Discussion Questions for The Boys Who Woke Up Early

1. What is the significance of the title? How did the boys “wake up early?”

2. Did the story seem realistic?

3. The story is set mostly in 1960. Would it happen the same way now?

4. Does the town of Early resemble anywhere you have lived?

5. Were firearms really so accessible to teenagers in 1960? How does this compare with now?

6. Do Jack and Stony remind you of people you have known? What about other characters in the story? Who stands out and why?

7. Would things have gone differently if Stony and Gina had not discovered the Klan robes?

8. Discuss Mary Lou’s relationship with Roosevelt. How would it be different if it happened now?

9. How have Stony and the other characters changed by the end of the book?

10. What is the importance of the scene where Stony and Gina discover the Klan robes? How does this shape the story?

11. Another pivotal scene is the gunfight. Would the rest of the story have occurred had there been no gunfight?

12. What scene stood out the most to you? Why?

13. Have any of your views changed as a result of reading the book?

14. Does The Boys Who Woke Up Early remind you of any other book? How do the two compare?

15. What will happen to these people as they grow older? If you met them today, what would they be like?