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Book Club Questions

(Links to printable PDFs at the bottom of the page)


Directions:  Write a complete letter to your Book Club before your Book Club meeting day.  Use these questions to guide your thoughts, and make sure to use examples from the book and detailed description, but stick to the questions.  Be sure to use complete sentences and answer only the assigned questions.  Use the sample letter done in class as a guide to future letters.

  1. What is your book's title / author / genre / big idea or theme / number of pages / and the page you are on?  (Be sure to indent each paragraph)
  2. Describe one setting in your book.  Use lots of descriptive detail.  Setting tells the time and place of your book.
  3. Tell about the relationship between two of the characters.
  4. What are the reasons you would re-read this book?  or What are the reasons you would not re-read this book?  Do you like the characters, the action, the suspense, etc.
  5. Who is the villain or antagonist (bad person) in your book?
  6. In four or more sentences, tell how the book starts.  Use character names and descriptions, places, and how the author begins to develop the story.
  7. What are two of your favorite lines from the book?  Why are they your favorites?  Favorite lines from a book usually include a few sentences that the author has written that strike you as funny, emotional, sad, serious, etc.
  8. What will you remember most about this book?  Choose an event, character, chapter, etc.
  9. Which character in the book you would like to be best friends with?  Why?  If none of the characters are worthy of friendship, explain why?
  10. If you could serve the main character any dish for dinner what would you serve? Who else would you invite to dinner and where would everyone sit?
  11. How does the author's style make yours a "good" book?
  12. Did the book remind you of any other books you have read?
  13. If you could take the main character in your book any place in Santa Barbara where would you take them?  Why?
  14. Tell about the author of your book. Use the author page in the book.  If the book doesn’t have one you may have to do an online search for information.
  15. Describe the main character.  (Discuss his/her personality traits.  Is he/she like you in any way?)
  16. Has anything that’s happened in the book, happened to you? If yes, explain what it is.  If no, explain something that has happened in the book. 
  17. Who are the secondary characters in your book?  What are their names, what do they look like, what kind of personality do they have, etc?
  18. When you sat to read this book where were you when you read the most pages in one sitting?  Was it quiet?  What was the room like?  Were you in a comfortable chair?
  19. Do the characters in the book seem real and believable?  Why or why not?
  20. How has the author conveyed the mood of the book to you?  Mood would include, serious/funny, dark/light, happy/sad, etc.  Use specific examples from the book.  Choose words or phrases that the author used.
  21. If you could rewrite a part of the book what would you change? Why?
  22. Make a drawing of your favorite character in the book to share with Book Club.
  23. Describe three characters in your book in detail.  Attempt to be as descriptive as possible.
  24. Did certain parts of the book make you uncomfortable? If so, why did you feel that way?  If not, what about the book is familiar to you.
  25. What is the main character’s favorite food?  If you are not sure, guess what you think it might be.
  26. Pick a character and talk about how they have changed and what caused the change.
  27. If you could choose to be any character in your book who would it be and why?
  28. Why do you think the author chose to write this story?  Do you think the big idea relates to the authors life?
  29. Briefly tell what is happening in the story.  Use transitions words like, first, then next and finally.
  30. Who in this book have you met that you would never meet in your everyday life?  Tell us about the person.
  31. If you could invite any character to your house for dinner, whom would you invite?  What questions would you ask them?
  32. If you were the author of this book would you have started it the same way?  Why or why not?
  33. What have you learned from this book?  What have you learned about yourself? Has one of the characters experienced something that you can learn from?
  34. If you could give the author any advice on changing a part of the book, what would it be?
  35. Are there any animals in your book? Why or why not?
  36. When did you start your book?  When do you think you will finish it?
  37. Make an Illustration of your favorite event in the book so far, and then write a caption for your illustration.
  38. If the main character could take you any place in the story, where would you have him / her take you?  Why?
  39. What is your over all feeling about the book so far?  Are you enjoying it?  Is the author doing a good job telling the story?  Does it keep your interest?
  40. What book did you read before this one?  Are they alike in any way?
  41. Is any character like someone you know?  If yes, how are they alike?  If no, what is different about the characters in comparison to the people you know?
  42. Where and when does your book take place?  Use at least two sentences to describe where and two sentences to tell when
  43. Where has this book taken you that you haven’t been before?  Tell about the place.
  44. Is the book turning out how you expected it to? or How is the book turning out differently.
  45. Is this book in a series?  If yes, what is the series, if no, do you think it should be?
  46. Describe your favorite scene or event in the book so far?
  47. Choose a favorite part of your book to describe and tell why you liked it.
  48. Is this book like any other book you have read?  What makes them similar or what makes them different?
  49. What do you think the outcome or ending of the book will be?
  50. If you could re-title your book what would you call it?  Why?
  51. Make up a simile or metaphor about your book?  Remember a simile is a comparison between two things using like or as. 
  52. In a paragraph summarize your book so far.  Include the main characters in your summary, the problems they are facing, etc.

Themes or Big Ideas

When describing the big idea in the book you are reading, it often helps to use one of these words when mentioning the characters and the problem the story is spun around.

Love
Loyalty
Friendship
Faith
Survival
Fear
Loneliness
Trust
Discovery
Jealousy
Sacrifice
Courage
Overcoming Stereotypes
Acceptance
Justice
Good vs. Evil
Perseverance
Guilt
Indecision
Overcoming Difficulty
Divorce or Difficult Family Situation
Accepting Death
Moral Dilemma
Cultural Clash / Traditions
Abuse or Mistreatment
Finding Yourself
Man vs. Nature
Not Feeling Accepted
Revenge
Religious
Growing Older
War

Genres

Kids, just so you know, most all the books that kids your age read are fiction.

Fiction
Non Fiction
Adventure
Mystery
Realistic Fiction
Fantasy
Science Fiction
Humor
Biography
Autobiography
Animal Fiction
Animal Fantasy
Poetry
Tall Tale
Information
Legend
Mythology
Western
Time Slip
Short Stories
War Story
Chiller
Historical Fiction

 

Attachments (2)

  • Book Club Questions.pdf - on Oct 7, 2008 2:06 PM by Michael Anderson (version 1)
    35k View Download
  • THEMES AND GENRES.pdf - on Oct 7, 2008 2:07 PM by Michael Anderson (version 1)
    31k View Download