Chapter 1
Why do you think Evan is “always doing things for kicks?”
Chapter 2
So far we’ve met Samantha, Evan, their mom, brother Andy and good friend Gilbert. How would you describe each of their characters at this point? What do you think about the different relationships?
Chapter 3
Why is Evan angry at the end of this chapter?
Chapter 4 In Chapter 4 Samantha lies to her parents about a teacher’s phone call regarding Evan. Why do you think she keeps this from her parents? Do you think she did the right thing? Why or why not?
Chapter 5
What do you think about the confrontation between Evan and his parents?
Chapter 6
Describe the relationship between Evan and Mrs. Brewster. Why do you think they have such a close connection right away?
Why does Evan cry when Mrs. Brewster reads to him and Samantha?
Chapter 7
Why do you think Mom resists having Evan tested for a learning disability?
What do you think about Mom’s character at this point? What about Dad’s character?
In this chapter we see the beautiful owls venture out for their nightly flight. Their flight becomes a theme in this story. What do you think their nightly flight might represent?
Chapter 8
Evan reveals his secret to Samantha. She automatically insists that he needs to get help. Why do you think he resists this?
Why do you think he’d rather drop out of school?
Chapter 9
Should Samantha have shared Evan’s secret with Mrs. Brewster? What do you think the outcome might be?
Chapter 10
What do you think about Gilbert’s parents? In what ways are they similar to Samantha’s parents?
Chapter 11
In this chapter Gilbert considers ditching school. Samantha is willing to go along with him. She talks to Evan about this later that day and tells him she figures Gilbert wanted to ditch because he’s angry with his parents. Evan agrees with this idea. Why do you think Samantha was willing to go along with him?
Do you think Evan starting a fire in science class was an accident? What do you think is important about Mrs. Brewster’s story? What is the significance of the rainbow she saw?
Chapter 12
Do you think Evan’s parents are doing the right thing by taking his artwork away so that he can focus on his studies?
Chapter 13
Based on events in this chapter, have your ideas about the character of Andy changed at all?
In this chapter, Evan prevails in entering an art contest thanks to the help of Andy, Samantha and Mrs. Brewster. He titles his sketch “Flight.” What do you think the title refers to in addition to the sketch?
Chapter 14
Should Samantha tell their parents the truth?
Chapter 15
Explain the advice Samantha is trying to give to Gilbert about spending Thanksgiving weekend with his father.
Chapter 16
What causes Mom to lose control of their car in this chapter? What does her reaction show about her character? Do you think Evan’s accusation is correct? If so, based on what evidence?
Chapters 18-20
How do you think the conflicts in this story are resolved? What do you think the future will hold for the Sheffields? Gilbert and his parents?
Bonus
As stated above, the idea of taking flight is a theme in this novel. We all have obstacles to overcome and we have all set goals for our future. Think about yourself and what you would like to accomplish. What “flight” do you hope to take in your future?