Research the condition of being born with mutism. How does the book’s depiction of mutism compare with the real-life science behind the speech disability?

Research other re-imaginings of Hamlet, including The Lion King and Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. How does this novel use the elements of the tragedy? Can a reader appreciate this novel without knowing Hamlet?

What do dogs mean to the Sawtelle family? Does it add to or detract from the novel that chapters endow dogs with the ability to think and respond to events? Can dogs “decide”? Use the correspondence between John Sawtelle and the New Jersey dog breeder as evidence of the Sawtelle vision. Is Almondine a character?