Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Why does Voigt alternate between the stories of Dicey’s family issues and her restoration of the boat? What's so important about the boat?
- Do you think phonics or whole language (the way James tries to teach Maybeth vs. the way her teachers try to teach her) is a better way to learn to read? Why?
- Will Dicey ever learn to like wearing dresses? Does she need to?
- What’s going on with Maybeth’s brain? Have you ever known anyone else who has trouble in school but is exceptionally talented in another area, like music or art?
- Have you ever known anyone like James or Sammy, who pretend to be less intelligent than they are to keep from being teased? Were those people more often boys, or girls?
- Why does Voigt choose to move from Homecoming to Dicey’s story before telling the tales of the rest of the Tillermans?
- Why did Jeff, Mina, and Bullet get Tillerman Cycle books instead of Liza?
- What are the characteristics of Dicey’s Song that were most influential in Voigt’s scoring a Newbery? What, in your opinion, makes for an award winning YA novel?