Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Why do you think Mrs. Olinski really chose these four students to be on her team? Does the book give a satisfying answer to this question?
- What is the hardest question asked in the book? Would each of the characters give a different answer?
- Since each character sees all the others from his/her own perspective, how do we know which perspective is the "real" one? In other words, how do we know who each person really is?
- The book gives an explanation for how each character knows the answer to his or her question. Does there seem to be a reason why each character is tied to a particular question?
- Are The Souls all separate characters, or do they all function as different aspects of the same character? In other words, is "The Souls" a more important character than each of the individual Souls?
- Why are New York and Florida the two most important places in the book? Does there seem to be a reason?
- Why is the competition an academic competition and not an athletic competition? How does the focus on academics change up the familiar story of a triumphant underdog team?
- How believable is this story supposed to be? It seems incredible that a sixth-grade team could win the state competition, and the characters themselves seem a little unbelievable. Does it matter? Does not believing in the reality of the story change your feelings toward it?