The Wild Robot

The questions

1. Night one, the arrival. The animals are frightened of Roz before she does anything. Why are we scared of things that are only different?
2. Night two, learning to speak. Roz learns by listening for a long time before she talks. When is listening the smarter move?
3. Night three, Brightbill. Roz decides to raise a gosling she did not ask for. What makes someone a parent?
4. Night four, the island in winter. The animals shelter together in Roz's lodge. What does it take for enemies to help each other?
5. Night five, learning to fly. Brightbill has to leave to become himself. Why is that hard for both of them?
6. Night six, the truth about the egg. Roz tells Brightbill something that will hurt him. When should you tell the truth even then?
7. Night seven, the RECOs arrive. Roz will not fight the way they want her to. What does she value more?
8. Night eight, the goodbye. What do you think Roz learned that a robot is not supposed to be able to learn?
9. If a robot lived at our house for a year, what is the first thing it would need to learn about us?

Running the night

• Pick the night before anyone leaves the last meeting. A fixed weeknight beats a good date.
• Text the sheet's first question two days ahead. It is the only prep anyone will do.
• Something to eat that does not need a plate on a lap.
• One person keeps time. Ninety minutes, then the book talk stops.
• Start with the round: one sentence each on where they got to. No apologies allowed.
• End by naming the next book and the next date out loud.

For this bookThe chapters are tiny. Let your kid decide how many, and let them stop mid-run.

BringThe book, something to write with, and the one passage you underlined.