Astrid is motivated by her hero, Rainbow Bite, who gives Astrid a note and mantra which reads, “Tougher. Stronger. Fearless” (Chapter 8). What does it mean to be tougher, stronger, and fearless? How does Astrid come to adopt these traits, and how does she exhibit them?

Teaching Suggestion: This discussion prompt will encourage students to compare how Astrid was when she started out as an insecure and highly emotional girl and to where she ended up as a confident roller girl. This will help students grasp the broader concept of character growth and coming-of-age and apply those ideas to the themes of Embracing Fear and Opportunity Borne of Loss and Failure.

Differentiation Suggestion: English language learners and/or students working to improve their writing proficiency may benefit from guided or group brainstorming opportunities for each part of the prompt to provide them with ideas before beginning a written response.