discussion questions 1. What the Fireflies Knew poignantly reveals the heartbreaking realization that loved ones can be flawed and that the perfect family we all dream of looks different up close. How does KB navigate this reality throughout the book?
2. For any child, moving and uprooting their lives can be traumatic. For KB, this happens after her father’s death, and after her mother’s disappearance. How can this trauma be seen manifesting in other areas of KB’s life?
3. As an almost-eleven-year-old, KB has to navigate a lot of feelings as a younger child, vacillating between resentment, abandonment, and loneliness. At what moment(s) do you think KB finds her inner strength and her own voice?
4. Why does KB find solace and resonance in Anne of Green Gables? Is there a book that you feel similarly about in your personal reading journey? Discuss why that book is important to you.
5. KB wonders, “Do I hate Nia? Or am I mad at her for tryna act like a grownup, when all that grownups do is hurt me?” What’s KB’s relationship with her sister, Nia? How does it change throughout the book?
6. If you could meet any of these characters and have a conversation with them, who would it be? What would your conversation be about?
7. When KB’s grandpa confronts Bobby and Charlotte’s mom, he says, “Our children don’t have to make the same mistakes we did. . . . Let ‘em decide who to be for themselves.” What does he mean by this? How is this theme represented elsewhere in the book?
8. As KB muses about her family, she thinks that “what finally brings the three of us together are the fireflies.” What significance do fireflies have to the book and how do you know? What do you think KB’s fireflies are, and why?
readalong playlist by Kai Harris 1. Tha Crossroads Bone Thugs-N-Harmony 2. Cruisin’ • D’Angelo 3. Before You Walk Out of My Life Monica 4. Exhale (Shoop Shoop) Whitney Houston 5. Let’s Stay Together • Al Green 6. Miss You Much • Janet Jackson 7. Fantasy • Mariah Carey 8. I Wanna Dance with Somebody Whitney Houston 9. Before I Let Go • Maze & Frankie Beverly
11. I’m Goin’ Down • Mary J. Blige 12. Runaway • Janet Jackson 13. Why Does it Hurt So Bad Whitney Houston 14. When Doves Cry • Prince 15. Candy Rain • Soul For Real 16. Remember the Time Michael Jackson 17. A Song For You • Donny Hathaway 18. End of the Road • Boyz II Men
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10. Reasons • Earth, Wind & Fire
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celebrate literary icons with Kai Harris