Discussion Questions for Anna Mei, Blessing in Disguise (Book 3)

Discussion Questions for

Anna Mei, Blessing in Disguise

Now you can put yourself in Anna Mei Anderson’s shoes... what would you do in the situations from the book?

Answer these questions to find out!

Copyright Pauline Books & Media and Daughters of St. Paul 2011

Traditions 1. What do Anna Mei and her friends and family do to celebrate Halloween?

2. How has Halloween changed for you as you’ve gotten older?

3. Are there some traditions that you used to love, but now find silly?

4. What traditions do you think you’ll never outgrow?

Copyright Pauline Books & Media and Daughters of St. Paul 2011

Balancing Act 1. Anna Mei quickly finds 7th grade to be challenging.

What in particular does she have difficulty with?

2. What advice does Danny give her when she’s tired?

3. How do you relax when you feel stressed out?

4. What’s your strategy for balancing school, sports, friends, and extra-curricular activities?

Copyright Pauline Books & Media and Daughters of St. Paul 2011

Expectations 1. What does Anna Mei expect Kai to be like before she meets him?

What is Kai actually like?

How does this make Anna Mei feel?

2. What did Kai expect Anna Mei to be like and how did she surprise him?

3. Think about a time when you expected one thing and were surprised by reality.

What were you expecting?

What really happened? How did that make you feel?

Copyright Pauline Books & Media and Daughters of St. Paul 2011

Mixed Motives 1. Why does Kai join the Science Club and choose the earth science team?

2. What is Kai angry about?

3. How do your parents influence your participation in different activities?

4. Have you ever done something because someone else expected you to even if you didn’t really want to? How did you end up feeling about that activity?

Copyright Pauline Books & Media and Daughters of St. Paul 2011

New Friends

1. What do Mr. and Mrs. Anderson do to welcome the Chens to their community?

2. Why do the Andersons want to get to know the Chens better and have them be a part of Anna Mei’s life in particular?

3. What are some things you could do to welcome a new student or neighbor?

Copyright Pauline Books & Media and Daughters of St. Paul 2011

Sharing Faith 1. Why do the Chens look uncomfortable when Mr. Anderson says a prayer at Thanksgiving dinner?

2. What do you know about other religions?

3. Have you ever talked with a friend about your beliefs or asked them about theirs?

Copyright Pauline Books & Media and Daughters of St. Paul 2011

Exploring Cultures 1. How does Luis blend his Mexican culture with his American culture?

2. Why does Anna Mei have a hard time identifying with her Chinese roots?

3. Where does your family’s heritage come from?

4. How connected do you feel to your heritage?

5. Are there any cultural traditions that you and your family have preserved?

Copyright Pauline Books & Media and Daughters of St. Paul 2011

Over the Top 1. Why does Anna Mei become so angry during dinner with the Chens at the Jade Garden?

2. What does she do about it afterward?

3. Have you ever said something when you were upset that you later regretted?

4. How did you wish you would have handled the situation?

5. What did you do to make amends?

Copyright Pauline Books & Media and Daughters of St. Paul 2011

Putting Others First 1. Why does Anna Mei decide to quit the Science Club?

2. Why does Kai decide to quit the Science Club?

3. In your opinion, who do you think had the better reason for quitting? Why do you think that?

4. Have you ever given up something for the good of someone else? How did that make you feel?

Copyright Pauline Books & Media and Daughters of St. Paul 2011

Blessing in Disguise 1. What does the phrase “Blessing in Disguise� mean?

2. What different things would Kai, Anna Mei, and Mrs. Chen consider blessings in disguise?

3. What in your life has turned out to be a blessing in disguise?

4. Is there anything you can think of in your life that might be in disguise right now, waiting to be recognized as a blessing?

Copyright Pauline Books & Media and Daughters of St. Paul 2011

Anna Mei Series Discussion Questions

Moving

Both Anna Mei and Kai move to Michigan. Think about how each one deals with the move and adjusts to changes. How are they the same? How are they different?

Copyright Pauline Books & Media and Daughters of St. Paul 2011

Jumping to Conclusions Anna Mei has a habit of judging people before getting to know them. Throughout the series, who does she misjudge?

What does she first think about them, and what does she end up thinking about them?

Does it seem to you that Anna Mei learns from her mistakes or not?

Copyright Pauline Books & Media and Daughters of St. Paul 2011

Losing Touch

Describe Anna Mei’s relationship with Lauren.

What do you think will happen with their friendship?

Why is it difficult to have a friend who lives far away? What are some ways to stay in touch?

Copyright Pauline Books & Media and Daughters of St. Paul 2011

Looking for Clues Authors know what is going on in a character’s life long before the reader finds out. Look back at Danny in Cartoon Girl. Are there any clues about his mother’s illness?

Knowing now what was going on with his mom at that time, how can we better explain some of his early interactions with Anna Mei?

Copyright Pauline Books & Media and Daughters of St. Paul 2011

Adoption How has Anna Mei shown that she’s grown more comfortable with her adoption?

How does Anna Mei’s Chinese heritage affect her life in Cartoon Girl compared with Blessing in Disguise. What causes this change?

Without any new facts, how does Anna Mei come to understand and appreciate her birth mother more throughout the series?

Copyright Pauline Books & Media and Daughters of St. Paul 2011

Messages

What messages is Carol A. Grund trying to convey in each individual book?

What is the overall message that the books work together to convey?

Visit www.pauline.org for more fiction for middle-school and teen readers!

Copyright Pauline Books & Media and Daughters of St. Paul 2011