Dear Edward

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• This novel is quite unlike Ann Napolitano’s other novels, like Hello Beautiful and Within Arms Reach. If you have read Napolitano’s other work, what expectations did they give you for Dear Edward? Were you surprised? Despite the differences in subject matter between the novels, are there any underlying similarities? Which is your favorite, and why?
• There are many novels about true and fictional airplane crash survivors. For instance, Michael Crichton’s Airframe, Judy Blume’s In the Unlikely Event, Noah Hawley’s Before the Fall, or Piers Paul Read’s Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors. How does this novel compare with others in its genre? 
• Does the fact that this novel was based on a true story affect your perception of it? Does it evoke a stronger emotional response because it is modeled after truth?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• After the plane crash, Edward struggles to understand who he is. Have you ever experienced a significant event that left you questioning your identity? What did you do to address this?
• This book involves the impact of an extremely tragic event on a young boy. Were any parts of the book difficult to read? Why?
• At various points, characters utter dialogue that reveals life lessons. For instance, Principal Arundhi reveals a moral about the role of community in human life. What did you take away as the ultimate moral (or morals) of this story, and which characters and dialogue helped reveal this moral? Do you agree with it?
• The letters written to Edward usher in his growth and healing. Have you ever had a pen pal or a person you exchanged letters with? How is this mode of communication different from talking to someone on the phone or over text?

3. Societal and Cultural Context

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

• How does the novel explore the burden of celebrity? How does Edward’s fame affect how people treat him? How is he dehumanized, and why do people treat him this way? Given that Edward is a boy who did not choose fame, does this relate at all to how celebrities like musical artists or sports stars are treated in real life? 
• How does this novel engage in contemporary conversations surrounding mental health and therapy? Is its depiction stigmatizing or helpful and accurate? 

4. Literary Analysis

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

• How does the novel’s dual timeline structure affect its plot and tone? How does it facilitate understanding of Edward?
• What does the use of present tense add to the novel? How does it affect the novel’s tone and the tension of its main action? 
• How is the novel affected by the fact that Edward is 11 years old? How does being young affect his character growth and his processing of the event he lived through? 
• Why are flashbacks used in the novel? How does learning about the deceased passengers aboard the plane contribute to the work’s overall meaning?
• Consider the typical bildungsroman (and its features, like young romance and fitting in). How is this story type complicated by the addition of a dramatic and tragic event like a plane crash? How do this unusual event and popular genre combine to produce Edward’s character arc? What tone do they create when combined?

5. Creative Engagement

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• The novel’s title, Dear Edward, comes from the fact that the eponymous character begins to receive letters from people about the crash. Imagine you are writing a letter to Edward about how his story affected you: What do you write and why?
• Though Dear Edward was made into a television series, it received mixed reviews and was ultimately canceled after one season. If you were adapting this novel for TV or film, how would you approach elements like the letters Edward receives and the novel’s flashbacks?

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