The New Book Review

This blog, #TheNewBookReview, is "new" because it eschews #bookbigotry. It lets readers, reviewers, authors, and publishers expand the exposure of their favorite reviews, FREE. Info for submissions is in the "Send Me Your Fav Book Review" circle icon in the right column below. Find resources to help your career using the mini search engine below. #TheNewBookReview is a multi-award-winning blog including a MastersInEnglish.org recommendation.

Showing posts sorted by relevance for query discussion questions. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query discussion questions. Sort by date Show all posts

Friday, July 5, 2019

Crazy Rich Asians Book and Movie Discussion Questions


Crazy Rich Asians Book and Movie Discussion Questions

The book and movie versions of Crazy Rich Asians is crazy so popular. Your book club or coffee group might like to have discussion question handout for each. Click on the next link for a free instant download of the free PDF. 


The PDF has the book group questions first.
Crazy Rich Asians Book and Movie Discussion Questions

Page 2 has the movie discussion questions.

Crazy Rich Asians Book and Movie Discussion Questions

I am in a book club that always seems to read old, old books. There is nothing wrong with that, but the reason is we cannot get discussion questions for newer books. So I would like book groups to have a choice of more current reading materials as well as the older books that the library offers. The book sets from our library include discussion guides, and we check out a book for the month. When we meet again, we return our books to the library bag and check out another book. 

For newly published books, it could be a combination of eBooks people might buy, books from the library, and maybe some people purchase their own books. Sharing books is always good. Or a group might opt to see a movie based on a movie once in a while. Groups might have to be a little more flexible when selecting more recent reading materials.

Crazy Rich Asians Book and Movie Discussion Questions

Feel free to share on social media. 


Thank you for reading, Carolyn from The Wise Owl Factory

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG AND GETTING REVIEWS AND ANOTHER FREEBIE


 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) It has 325 jam-packed pages covering everything from Amazon Vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically!

This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shoutout praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines in the left column of this page or in the tab at the top of the home page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.



Note: Participating authors and their publishers may request the social sharing image by Carolyn Wilhelm at no charge.  Please contact the designer at: cwilhelm (at) thewiseowlfactory (dot) com. Provide the name of the book being reviewed and--if an image or headshot of the author --isn't already part of the badge, include it as an attachment. Wilhelm will send you the badge to use in your own Internet marketing. Give Wilhelm the link to this post, too!

Tales2Inspire Anthologies


Thursday, September 5, 2019

Stories of Your Life by Ted Chang and Arrival the Movie Discussion Questions

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page and in a tab at the top of this blog's home page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites so it may be used a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Stories of Your Life and Other Stories by Ted Chiang 
and Arrival the Movie Discussion Questions


Stories of Your Life by Ted Chang and Arrival the Movie Discussion Questions


Stories of Your Life and Other Stories was written by Ted Chiang. Arrival, the movie, is based on a single chapter entitled (not surprisingly) "Stories of your Life." After watching the movie, I was inspired to read the book thinking it was based on a novel. So, I had to make do with the one chapter that really didn't explain that much more about the movie. The movie does leave a person wondering. However, the book is still worthy because of all the other stories. Ted Chiang's book, Exhalation, was on a summer reading list by former President Obama.
Stories of Your Life by Ted Chang and Arrival the Movie Discussion Questions

If a book club has read the book or watched the movie, these questions are on a PDF instant download available at the next link. Click for your own copy.


Now for the book questions. Ah, Chiang seems to be somewhat of a technical writer and we must use our inferring reading and thinking skills to figure out what he means. This makes for a great book club discussion, while not an easy one. He offers us some thinking challenges.

Stories of Your Life by Ted Chang and Arrival the Movie Discussion Questions

My questions probably do not do the book justice as it is quite deep. A book club might take the discussion deeper, after beginning with the handout. 

