More Book Club Questions

1. Sonam relies on the elephant god, Ganesh. What does Ganesh do for him?
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• Helps him win first place in the art show. (Ganesh is the god of art & learning – page 44.)
• Protects Sonam (You didn’t get swept over the rocky ledge” page 76; and, “Ganesh must have helped me” – kept his papers dry, page 90.)
• Connects Sonam to the king. (They share the love of the elephants and the elephant god, Ganesh – page 126.)
2. Ganesh is a god in what religion? What religion is Sonam?

What spiritual source do you turn to if you want help?

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Ganesh is a Hindu god. Sonam is Buddhist.

3. What is the name of the village where Sonam lives? Where is it?
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Khumjung, near Namche Bazaar and Mount Everest, in Nepal.

4. How many children are in Sonam’s family? What are their names and ages? Which child is the sister?
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Dorje (16), Sonam (11), Pasang (9), and Lhakpa (8). Lhkapa is the sister.

5. What animals, familiar and new, appear in the story?

What animal in the world is your favorite and why?

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sheep, wolf, yaks, birds, monkeys, musk deer, Bengal Tiger, snow leopard, Himalayan tahr, elephants, bats.

6. What is the occupation of Sonam’s father?

What occupation would you like to have? Why?

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He teaches novice mountain guides how to lead extreme climbs.

7. Why did the king summon Sonam?
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To send him to Nepali villages to draw the people and their life in the villages, then bring the pictures to the king.

8. What city does the king live in?
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Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.

9. Sonam wants something that will change his life. What is it?
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To go to secondary school.

10. What is cultural geography?
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The study of places and society.

11. What are the two main religions of Nepal?
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Hinduism and Buddhism.

12. What are the two big countries that border Nepal?
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India and China.

13. Taking risks is part of life. Give examples of times Sonam takes risks. What compels him to take risks?
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• Risks going with Phura Tharkey to Kathmandu. Why? He is ordered by the king and told what the consequences will be if he doesn’t obey.
• Risks going with the stranger man and Amrita in Namche Bazaar. Why? He is helping someone in need.
• Risks crossing the river. Why? It’s the only way to get to Kathmandu.
• Risks talking with Norbu Sherpa and asking the king about Budhanilkantha School. Why? He wants to go to secondary school and is trying many ways to get there.
14. Sonam lives in a place that is very different than where the king lives. What are some of those differences? How are these places similar or different than where you live?
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• Khumjung is a remote village with many stone walls, a Buddhist monastery and monument. Sonam lives in a stone hut with a smoky kitchen. It is heated by yak dung. T here are mats on the floor where the family sleeps. The animals live under the house.
• The king lives in a big city that has pagodas and shrines dedicated to various Hindu gods. He lives in a palace with many rooms decorated with lavish items. He has servants. Surrounding the palace is a big garden with an elephant, a tiger, bats, koi.
15. Several of the chapters in this story end with cliffhangers, that is, paragraphs or sentences that leave the reader hanging. Find some examples of cliffhangers and analyze how they create suspense. Find where and how the suspense is resolved. Why does the author use cliffhangers?
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• page 13: “Maybe the king wants to punish me—is that why he summoned me?” Resolved at end of the book when king explains why he summoned Sonam.
• page 51: “Sonam is so young to go, What if something bad happens to him?”
• page 68: “I was trapped.” On P 71 & 72 the women and police free Sonam.
• page 82: “We’ll never get to Kathmandu if we can’t cross the river.”
• page 86: The man tells them he’ll show them how to cross the river.
• page 97: “We’ll never get to Kathmandu if uncle doesn’t get on the plane.”
• page 98: Phurah Tharkey convinces uncle it’s ok and uncle finally boards the plane.
• page 114: The guard threatens Sonam by saying “I’ll take you to the police station.”
• page 116: They got the lid and left Swayambhunath.
• How do cliff hangers create suspense? They leave the reader wondering about if the problem can be solved or if the character will be stuck.
• Why does the author use cliff-hangers? To get the reader to want to read more to find the answer.