truth?
7. Detective Hammer claimed he could tell when someone was lying with his built-in “baloney detector”. Cooper figured Hammer would see right through Gordy, for sure. Even if we could fool our parents, or teachers, or whoever, ultimately who never gets fooled? What difference should that make as far as how honest we choose to be?
8. As Cooper continues with the Code, the lies begin to unravel his friendship with Hiro, and even with Gordy. How does dishonesty destroy even the closest relationships?
9. Cooper’s lies bought him some temporary safety, but he found the price tag of honesty was a lot higher than he figured. How did it affect him when he saw he’d lost the respect and trust of Hiro and Gordy? How would it affect you if you lost respect or trust in the eyes of parents, friends, or others?
10. If Coop, Hiro, and Gordy didn’t tell the truth, Frank Mustacci might have been killed. How do innocent people get hurt when others lie? Can you think of some examples?