You might also enjoy the discussion questions for the books and movies, The Green Book, as well as The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

Thank you for reading, Carolyn Wilhelm from the Wise Owl Factory


MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page and in a tab at the top of this blog's home page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites so it may be used a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Howl's Moving Castle Book and Movie Discussion Questions

Howl's Moving Castle Book and Movie Discussion Questions

This month we have a book and film that fit in nicely with the Halloween theme, although it is not intended for just this time of the year. Howl's Moving Castle is a good book for readers who may be overly fond of and idealizing Harry Potter, as it shows the good and bad in magic. In fact, the heroine, under an aging spell, has a very difficult time through most of the book. That darn Witch of Waste! How mean of her to do that to poor Sophie. Of course, in the end, as the intended audience is in the middle grades, there is a happy ending . . . before books two and three in the trilogy.


  • Print Length: 448 pages
  • Publication Date: September 25, 2012
  • eBook ASIN: B008LV8TSU
  • Audio Book ASIN: B001LFBO1C
  • Paperback ISBN-10: 0061478784
  • Paperback ISBN-13: 978-0061478789
  • Movie ASIN: B074121MFT

  • Here are the movie discussion questions, followed by the book discussion questions. October is great for Howl's Moving Castle, movie or book!


    Howl's Moving Castle Book and Movie Discussion Questions

    Howl's Moving Castle Book and Movie Discussion Questions
    Howl's Moving Castle Book and Movie Discussion Questions
    • Thank you for reading, 

    Questions by I-Reid of the Wise Owl Factory
    I. Reid is the pen name of an insatiably curious, overeducated homo sapien who much to the dismay of family and friends has never outgrown the why phase (or how phase if applied to how a thing works). As I. Reid is gainfully employed and considered a productive adult in polite society, I. Reid guest blogs on occasion guided by whatever is the curiosity of the nanosecond.

    • More About The New Book Review Blogger


       The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) It has 325 jam-packed pages covering everything from Amazon Vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically!

      This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shoutout praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines in the left column of this page or in the tab at the top of the home page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.



      Note: Participating authors and their publishers may request the social sharing image by Carolyn Wilhelm at no charge.  Please contact the designer at: cwilhelm (at) thewiseowlfactory (dot) com. Provide the name of the book being reviewed and--if an image or headshot of the author --isn't already part of the badge, include it as an attachment. Wilhelm will send you the badge to use in your own Internet marketing. Give Wilhelm the link to this post, too! 








    • Th
      MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG AND GETTING REVIEWS AND ANOTHER FREEBIE

    Tuesday, May 4, 2021

    News of the World Book and Movie Discussion Questions Free Guide

    News of the World Book and Movie Discussion Questions Free Guide 

    • Author: Paulette Jiles
    • Publisher: William Morrow
    • Language: English
    • Hardcover: 224 pages
    • ISBN-10: 0062409204
    • ISBN-13: 978-0062409201
    • Pages: 224

    News of the World Book and Movie Discussion Questions Free Guide

    Oh, this book made quite an impression on me and I cannot stop thinking about it. I had no idea the situation this story presents happened many times. Let's just say a child taken from her family for years, and is then returned, but her parents are dead. The story takes place five years after the end of the Civil War. The hero, Captain Kidd, fought in two wars and lived through the third. He raised two daughters and felt his parenting days were over. He promises to take a girl back to her aunt and uncle which requires traveling 400 miles through dangerous territory. It was indeed the wild west at that time, and they face dangers and unpleasant conditions. 

    First, please note the book does have some discussion questions in the back. Those may be preferable. Here are a few more possible questions. 


    News of the World Book and Movie Discussion Questions Free Guide
    The author adds a note about a book by Scott Zesch's book, The Captured. What was the astounding information she included? Do you think that book would be interesting? Why or why not? 

    The movie was very different from the book. Many details were changed. Here are the movie questions, without giving away too much in the way of spoilers. It had basically the same ideas as the book, with different details. 

    News of the World Book and Movie Discussion Questions Free Guide
    I hope you find the story as interesting as I did! 
    Thank you for reading, 
    Carolyn Wilhelm
    Carolyn Wilhelm is the author and sole owner of The Wise Owl Factory LLC site and blog. She has a BS in Elementary Education, an MS in Gifted Education, an MA in Curriculum and Instruction K-12, and has completed the KHT Montessori 12 month program. She makes mostly free resources for teachers and parents. Her children's books are available on Amazon. She was a public school teacher for 28 years. She writes for The New Book Review and Sharing with Writers and Readers.

