Character Analysis
King a.k.a. Howard appears in the story as a baby and even gets a chapter devoted to his perspective on his home life, including parents' abusive relationship.
Howard is known to be very bright (once he gets old enough to demonstrate that quality, of course). His teacher felt the need to make sure Lynette knows this, marveling, gushing over his reading ability and asking his Mommy if her taught him. Lynette responds that he'd apparently learned it from Sesame Street.
He is so sharp, in fact, that they skipped him out of kindergarten into the first grade. Go Howard!