Discussion Questions for
Riding The Bus With My Sister
Three sets of questions, provided by three sets of readers.
Caryn DeVries from the "Hat and Glove" Book Club in Fremont, MI provided the following questions, which sparked a lively discussion.
- How was your perception of bus drivers changed by this book?
- How did the parents‚ attitude effect the siblings acceptance of Beth?
- What was your feeling about Beth sterilization?
- How did you feel about Beth not working? Was she capable of doing more?
- What was the significance of the moon?
- Who did you relate with more Beth or Rachel?
- What are your feelings on "self-determination?"
- Did you think Beth's disability had anything to do with the break-up of the family?
- Where would you see Beth in 10 years?
Michelle Whitney Evans wrote these questions for Readers' Circle, a book club run by The State, in Columbia, South Carolina.
- Why does Beth enjoy riding the bus? What does she gain from her ad hoc community?
- What lessons does Rachel learn from her experience riding the bus with her sister? Why does the experience bring her closer to Beth?
- What does Beth teach Rachel about love? How does Rachel's broken relationship with Sam compare to the relationship Beth has with her boyfriend Jessie. Is Beth and Jessie's relationship a traditional one? What do you think of Jessie's definition of love?
- Why does the author describe the lives of the drivers? What do their experiences teach us?
- How do the chapters about Rachel and Beth's family help readers understand their relationship?
These are more general questions, which were provided by an online book club that includes members from Texas to Italy.
- The circumstance that sets the book in motion is called the inciting moment. What was the inciting moment of this book?
- Describe the character development. Who did you identify with? Did your opinions about any of the characters change over the course of the book?
- How does the author use language and imagery to bring the characters to life? Did the book's characters or style in any way remind you of another book?
- What do you believe is the message the author is trying to convey to the reader? What did you learn from this book? Was it educational in any way?
- Why do you think the author chose the title? Is there a significant meaning behind it?
- Is there a part of the book you didn't understand? Are you confused by a character's actions or the outcome of an event?
- Do you think the setting, both time and location, played a large role in this novel? Could it have happened anywhere, at anytime? If so, how would the book have changed?
- In your opinion, is the book entertaining? Explain why or why not.
- What is your favorite passage and why?
- How did this book touch your life? Can you relate to it on any level?