    More About #TheNewBookReview Blog The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

    Monday, February 7, 2022

    My Octopus Teacher Film 10 Discussion Questions

    My Octopus Teacher Film 

    10 Discussion Questions

    I loved the film, My Octopus Teacher. My daughter who has never liked cephalopods so much I could barely mention the title to her didn't watch it. She doesn't know what she is missing, in my opinion. Although there is a lengthy discussion guide online, I wrote ten discussion questions to encourage people to talk about the movie. The site's critical consensus reads: "A heartwarming look at the way a meaningful bond can transcend just about any barrier, this documentary will leave you asking your friends to come and see My Octopus Teacher with you." Living in a pandemic, that left me to watch it alone as no one in my so-called bubble wanted to watch (or discuss) the movie. So, that leaves me to write a blog post. Having watched it months ago, I still feel the impact of what I learned. 

    My Octopus Teacher Film 10 Discussion Questions

    For the questions that are less easily answered from only viewing the film, please see the long yet engaging official discussion guide. Here are my questions to get started:

    Why did Craig Foster begin a daily diving regimen? How was it filmed? Where was it filmed?

    2.    Did you connect with the protagonist, the octopus? Did the protagonist have a name? Did she have a memory?

    3.    What portion of the life of the octopus did Foster record? What is the usual life expectancy of a cephalopod? How did you feel when he did not intervene or help at critical moments, like when the shark attacked or she gave birth?

    4.    Do you think this movie was part of why the UK declared some octopuses, crabs, and lobsters as sentient beings in 2001?

    5.    What is the range of temperatures in a kelp forest? Why? Describe the self-discipline needed to form a relationship with the octopus and record the information.

    6.    How is climate change affecting kelp seaweed forests? How do kelp forests help climate stability?

    7.    Why do you think Foster said, “What she taught me is to feel that you are part of this place. Not a visitor. And that’s a huge difference.”

    8.    How did the story show love, friendship, connection, and hope? Do you think it was a love story?

    9.    How does cold water stimulate brain activity? How long did Foster and the filmmakers have to hold their breath?

    1             What is living science, according to the Sea Change Project?

    Have you had a “teacher” in nature? Tell about your experience. 

    If you have not seen the film, I hope to encourage you to do so. Here is a trailer that might help. 




    Last, but hopefully not least as they say, here is the free instant download question guide I wrote. Click on the next link to download your copy. 

    Discussion questions free instant download PDF

    My Octopus Teacher Film 10 Discussion Questions free instant download

    Thank you for reading, Carolyn Wilhelm of the Wise Owl Factory LLC 

     
     More About #TheNewBookReview Blog The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

    Wednesday, February 5, 2020

    BlacKkKlansman Book Discussion Questions


    BlacKkKlansman Book Discussion Questions
    BlacKkKlansman Book Discussion Questions

    Discussion Questions

    BlackkKlansman:

    Race, Hate, and the Undercover Investigation of a Lifetime 
    By Ron Stallworth

    Publisher:  Flatiron Books, Sold by Macmillian
    ISBN-10: 1250299055

    ISBN-13: 978-1250299055
    ASIN: B078X26S6C

    Click on this link to get your free instant download of the discussion questions for your book club.

    This nonfiction book might not be what you expect as it is different from some of the movies available with about the same title. In this story, the author, Ron Stallworth, was working in the police force. At first, he only thought he would earn money and become a high school teacher. We are lucky he did not and became a writer who shares such informative reading material.

    Stallworth was the frequent voice on the phone to people like David Duke in the KKK, while another white officer went to the in-person events. The two men team worked together to investigate the KKK while pretending to be enthusiastic members. They had to be careful much of the time to not reveal the truth of what they were doing. Besides fooling the people in high positions within the Klan, they had to keep their true feelings to themselves. It was a difficult "acting" assignment, and there were some close calls. The book has some humorous portions, but overall this was a very serious project.

    Included in the book are photos that prove the author's story. His very own KKK membership card and other memorabilia are in the special images section. The entire investigation didn't last that long and was successful as by knowing when crosses would be burned, the author could tip of the police in his office. The police would then drive by and in that way stop the activities. Although the Klan and other racist groups were in the area, no high profile problems occurred.

