88 pages • 2-hour read
The Wild Robot
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Book Club Questions
General Impressions
Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.
1. What did you think of the novel’s cliffhanger ending? Did Roz’s decision to leave the island surprise you? What lingering questions do you have? What predictions do you have for the rest of the series?
2. How does The Wild Robot compare to other middle-grade novels that depict a protagonist learning to survive on their own in nature, such as Scott O’Dell’s Island of the Blue Dolphins or Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet? What sets Brown’s book apart from these other texts?
Personal Reflection and Connection
Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.
1. One of the novel’s most important dynamics is the bond between Roz and Brightbill. What did you think of their parent-child relationship? Did any of their experiences resonate with you? Why or why not?
2. One of the major questions that Brown asks in this novel is what it means to be alive. What qualities prove that Roz is “alive” even though she is a robot? How do these qualities compare to your own criteria of what it means to be alive?
3. Over the course of the novel, Roz seeks to become increasingly wild. Within your own life, when have you felt closest to nature? What did you gain from this experience?
4. Roz owes some of her happiest memories to her friends, and they support one another in times of crisis. What are some joyful or difficult experiences that brought you and your friends closer?
Societal and Cultural Context
Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.
1. Billbright witnesses a farmer shooting another goose during his migration. What message might Brown be communicating about gun violence and animal cruelty?
2. From William Shakespeare’s The Tempest to Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, castaway stories have captivated audiences for centuries. Why do you think these narratives endure in the popular imagination? What lessons do they offer about life?
Literary Analysis
Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.
1. Using specific examples from the text, contrast Brown’s depiction of civilization with his portrayal of nature. How does the novel subvert conventional representations of the tension between wilderness and civilization? How does this theme impact the novel’s overall meaning?
2. How do the novel’s minor characters, such as the bears and the beavers, develop the theme of the importance of friends and family? Provide specific evidence from the text to show how the animals on the island develop the theme and advance Roz’s characterization.
3. How does Rockmouth’s story develop the theme of acceptance of difference? What do Roz’s interactions with the pike reveal about her character?
4. In what ways is Roz’s emergence from her crate similar to Brightbill’s hatching from his egg? How does this symbolism inform the characters’ parent-child bond?
5. What does fire symbolize in the novel? How does the animals’ relationship with fire shift over the course of the story, and how does this change connect to the theme of wilderness versus civilization?
Creative Engagement
Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.
1. Imagine that you are stranded on an uninhabited island like the one in the novel. How would you feel, and what steps would you take to secure your survival? How would your reaction compare or contrast to Roz’s response to her situation?
2. Create a playlist that captures Roz’s transformation into a wild robot over the course of the story. Which songs would the playlist begin and end with, and why?
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