Juniors and seniors in high school can use these questions—or our Discussion Questions for adults. They can also print off our handy Read-Think-Talk chart—as well as try some of our free online LitCourses.
1. Overall, how did you feel reading this
book? Did the book hold your interest? Did
it make you angry, sad, laugh?
2. What do you think of the main characters?
Do you admire or disapprove of them?
What are they like? Think about fairness,
honesty, respectfulness, loyalty, bravery,
kindness, intelligence, strength or
weakness.
3. Can you find a sentence or paragraph that
describes a main character really well—or
in which a character says or does
something that strikes you?
4. What motivates the main characters—
makes them do what they do? Do you
think their actions are right or wrong, fair or unfair, or what?
5. Who in the book would you most like to
meet? What would you say or ask?
6. If you could be a character in the book—or
a totally new character—who would you
like to be? Would you make changes?
What or how?
7. Does a character remind you of someone
in your family, or a friend? Have you ever
felt the same way as one of the
characters?
8. What is the central problem, or conflict, in
the story? What is the root cause of the
conflict?
9. What is the defining moment in the
story—the climax? How did you feel when
it happened? Were your frightened? Sad?
Relieved? Angry?
10. Has something like this happened to you?
How do you think you would react if
something like it ever did happen?
11. Do you like the way the story ends? If so, why. If not, what would you change?
12. Did you expect the ending—or were you
surprised?
13. Do the characters learn anything by the
end of the story? Do they grow or
develop a new outlook on life. Are they
smarter or wiser?
14. What do you think we can learn from this
book? What insights can we gain. What
can we take away to make us wiser?
15. Were you sad to see the story end, to
say goodbye to the characters? Or were
you ready for it to end?
17. Overall, how do you like the book? Would
you tell another friend to read it?
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