1. What was your biggest thematic takeaway from JUNIE?

2. Talk about the titular heroine at the heart of this novel. What about her story resonates with you the most? If you could meet Junie off the page, what would you ask her?

3. Talk about what freedom and the pursuit of justice look like for Junie. What is she willing to risk in the name of independence and autonomy?

4. How do books provide a means of escape for Junie? And how does this book provide a means of escape for you?

5. Discuss the novel’s narrative style. What storytelling techniques, from foreshadowing to cliffhanger chapter endings, kept you turning the pages? You may choose to share some of your favorite lines of dialogue, characterization or description as well.

6. The Bellereine Plantation is at the center of the action in JUNIE. Discuss the ways in which this landscape functions as a character (or even a character witness) in this novel. How does Junie --- and even her dearly departed sister --- reckon with it?

7. What does Junie have to say about the nature of betrayal and forgiveness in a family? Between lovers? In an entire nation?

8. This novel brings to life a time of social injustice and racial tensions in pre–Civil War America. Take a moment to reflect on how far we’ve come from that era until now --- and the ways in which our country continues to struggle with the issue of race to this day.

9. If you had the chance to ask the author one question about JUNIE --- the inspiration for her story, the writing process, or her personal background --- what might it be?

10. We are taught, as young readers, that every story has a moral, or a lesson about our humanity that is ultimately revealed. What did you learn about the world or yourself after reading this book?