    I had no idea of many of the activities and pledges people made to these groups. It seems to be the basis of some of the white supremacy hate speech going on today. There were hundreds of thousands of members in the one location mostly described in the book.

    The author was also invited to some secret meetings, like offices inside what appeared to be a mountain. Another time, he was able to see some confidential files with valuable information, although he could only take notes in the limited amount of time provided. It was all news to me and very interesting reading. It is a fairly fast read because of the "police blotter" style of writing and the author's clear language. This book would be good for book club discussions or reading to learn for oneself.

    BlacKkKlansman Book Discussion Questions free

    BlacKkKlansman Book and Movie Discussion Questions

    Thank you for reading!

    Carolyn Wilhelm, UDEMY Instructor for Self-Publishing from the Very, Very Beginning

    MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG AND GETTING REVIEWS AND ANOTHER FREEBIE

     The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) It has 325 jam-packed pages covering everything from Amazon Vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically!

    This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shoutout praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines in the left column of this page or in the tab at the top of the home page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.



    Note: Participating authors and their publishers may request the social sharing image by Carolyn Wilhelm at no charge.  Please contact the designer at: cwilhelm (at) thewiseowlfactory (dot) com. Provide the name of the book being reviewed and--if an image or headshot of the author --isn't already part of the badge, include it as an attachment. Wilhelm will send you the badge to use in your own Internet marketing. Give Wilhelm the link to this post, too! 

    Thursday, August 5, 2021

    Nomadland Film and Book Discussion Questions Free Instant Download

    Nomadland Film and Book Discussion Questions Free Instant Download

    TITLE: Nomadland

    SUBTITLE: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century

    AUTHOR: Jessica Bruder
    AUTHOR'S WEBSITE: https://www.jessicabruder.com/bio  
    GENRE: Gerontology Social Sciences, Economic Conditions (Books), US Travel Guide 
    PAGES: 288
    PUBLISHER: Norton
    Link to Amazon

    Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century was written by Jessica Bruder. Made into an award-winning film, it shows a van-dwelling working nomad named Fern. Fern lost her husband and home when the company town shut down. She started traveling to find work. Written, edited, produced, and directed by ChloĆ© Zhao, it stars Frances McDormand as Fern. I find it so interesting that McDormand also helped produce the film after living in a camper van and interviewing itinerant Americans. I rented it on YouTube, as I don't have Hulu.

    Click this link for your free instant PDF download with the questions

    The story is loosely based on true events regarding the company town of Empire, Nevada. United States Gypsum closed the mine and the town in 2011. People with children were allowed to stay through the end of the school year. Empire mining bought the company in 2016, reopening part of the operations and homes. I love stories based on real events. 

    Film Discussion Questions

    Nomadland Film and Book Discussion Questions Free Instant Download
    Book Discussion Questions

    The book was nonfiction. Did it seem like it would be nonfiction if the movie was watched first? Some people may have been surprised. The author, Jessica Bruder, certainly went to great lengths to interview nomads, stayed in the campground with them, and even worked with them. She realized she always had the choice to leave the lifestyle where they did not have such a choice. 

    Nomadland Film and Book Discussion Questions Free Instant Download
    Thank you for reading, Carolyn Wilhelm, Wise Owl Factory LLC

    Carolyn Wilhelm is the author and sole owner of The Wise Owl Factory LLC site and blog. She has a BS in Elementary Education, an MS in Gifted Education, an MA in Curriculum and Instruction K-12, and has completed the KHT Montessori 12 month program. She makes mostly free resources for teachers and parents. Her children's books are available on Amazon. She was a public school teacher for 28 years. She writes for The New Book Review and Sharing with Writers and Readers.



    Saturday, August 21, 2021

    The Midnight Sky Film Discussion Questions

    The Midnight Sky Film Discussion Questions 

    The Midnight Sky Film Discussion Questions

    The Midnight Sky film is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi story that stars George Clooney, Felicity Jones, and David Oyelewo. It is a Netflix movie. October would be a good month to watch the film as we are thinking of scary things like the apocalypse anyway. However, this is a thought-provoking and sad movie about how the world might end. 

