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Discussion Questions |
Prologue
List all the information the author gives you about the setting of this
book.
What is your feeling about the Toss? The education system as a whole? |
Chapter 1
List all the characters introduced. What are their strengths? |
Chapter 2
How do you feel about kids being put into danger? Do you agree with Steve?
What kind of person is The Secretary of Entertainment? What is her main
concern with the Survivor series... safety? ...accuracy?... ratings?
What do we find out about what Billy claimed on his application?
The Secretary decides not have a camera crew go with the kids, why? What has
she decided to do instead? What do she tell the kids?
On page 23, The Secretary gives "her speech." What does she say?
What characteristic does Steve have that The Secretary does not? |
Chapter 3
Think about all the equipment Steve has on & all the little things he has to
go through to get in and out of the building (p. 25-27), What is the author
telling us about life in 2083?
What will Steve be doing now on the night shift? Why are they so secretive? |
Chapter 4
What more do we find out about the kids here?
What do you think about the Secretary's plan - depots, helicopter, distance?
Do you agree with Steve that it won't make a difference for the kids? |
Chapter 5
The author gives us even more information about the "times" by describing
the ads and the Secretary by giving us the kids random impression of her.
What do you think?
What does Billy do in the limo? |
Chapter 6
On page 47, the Secretary gives the team a watch that they cannot change the
time on. What is the symbolism here?
What doe the Secretary reveal about herself & ser intentions in the limo
ride to the ship? |
Chapter 7
The author tells us more about the kids by how they make use of their time
on the ship. What does each of them do?
Who organizes the supplies and decides to be the leader?
Who finds the animals and cares for them immediately?
Who gets the books and reads them right away?
The author explains why the Department of Education was created on page61.
Do you agree that it was needed? Could people really be satisfied that way? |
Chapter 8
How did they decide to make Robert their leader?
The kids want to see adults, cameramen whatever, why? |
Chapter 9
Why is Robert being so difficult and not listening to Polly?
What is the "night shift" collecting using the abbreviation - P.B.? Why? |
Chapter 10
The conversation between Andrew and Polly shows the kids realizing how much
depend on distractions - the television or books. The Department was created
to distract the public from their situation in life, why?
Does TV distract us from our lives? Does your family spend any time without
TV, radio, or video games on? When the TV or other electronics are on, does
your family talk & do other things?
Ancient Rome used distractions in the form of gladiatorial competitions,
why? |
Chapter 11
Billy's talent is finally showing - what is it?
On page 83, Chad says, "Our government depends on good ratings." What doe
she mean?
What does the "beach party" represent about the group?
Why does Steve feel the Secretary will want to leave the scene in the show
intact? |
Chapter 12
What happens with the dogs and Billy?
Grace's motivation for doing well here is different than the other kids,
how?
What is Billy's motivation? Do you think Billy has a winning strategy? What
does he plan to contribute to the group's survival? |
Chapter 13
What does Chad reveal about the Night Shift and their intervention?
What is Court TV? What happens?
On Page 103, what is different about Andrew's response to the weather?
Who is Pearl? What is her story? (p. 105) |
Chapter 14
What is Polly recalling about Scott's expedition that upsets her? (p110-111)
What does Grace do to welcome the snow?
Why do the Hopis call the other kids "Zombies"? How does this relate to what
Andrew & Polly were discussing earlier?
What can be the disadvantage to having a photographic memory like Polly? (p.
114-115)
On page 116, the author gives us a few more details about the world in 2083,
what? |
Chapter 15
On page 119, the sun is still shining at 4 a.m. How?
They finally arrive at the first Safety Hut. What does everyone do first?
Again, Robert ignores Polly's advice about the snow sleds, why?
Page 123, what is Andrew's special talent?
Page 125, what do Polly and Andrew realize about the Secretary? |
Chapter 16
What happens when Grace gets the dogs set up to pull the sled?
What is pemmican made of?
Robert and Polly disagree about the sleds & dogs, which do you think is
best?
Do you agree with Steve's decision about the Voice? |
Chapter 17
Do you agree with the kids decision to try to save the ponies?
What happened to Milky? |
Chapter 18
The author describes the city in even more detail. What is life like for the
regular person?
What is different about Grace's attitude? |
Chapter 19
Polly has a scare when she and Billy stop to set up camp, what is it?
What does Polly tell Andrew about his great great uncle?
Do you think this will help Andrew? |
Chapter 20
Why do Robert & Billy think Scott's group was a group of losers?
Why don't they realize how heroic they were?
What should Billy do about his food stash? Why won't he try anything else? |
Chapter 21
What danger is heading their way?
What happens when they come across a seal? |
Chapter 22
Steve finds hope in Mrs. Poppers, how? (What other "Popper" have we read
that liked the poles)
What is going on with the public and this show? |
Chapter 23
Who is the MVP so far, in your opinion?
Steve reads about the Secretary's calamities - what do you think? |
Chapter 24
Billy views everything from the standpoint of "winning" but he's missing the
big picture - what is it?
What do the dogs do? |
Chapter 25
What happened with Bronty?
Are you surprised that Polly and Andrew form a friendship? Why is Robert? |
Chapter 26
Finally, Billy realizes how serious their situation is - what happened?
Robert finally asks Polly for information, why?
What happens at the ice bridge? (p 224)
Why does Billy suddenly decide he hates Andrew? |
Chapter 27
What do you think about Billy's parents? (p. 232-233)
What happened to Robert? What do you think they should do now? |
Chapter 28
Robert undergoes a major attitude change about Polly, what is it? (p. 240)
Finally Billy starts to show signs of change on page 244. How? |
Chapter 29
What's happening with the public opinion of the show?
What's going to happen to the pony?
What happens to Andrew when he tries to cover up the cycle?
Is Steve dong the right thing? |
Chapter 30
The kids all have different thoughts about how Scott and his
men died. What do you think you'd be thinking?
Are the kids being fair to themselves? the Secretary? |
Chapter 31
Steve comes to a big decision, what does he do?
Why does Andrew think he's too hot? |
Chapter 32
What do the kids discover when Andrew opens his eye?
What finally makes Billy come clean about his stash? What lesson has he
learned? |
Chapter 33
In a way, it's better that the pony dies without the kids having to do
anything. Do you agree?
What should the kids do about Andrew? |
Chapter 34
What would you want to say to your family if you thought you were going to
die?
Who is Amundsen?
Interestingly, the boys realize they know more than the adult. What do
you think will happen now? |
Chapter 35, 36, 37, 38
Why did the kids make the decision to stay?
What happened to Steve?
What did the public viewing audience do once Andrew was safe?
What happens to the Secretary?
What does Chad reveal about Pearl?
What acts of bravery were shown in this book? What is bravery?
What do you think about how the book ends? happily ever after or something
else? |
