Discussion

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Discussion Guide to Book 1 Skeleton Creek: Ryan’s Journal 1. Describe Ryan as he sees himself. Do you think anyone who writes as much as he has will eventually become good at it? What condition is he in? Why? 2. Over the last year how has Ryan’s journal (and the story inside it) slowly become intertwined with his real life in Skeleton Creek? How did the quest begin? 3. “Privacy has long been the religion of our town.” (p. 17) Why do you think this is important? What would be the religion of your own town? What is good about living in a small town? What can be a challenge? 4. What do you learn from watching Sarah’s footage of the night in the woods? Would you be willing to continue on solving the mystery or not? Why? Which part of the story do you think was more difficult to write: the journal or the script? Why? 5. How is Ryan’s dad involved in the mystery of the story? What information does Ryan learn from him about the dredge and Old Joe Bush? Does your town have any local ghost stories? 6. How is Ryan able to make connections between what he discovers from his dad and the videos from Sarah? Who is finding the most information? Do you think any of the details they are discovering are unimportant (in mystery fiction this is called a red herring)? 7. Ryan is constantly admitting that he is paranoid. Do you think his fear is interfering with understanding the truth? Would you be willing to risk your parent’s wrath and your own safety to pursue the truth of the mystery? What do they have to lose? 8. What does Ryan learn about the tapping sounds on the video and what they mean? Do you think it connects to Ryan’s dad? 9. What passwords does Sarah give Ryan to access the videos? What is the significance of these words? Where do they come from? 10. What do they discover at the dredge at the end of the book? In the end, where are Sarah and Ryan? Predict what you think will happen next and why.