Name
Date
Class Period
Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror
Literature Circle Questions
Important Dates
October 25 and 26– Literature Circle #1 (first half of book read)
November 15 and 16 – Literature Circle #2 (book finished)
November 15 and 16 – Test
Directions: Choose from the following list of questions to answer in preparation for your literature circle
meeting. Questions can only be answered once during the course of the novel. Answer using complete sentences
and provide textual evidence! (They will be turned in after each literature circle meeting.)
Personal Connection (2 per literature circle)
1. How are your feelings and the feelings of a character in your book alike? How are they different?
2. What feelings do you have as you read the novel? Find some places that made you feel this way.
3. Have you had experiences similar to a character in your story?
4. What words does the author use that you might want to use in your own writing? Write them down and
explain why.
Setting (1 per literature circle)
5. Where does the story take place? Discuss the important settings and explain why you believe each is
important to the story.
6. When does the story take place? Was it long ago, in the future, or the present? What did you learn about
this time period?
7. How much time passes in the story? Skim through your book and find places that show how the author
makes time pass, and share these.
Characters (3 per literature circle)
8. Who is the main character? Why is this character important to the story?
9. Are there words a character spoke and/or actions a character took that helped you learn what kind of
person he or she was? Find and discuss two important sections.
10. Did any of the characters change? Pick one and discuss how an event, person, and decision changed that
character.
11. Discuss what you think the main character learned about himself, his family, or his friends.
12. Describe a conflict between two characters. How was it resolved? What did you learn about these
characters?
13. Name one to two minor characters. Show how each affected the main character.
14. Were there problems characters couldn’t solve? Identify one or two and explain why you think they
weren’t resolved.
Structure (1 per literature circle)
15. What is the genre of your book? Give examples that support your decision.
16. What literary techniques did you find? Flashback? Foreshadowing? Figurative language? Find examples
of two of these techniques, and share.
17. Did the author create different moods? Find passages in the text that reveal two different moods, and
share. Point out the words, phrases, and actions that helped create the mood.
Theme (1 per literature circle)
18. How does the title relate to the story?
19. Discuss some points that the author is making about family, friends, feelings, nature, life experiences, or
an historical period. Use details from the story that back up a point you’re making.
20. Discuss what the author might have been saying about family relationships and offer support from the
story to back up your position.
More on the back!
If you read:
Science Fiction (3 per literature circle)
21. What scientific advances do you see in the society? How do these advances in technology affect the
characters’ decisions and actions?
22. Are problems characters face in the story similar to or different from those people face today? Explain
the examples.
23. Does the author deal with present-day issues such as population, food supplies, ecology, technological
advances? Compare the author’s views to your own.
24. Does the story offer hope for humanity or is it a warning? Explain your conclusion.
25. How do people fit into this futuristic society? Are they subordinate to machines? Has democracy
vanished? See if you can identify the changes and offer reasons for each one.
26. Would you like to live in this society? Are there advantages and disadvantages? Offer reasons from the
text for your decisions.
Fantasy (3 per literature circle)
27. What are the settings? Explain the elements of fantasy that you see in the setting.
28. How does the author enable you, the reader, to enter the fantasy world? Are there realistic elements?
Discuss some of these and how they affect the story.
29. How do trips to other times and worlds help the characters cope with the present time?
30. Is there a struggle between forces o flight and dark? Who wins? Offer support for the victory.
31. What special powers does the hero possess? For what purposes does he or she use these powers?
32. What does the hero learn about himself/herself? About life?
33. What personality traits do you have in common with the hero? Discuss two of these.
34. How do ideas and themes in this book connect to other fantasy book you’ve read?
35. Does the story deal with values and themes about death?
36. How has this book changed your thinking?
Horror (3 per literature circle)
37. How does the author build suspense and excitement? Find two passages and discuss how the author
accomplished this. Was it through description? Characters’ thoughts and actions?
38. How does danger affect the decisions and actions of the main character?
39. What part did you consider the most suspenseful? Why?
40. Did the author successfully scare you? If they did when? If they didn’t why not? Not real enough? Too
real? Thoroughly explain.
41. What is causing the fear in the novel? A wild beast? A crazy madman? A mysterious mist? Thoroughly
explain.
42. What other novels or movies are similar to your book? Were they as effective in the “scare” factor as
your book or were they ineffective?
43. If your class were putting on a play about the book, what costumes would be needed? Describe what the
main character would be wearing? What would the “scary” character be wearing?
IR #2 – SciFi/Fantasy/Horror Suggested List
SciFi
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray
Bradbury
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
1984 by George Orwell
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James
Patterson
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Fantasy
Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
Horror
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Shadowland by Meg Cabot
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
The Vampire Plagues I: London 1850 by Sebastian
Rook
These books are only suggestions. If you have questions about a book, please see your teacher.