This month’s FYA Book Club selection is Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. Check out the discussion questions below! (Slight spoilers ahead.)
P.S. If you’ve already read the book, feel free to add any other discussion questions of your own in the comments!
Icebreaker
What was your childhood best friend like? And what’s one of your favorite memories of spending time with them?
Questions
1. How do you think Ari being the youngest child contributes to his relationship with his parents?
2. What purpose do Ari’s rules serve, and how do Dante and Ileana fit into this purpose? His family?
3. Do you think Ari came to accept his father and his emotional distance, or was he just cutting his losses?
4. How you think Dante grew or changed during his year in Chicago? Did that change his friendship with Ari or was it just part of growing older?
5. Ari and Dante both have different perceptions about what it means to be Mexican-American. How did their family backgrounds shape their identities? Do you think their perceptions changed over the course of the book?
Additional Questions
Check out the official discussion guide here.
