Bertman’s novel is about Emily’s struggle to solve the Book Scavenger puzzle, but it is also about her struggle to solve the “puzzle” of friendship. How does Emily’s ability to make and keep friends change over the course of this book?

Consider these questions before you respond to the question in bold.

• What does Emily substitute for face-to-face friendships at the beginning of the story?
• Why is it harder for Emily to make and keep friends than it is for Matthew?
• Besides their common interest in puzzles, what draws Emily to James?
• What events and story details from the middle of the story show that Emily does not fully understand how to be a friend to James?
• How do later events in the story demonstrate that she has grown as a friend? What do you predict will happen in Emily’s friendships after the story ends? Why do you say this?

Teaching Suggestion: This prompt invites students to consider how Emily grows and changes during the course of the story. If your students are ready for terms like “static,” “dynamic,” “round,” and “flat,” you might introduce these and ask students to use them in their discussion of Emily’s growth. Bertman’s narrative stresses Emily’s initial failure to understand the need for reciprocal support in a friendship, and students will likely focus on this facet of friendship.