1. Do you remember your first trip to the library? Do you read more or less now than you did as a child? Why?

2. Was there a book --- or a character in a book --- that infatuated you as much as CHARLOTTE'S WEB and Fern did Josh?

3. Why do you think boys like Javier are embarrassed by their interest in books? What might be done to change young people’s perception that books are uncool?

4. Could you relate to Josh’s story about sneaking Stephen King novels into the house after his mother banned them? Is it okay to let kids read whatever interests them or should parents impose boundaries?

5. Should Josh’s parents have taken him to specialists before the tics got as bad as they did during his high school years? Today’s parents are more likely than those from previous generations to have their kids’ “problems” diagnosed and treated. Is this a change for the better or worse?

6. Advances in DNA mapping are making it increasingly possible to screen for disorders like Tourette’s. If you were at risk for passing down a non-fatal but challenging genetic condition to your child, would you want to know before he or she was born?

7. It seems unfair that Josh and Janette’s application to adopt was turned down. How might the screening process be improved?

8. Do you strength train or practice some form of exercise? Do you find that your body’s fitness affects your brain’s fitness?

9. When was the last time you went to a library and what was your reason for going? When was the last time you looked something up using the Dewey Decimal System?

10. A recent Wall Street Journal article profiled libraries that have expanded their offerings to include a hog-butchering demonstration, Wii bowling, and Star Wars days. Do you agree or disagree with the notion that “libraries must stay ‘relevant’” (p. 213) in an increasingly electronic age?

11. Does Josh’s success managing his tics inspire you to tackle a challenge of your own?