Suggested discussion questions about The Wanderers for classrooms or book groups…
- Jasper has a lot of rules he lives by. Which one is your favorite? Are there any you’d like to start following?
- Tom and Julie disagree with some of Jasper’s rules. Are there any you think are bad ideas to follow?
- If you could add a rule to Jasper’s list, what would it be?
- Marj is always trying to help Julie…so why do you think she fails so completely?
- There’s a lot in the book about why Julie and Jasper want to travel and help people threatened by monsters. Why do you think Tom wants to travel with them? What clues in the story give you an idea?
- Have you read other stories (or seen movies) with talking cats, or other talking animals? How do you find Tom similar or different?
- Jasper’s magical pack can hold whatever he wants without getting heavy. What would you put in a pack like that? If you could have one magical item, what item and what would the enchantment do?
- When Julie ran away she brought two books with her, which baffled Jasper. If you had to choose two books, what would you bring?
- The Wanderers frequently takes elements of fairy tales and turns them upside-down, like meeting a well-read ogre. Did anything in particular surprise you?
- If you had to face a cannibalistic ogre, a fire-breathing dragon, or a well-meaning Good Fairy, which would you choose?