Reading Questions for Columbine

10. Which characters had reason to feel guilty? Who do you think still feels guilty now?

11. Do any of the characters change or evolve through the course of the story? Do they change their view of the world and their relationship to it? If so, what events trigger such changes?

12. Compare In Cold Blood's Dick and Perry to Columbine's Eric and Dylan. What similarities and differences do you find? How did Capote and Cullen's approaches to researching and telling their stories differ?

13. Was there anything unique about the setting of the book? Did it enhance the story? How do Columbine High School and the community of Littleton compare with your own school and community? How likely is it that a similar event could happen where you are?

14. Which passages were most difficult for you to read? Which scenes are most memorable for you?

15. At what point in the book did you decide if you liked it or not? What helped you make this decision? What kind of impact did this book have on you?

16. Were you surprised by any of the revelations about the attack? Which ones? Were you surprised by the community reaction in the aftermath? How do you think your community would react after such an event?

17. At what point in the narrative could one decision or one action have changed the outcome? Which characters had a chance to make a difference but didn't?

18. With school shootings being featured regularly and predominately in the media for over a decade, does the public react differently to them now? Do students react differently? School personnel? Law enforcement? The press?

19. Has this book changed how you would relate to your teen children or to teens that you have a close relationship with?

First chapter: Read an excerpt from Columbine


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