Willodeen

Willodeen chooses to spend more time in nature than in school. What might she be able to learn from nature that she couldn’t learn in school? Is Willodeen’s nature-backed education more or less important than a school education? Does education, like nature, benefit from a balance? If so, what might be a good balance of school and nature for a well-rounded education?

Based on how Willodeen works out the relationship between the hummingbears and screechers, what is the novel’s message about the process of scientific discovery? Do you see the parts of the scientific method (hypothesis, research, testing, conclusion-making) in Willodeen’s actions? Why or why not? Do you think science is an evolving discipline, rather than a finite one? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

The world of Willodeen faces changing conditions as natural disasters get stronger and more frequent. What parallels can be drawn between Willodeen’s world and the climate crisis that Earth faces? Are the elements that seem responsible for the changing world in Willodeen relevant in our world? What actions can be taken to mitigate the effects of these changes?

Both Connor and Willodeen see the world in unique ways—Connor through art and Willodeen through science. What similarities and differences between art and science do you see based on the two characters? How are the processes of discovery and creation similar and different, and what qualities might make someone particularly good at creating and discovering? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

Mae and Birdie appear as a unit rather than as more individual characters. Why might Applegate have chosen to present the women in this way, and does this choice add or detract from the story? How might the story have been different if Mae and Birdie were presented more individually?

How do the sections from the screecher perspective function in the text? Why did Applegate choose to include these segments, and what do they say about how animals perceive the world and humans? Did those sections change how you view animals and how you think about interacting with creatures? Why or why not?

Mae and Birdie insist throughout the novel that magic is real, though the exact way magic works is never explored. Based on the events of Willodeen, how does magic work in the story’s world? Is magic a force for good and bad, or is it more of a neutral force? Where do you think magic comes from and why? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

Willodeen explores the difference between killing for sport and survival. Compare and contrast these two types of hunting. Having finished the novel, how do you feel about killing for sport? Killing for survival? Do you believe any type of killing is justified? Why or why not?