    The Midnight Sky Discussion Questions

    1.     Do we know what happened to the earth? What do you think happened?

    2.     Who is Augustine Lofthouse?

    3.     Why does Lofthouse want to warn the spaceship returning to Earth so it would not return?

    4.     The abandoned child appears and does not speak. What happened that may have caused her to not speak?

    5.     Describe the crew onboard the Aether.

    6.     In the book, Sully was not pregnant. In the film, they built the fact she actually was pregnant into the story. Do you feel it added tension and depth to the story?

    7.     Lofthouse goes to great lengths almost beyond human endurance to warn the people on the spaceship about the problems on earth. Why?

    8.     Lofthouse loses his dialysis equipment in an accident. How did that affect the story?

    9.     How does Sully describe K-23 to Lofthouse? When she says her name is Iris, what did that imply?

         Screenwriter Mark L. Smith also co-wrote the Revenant. Previously, we posted discussion questions about the Revenant movie and book. Does this information tell you The Midnight Sky might be serious?

    Thank you for reading, Carolyn Wilhelm

    Carolyn Wilhelm, Reviewer 

    BS Elementary Education, MS Gifted Education, MA K-12 Curriculum and Instruction

    Wise Owl Factory LLC



    More About #TheNewBookReview Blog The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the form at https://www.bit.ly/FinishedReviewSubmissions. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. And know that Carolyn Wilhelm, our IT expert, award-winning author, and veteran educator, makes an award image especially for those who volunteer to write reviews from Lois's review-request list and post them in the spirit of her "Authors Helping Authors" project. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

    Friday, August 27, 2021

    I Miss the Rain in Africa by Nancy Wesson Discussion Questions

    I Miss the Rain in Africa by Nancy Wesson Discussion Questions

    I Miss the Rain in Africa by Nancy Wesson Discussion Questions

    Title: I Miss the Rain in Africa: Peace Corps as a Third Act

    Author: Nancy Wesson
    Publisher: Modern History Press
    Publisher Website Address: www.ModernHistoryPress.com
    Publisher Email Address: info@ModernHistoryPress.com
    ISBN-10: 1615995757
    ISBN-13: 978-1615995752
    ASIN: B0949MFWP6
    Page Count: 296 pages
    Formats (P.B., H.C., Kindle)
    Price: $24.95 Paperback, $37.95 Hardcover, $7.95 Kindle

    Discussion and Book Review by Carolyn Wilhelm

    This book is a marathon of learning about northern Uganda, the Peace Corps there, and the many difficulties Wesson experienced along the way to her ultimately successful projects to help the population. Some books leave us exhausted and perhaps depressed at the end, but this author manages to shine a light on the positive aspects of her experiences in Africa. She does still miss the rain. 

    Discussion questions for book clubs and secondary teachers

    1. Why did Wesson end up in Uganda? Where was she supposed to go at first? Do you think she realized how Peace Corps Volunteers would be housed? What is the name of chapter one, and why? 

    2. How did the most recent war led by Kony leave the citizens with almost insurmountable problems? What were his weapons? Where is he now? Can you imagine living through such an ordeal? 

    3. Given the situation of most of the people in northern Uganda, how do you think the Peace Corps Volunteers felt about how effective they could be at first? How did Wesson's thoughts change near the end of the book as she reflected on her projects?

    4. Explain travel difficulties from the point of view of a Westerner in Uganda. 

    5. Why was the southern part of Uganda so different from the north? 

    6. Of the 46 volunteers, 34 remained after about a year. What do you think caused some people to leave? Was it understandable or not?

    7. How did the pillowcases project begin and develop? Did it surprise you that Wesson had to design her projects, such as the children's library? Were you expecting the Peace Corps would have had job descriptions and just sent people to locations to fit into predetermined roles? 

    8. How was time different in Africa? How were schedules for travel different? 

    9. Discuss the story Wesson shared about getting dental help, traveling in the mud and dark on the way to and from the bus station.

    10. Why was returning home also a challenge? How had things changed? How had the author changed?

    Carolyn Wilhelm is a veteran educator and author. She contributes study guides for books and film to this blog frequently. She says, "We hope you like our discussion questions! We have others found by checking this linkThank you for reading, Carolyn" 


    More About #TheNewBookReview Blog 



     The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing