SuitabookPony
R.J. Palacio
- Reading
- Consider reading the opening together, then check in about the threatening scene and the ghostly companion. If the journey feels tense, pause to talk about what Silas knows and what remains mysterious.
- Themes
- Fear and courage: Silas is left frightened and alone, then decides to set out on a perilous journey. The premise places fear and a courageous choice together, but does not establish how the story evaluates courage or handles fear over time.
- Ghosts and mystery: Silas’s companion Mittenwool is a ghost, and the journey is linked to secrets about Silas’s past and mysteries of the world. The book’s stance on this remains unclear.
- Worth knowing
- The opening includes menacing horsemen taking Silas’s father away, and describes Silas as frightened and alone. A child sensitive to threat or separation may appreciate knowing this before reading.