1.In what ways is Bella Bella a story about overcoming fear? Give three examples from the text to illustrate this theme.
2.Often, stories tell you a great deal about their characters without stating it directly, leaving it to the reader to infer information from surrounding detail. The adventure in this story takes place on a sea-kayaking journey. What can you infer about each of the characters based on this choice of vacation activity?
3.How do the characters in this story differ in their views on race? Lisa comments that Cassidy’s best friend is nonwhite. Does having a friend of another ethnicity give a person license to be more critical of other cultures? Why or why not?
4.Characters in Bella Bella discuss the use of various terms to describe native cultures and people of other races. How is language and word choice important when discussing culture? Give examples from the story.
5.The characters in this story are faced with the real-world problems of human trafficking and undocumented migrants. What have you heard about this topic outside of this book? How are Aaron’s views on the subject affected by what he encounters on his kayaking adventure? How do his views compare with other members of his traveling group?
6.How is Bella Bella similar to another book you’ve read? Cite examples from both books to support your comparison.
7.How would you describe Aaron’s feelings about his father? Does their adventure affect their relationship? How? Did the story leave you with any questions about the two of them?
8.When the adventurers all throw rocks at the bear to scare it away from the island, Aaron picks up a stone but doesn’t throw it. Why do you think he chooses not to join the others in throwing rocks at the bear? Give evidence from the text to support your answer.
9.Other than overcoming fear (mentioned above), what is one major theme of this story? What main ideas do you think the author wants you to take away? Support your answers with examples from the book.
10. The author describes various animals as having unusual interactions with the native people who live along the Northwest Coast. Describe one such animal, including any native name and/or related folklore presented in the book.
11. Describe Aaron’s relationship with Lisa. How does the presence of Cassidy affect how Aaron acts toward Lisa? Give examples from the story.
12. How would this story be different if there were no adults involved? In what ways do the adults drive or influence the decision making in the story? In which situations were the adults least involved in the direction of the plot?
13. The diver from the Sea Wolf describes his actions in terms of “yin and yang.” What does he mean by this? Can you find other examples of yin and yang in this story?
14. Why does Aaron ask his father to delay alerting the authorities about the smugglers? Do you agree or disagree with his decision? Why?
15. Why do you think the author chose to name a story so full of danger Bella Bella?