Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

How do you define bullying? What does it mean to be a victim of bullying? Can someone who bullies, or carries out acts of violence, also be a victim? What about in cases of violent crime carried out in self-defense? What about in other cases of violent crime, like a school shooting?

Teaching Suggestion: Nineteen Minutes details the events and experiences that lead to a high school shooting and explores the aftermath of the event. Picoult’s work typically presents multiple perspectives without offering judgment; in this book, one sees the feelings and experiences of survivors, bystanders, relatives, the shooter, and others. It may be helpful to have students think about what bullying and victimhood mean. You could help students think about the cyclical nature of bullying and discuss how someone who has experienced bullying might later bully others. Consider using the listed resources as a starting point for the discussion about school shootings. The conversation also ties into two of the book’s themes: Bullying and Appearance Versus Reality.

• This poem, penned by a teenager, ponders what may have led someone to become a shooter.