These prompts can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before or after reading the novel.

Personal Response Prompt

Have you ever experienced something that other people didn’t know was happening? Did you feel like no one understood what you were going through? Have you ever felt like you are living in two worlds?

Teaching Suggestion: Reading Challenger Deep is a powerful opportunity to build empathy for those with mental illness or other struggles that aren’t apparent to everyone. Having an experience that feels different or separate from others’ lives ties well into one of the themes of the novel, The Nature of Reality. While Caden’s sense of reality is impacted by his mental illness, those without mental illness can also sometimes feel disassociated or distant from the world around them. Depending on your classroom, students might be willing to share in small groups or with the whole class. Students could also write a short, private journal entry to reflect on their thoughts. This Personal Response Prompt can be used as a pre-reading icebreaker or a post-reading reflection.

Post-Reading Analysis

In what ways does Challenger Deep follow the Hero’s Journey?

Teaching Suggestion: Many students are familiar with the Hero’s Journey as it applies to stories with physical journeys, quests, and paths to victories.