Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

What is the difference between “fitting in” and “belonging”? Is one more important than the other? Is either one completely unimportant? What are some reasons that a person might struggle to fit in with their peer group? What are some reasons that a person might feel like they don’t belong?

Teaching Suggestion: In the novel, Lucy learns that she does not have to “fit in” as much as she imagines in order to “belong.” This distinction is an important one for middle-grade students to begin grappling with, and they may struggle at first to recognize that there is any difference between these two things at all. The first resource listed below, which might be offered to students before, during, or after they tackle this prompt, may help students clarify their thinking about the distinction before they read about Lucy’s struggles to understand it. The second resource may be useful in providing language and ideas for discussion.

• A 30-second video featuring Brené Brown defining the two terms
• An article from Michigan State University about helping kids understand how fitting in and belonging are different (Teacher-appropriate; not student-facing.