Must I / May I

In interwoven stories Debbie and Bobby must each deal with situations that try their growing sense of independence. Debbie is supposed to look after her younger cousins and get them safely to a day care center. Overwhelmed by the task of minding the children and being responsible for general housekeeping and cooking at home, she is distracted by other things she would rather be doing. Bobby, unlike her, has been given too little responsibility for his own actions. His mother constantly fusses over him and fails to let him do things for himself. Eventually he gets his chance when he is given a package to deliver. How the children resolve their separate problems is left for classroom discussion. The emotions they feel as they work through their problems are clearly expressed.