A Novel By Randa Abdel-Fattah
This study guide contains comprehension questions based on each section, vocabulary lists, creative tasks and practice essay topics.
Sample Questions
Michael pp. 1-6
1. How do you feel when you read that Michael’s parents have ‘been angry about almost everything’?
2. How could this have made Michael feel?
3. Why would someone drape themselves ‘in the Australian flag’?
4. What kinds of things are written on the signs people are holding? Why would they be holding these signs?
5. Why is Michael’s dad happy to see the reporter and cameraman?
6. What shocks Michael on page 4?
7. Why is ‘someone like her’ in italics?
8. Why do you think Michael has ‘inadvertently lowered’ his sign?
9. ‘That’s why we’re fighting, Michael. For people like Joe’ – Explain what Michael’s dad meant.
Mina pp. 7 - 12
1. Which image on page 7 do you find the most striking? Why?
2. Describe Mina’s mother.
3. What happened to Mina’s father?
4. Why do you think Mina calls the North Shore ‘Pretentiousville’?
5. Why were Mina and her mother moving?
6. ‘the Lane Cove shops could do with some ‘exotic’ food’ – What does this mean?
7. Mina says she is about to face ‘a terrifying chapter’ in her life but then her mother reminds her of things she has already been through. How would you compare these things? Do you think year 11 and 12 would be more terrifying than what she has already been through?
8. How do you feel about Mina and her mother at the end of this section?
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