by Reina Chaiekh | Feb 26, 2026
Parvana jokingly says that the only thing she would ever torture someone for is the answer to “Where is the key to the library?” (page 84). Talk with students about the novel’s theme of the importance of reading, and invite them to find other examples in the book that...
by Reina Chaiekh | Feb 26, 2026
“She could not remember a time when she did not believe she was on the edge of disaster … she was never, ever sure that the future would not be terrifying” (page 159). Ask students to find and discuss other sentences or passages that emphasize the struggles that...
by Reina Chaiekh | Feb 26, 2026
Explore the author’s style and techniques by having small groups of students each search the novel for a different area of focus. Examples include humor, irony, simplicity and directness of language, suspense, metaphors and symbolism, references that audiences can...
by Reina Chaiekh | Feb 26, 2026
To explore character traits, have students create a two-column “Actions and Adjectives” chart for one or more characters in the novel. In one column they write a character’s actions or dialogue and in the other column they write adjectives describing the trait that...
by Reina Chaiekh | Feb 26, 2026
Have students create a poster divided into four sections to represent (1) setting (2) characters (3) a quotation from the novel that summarizes what the novel means to you (4) something that the novel makes you want to know more about. Students can use both words and...
