Amulet Series by Kazu Kibuishi Discussion Guide

About the Book

After a family tragedy, Emily, Navin, and their mother move to a mystelious ancestral home. When Emily and Navin witness their mom's kidnapping by a humongous, tentacled creature, they give chase and enter a world filled with shadowy enemies and unlikely friends. In this dark and compelling graphic novel series, readers will breathlessly follow Emily and Navin as they navigate an unfamiliar, dangerous land.

Discussion Questions

1. Choose a character from the Amulet series and create a table that shows the evidence of that character's growth through one or more books. Identify whether the evidence is direct (through author language) or indirect (implied by the author and inferred by reader). What are some new things we have learned about this character? How has the character changed? Rl; R3; R.9
2. What is the central conflict in Escape from Lucien? How is it a catalyst for other conflicts? Which issues are resolved by the end of the book? For the unresolved conflicts, make predictions about how characters will act and make decisions in future books, using evidence from the text. R.2; R.3; R.S; R.9
3. In Escape from Lucien, the purpose of the dark scouts is "to wreak havoc on others" (p. 73). What purpose might havoc serve in the series? Consider the idea that havoc and chaos are important for the evolution of society. Is that true in the world of Amulet? Make some predictions about what might happen in the future of this series based on this understanding. R.l; R.2; R.3; R.6
4. Why might Robert be abandoned when he is possessed by the dark scout? Does he sacrifice himself willingly? What factors does he have to consider when making a decision? Do you believe that he made the right decision? R.l; R.2; R.3; R.S
5. When the dark scouts invaded the city of Lucien, Riva's father evacuated its residents to an underground city. Using evidence from the text, explain why the residents should have fled and hid in the underground city or explain why they should fight. What makes this decision a difficult one for a leader? What additional information might we want about Riva's father to understand his decision? R.l; R.2; R.3; R.S; R.8
6. Father Charles, an elder tree, offers Riva a prophecy: "The sky will begin to fall, and a sun will rise again." Using evidence from the text, explain what Father Charles's prophecy means, and make predictions about what might happen in the next books in the series. What visual and literary techniques does the author use to convey the significance of the prophecy? Why are prophecies often written as riddles? R.4; R.S
7. We learn that part of Max's anger stems from the treatment of elves. Is Max obsessed with seeking vengeance? Is it wrong to seek revenge for something bad that has happened? R.2; R.3
8. The Voice calls Max to Valcor. Why is this particular location symbolic to the events that occur there? R.7; R.8
9. When the dark scouts infiltrate the underground refuge, survivors must decide to abandon the city and the possessed or fight to reclaim the city and help the possessed. Why might the author have chosen to use Patrick to convey the significance of not hurting those who are possessed? R.l; R 2; R.6
10. Consider what role the Voice plays in the text. What might the Voice represent? Consider the role of the setting of Valcor as you explore this question. What might this suggest for later volumes? R.l; R 2; R.3; R.4; R.S
11. Max tells Trellis to find Algos Island, but first, Trellis must assume his role as king of the elves. The rightful heir to a throne often must possess a level of nobility that is absent in any others who try to claim the throne. How is this true with Trellis? In what ways does he act as a king or leader? R.l; R.2; R.3
12. Using evidence from the text, explain how the conflict between elves and men develops throughout the book. What are some of the ways these relationships are beginning to mend? Make a prediction of what might happen in the next book based on how each conflict evolves in this volume. R.l; R.2; R3; R.4; RS; R.6; R.7; R.9
13. Choose a panel or a section of the book and think about how the images and text work together to tell the story. Panels are the artwork within the outline of a frame, and gutters are the space between the panels. What kinds of decisions might the author have made when arranging the panels? Why does the author focus on certain images? How do these choices help to further the story? R.7
14. Choose a character from the book and write an additional scene for the story from that character's perspective. R.6; R.8

Common Core Anchor Standards for Reading Used in This Guide

Key Ideas and Details: R.l; R.2; R.3
Craft and Structure: R.4; R.S; R.6
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: R.7; R.8; R.9
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity: R.lO

About Kazu Kibuishi

Kazu Kibuishi is the Eisner-nominated creator of the #1 New York Times bestselling Amulet series, and of a collection of his popular webcomic, Copper. He is also the cover illustrator of the 15th anniversary paperback editions of the Harry Potter series. He lives in Seattle, Washington, with his family. Visit him online at www.boltcity.com.

This guide was written by Brian Kelley, a doctoral student and adjunct instructor in the Language, Literacy, and Learning Ph.D. Program at Fordham University. His areas of research are sequential art (comics/graphic novels), cognition, affect, motivation, and literary reading.