15 of the Best Book Club Discussion Questions for Any Book
We’ve all been there. It’s time for book club and you need to find a list of book discussion questions for this month’s title so you start searching.
It can be a struggle to sort through all of the potential questions, especially if you are trying to find the right ones to ask children. A lot of the questions provided for children’s book clubs don’t encourage a thoughtful discussion with a variety of opinions.
But what if there was a better way?
What if there was a list of fifteen thought-provoking book discussion questions that you could use for any book title?
Book Discussion Questions
These questions are written to guide you as you lead a great discussion about any book. Use them at home as you read with your kids or bring them to a book club meeting.
A few ideas to make your discussion more interesting:
- – Let your kids ask the questions
– Download the printable, cut the questions into strips, and draw one out of a bag
– Pass one out to each person randomly and discuss those questions
– Number the questions on the printable from 1-15 and then ask the kids to pick a number 1-15
No matter how you ask the questions, have fun and enjoy a great discussion with your kids.
Grab the Printable:
Discussion Questions about the Opening
- 1. Did the story hook you right away? If not, what were your initial impressions? Did they change as you continued to read?
Take a look back at the first chapter. Discuss what the author did to try to draw the reader into the story right away. Did it work in this case or not?
2. What was unique about the setting of the book? Did it enhance or take away from the story? Could this same story take place in a different location or time period?
Discuss various alternate time periods and settings. Think about the ways they might have changed the story.
3. Would you like to live in the time period or setting of the book?
Encourage kids to be specific about what they like or don’t like about the time period and/or setting. Have them consider how their lives would be the same or different.
Discussion Questions about The Characters
4. Do the characters seem convincing and believable? Can you relate to their lives and situations? Do any characters remind you of yourself or someone you know?
This is a great opportunity for kids to relate the characters in the book to people they know.
5. How do characters change, grow or evolve throughout the course of the story? What causes these changes?
Select a character and brainstorm a list of characteristics that describe the character at the start of the book then brainstorm characteristics that describe the same character at the end. Discuss the changes and what events lead to them.
6. If you had to create the movie version, who would play the lead roles?
Don’t limit yourself to famous actors. You are welcome to cast family members, friends, and neighbors in your leading roles. You could also try to cast each person involved in the discussion in a role for the movie.
Discussion Questions about the Plot
7. Is the plot well-developed? believable? Do plot events unfold naturally or do they feel forced?
Open this up to the entire book or look at a few specific events. Do some feel natural while some feel forced? Encourage everyone to share specifics.
8. Were there events that left you with unanswered questions?
What do you still want to know about specific events or characters? Do you think that questions were left unanswered on purpose or were the answers just not just an important part of the plot?
9. What choices did the characters make that you agreed with? Are there times you would have made a different choice?
Take a look at the significant and insignificant decisions that characters made. How do you think it would have changed the plot if the character had made a different choice.
10. Is there an event in the story that you would like to read from another character’s point of view?
Sometimes books rotate the point of view to allow the reader insights into various character’s thoughts and feelings. That doesn’t always happen in a book though. Are there particular conversations or situations that you would have enjoyed reading someone else’s point of view? Why and why?
11. What was the climax? How did you feel at this point? (nervous, anxious, excited, disappointed…)
This is a great opportunity to talk about the climax of a book. Everything has been building up to this point and it is often intense, though it doesn’t have to be. Discuss your feelings and thoughts about the climax.
12. Were you satisfied with the story ending? If you weren’t, how would you resolve things differently?
This is a great opportunity to evaluate the conclusion. People typically have a lot of feelings and thoughts about the ending of a book. Are you left feeling satisfied or disappointed?
Discussion Questions about the Writing Style
13. What was unique about this author’s style of writing? Did you enjoy his/her style?
Does the author use a casual, conversational writing style? Is there a lot of descriptive language? Did the author use a rotating point of view? What makes this author’s writing style unique? How does the style of this book compare to other books you have read?
14. Would you read another book by this author?
Sometimes it is fun to go on an author reading binge if you enjoyed one of their books. Check out some of the author’s other book options and see if they look interesting to you.
15. Share your favorite passage or one that is particularly insightful, interesting, or silly.
It’s always fun to hear the quotes that another reader found interesting or insightful. Share the reason you selected this particular quote. Record it in a book of quotes as well!
Grab a printable list of questions:
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She believes that creativity, laughter, and fun are the backbone for engaging and inspiring homeschools. You can find her encouragement and tips on this blog, Mary Hanna Wilson.
She is an enneagram 7 and an extrovert. She enjoys traveling, tea (iced or hot), good conversations, and books. You can connect with her on Instagram and Facebook.
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