Book Club Discussion Questions
For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, and our BookBrowse Review of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
"ONCE, IN A HOUSE ON EGYPT STREET, there lived a rabbit who was made
almost entirely of china." So begins The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.
That elegantly
attired rabbit was a seventh birthday present to Abilene Tulane from her
grandmother,
Pellegrina. Every morning, Abilene, who is now ten, dresses Edward in one of his
extraordinary
handmade silk suits and hats and winds his gold pocket watch. She sits him at
the dinner table
each evening, and she tucks him into his own bed each night.
"I love you, Edward," she tells him before going to sleep.
Edward never says anything in response, even though Abilene half expects him to,
since of
course he cannot speak. Nor does he particularly feel anything in response,
since most of his
thoughts and feelings center on himself. He never ceases to be amazed at his own
fineness,
considering himself to be "an exceptional specimen"; he is not much interested
in what people
have to say, including the devoted Abilene.
On Abilene's eleventh birthday, her parents tell her the family will soon sail
to London on the
Queen Mary. That night Pellegrina tells Abilene and Edward a bedtime story about
the terrible
fate of a princess who loved no one. Edward, who prefers not to think unpleasant
thoughts,
is unmoved.
On the deck of the ocean liner, Edward receives admiring attention from many of
the other
passengers. However, two young brothers grab Edward off his deck chair, strip
him of his
clothing, and begin to play catch with him. When Abilene tries desperately to
stop them,
Edward goes overboard, into the ocean.
So commences Edward Tulane's odyssey, from the bottom of the sea to rescue by a
kind
fisherman, and through a succession of caretakers. Though yearning for his old
life on
Egypt Street, Edward begins to experience life, love, and loss.
This guide will help you bring
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane to your
class in
many different ways. There are lots of ideas and something for every classroom.
Enjoy!
Once, oh marvelous once,
there was a rabbit who
found his way home.
Discussion Points
Before Reading:
Examine the cover of the book with your students and discuss it. Who is the
author?
Has she written any other books with which you are familiar? What are they
about?
Ask the questions below before you begin reading the book, and write down or
make a chart of
the children's predictions. Ask the same questions again when you finish the
book, and compare
the children's responses with those on the list or chart.
- What do you think this book will be about?
- Who is Edward Tulane?
- What kind of journey could he be undertaking?
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- How does the author develop themes of identity and belonging throughout the narrative?
- What role does the setting play in shaping the characters' decisions and relationships?
- Discuss how the ending reframes the events of the story. Were you surprised?
Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Candlewick Press.
Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.