Pollyanna book club questions

The reading plan

Meeting 1: Chapters 1 to 10

1. What does a child deserve from someone who sees caring for her as an unwanted duty?
2. Does Pollyanna's ability to find gladness despite grief seem comforting, demanding, or both?
3. How should we judge Pollyanna's climb after her cold welcome and disappointing bedroom?
4. Where would you draw the line between useful structure and too many rules for Pollyanna?
5. What does Pollyanna's welcome of an intended punishment suggest about the gap between her needs and her aunt's expectations?

Meeting 2: Chapters 11 to 20

6. How fair is the charity society's choice to protect its reputation for overseas donations while refusing local help?
7. What does following the frantic dog suggest about Pollyanna's willingness to get involved?
8. How much weight should we give tender feelings when someone expresses them through sharp words?
9. How might Miss Polly's embarrassment change the way we understand Pollyanna's playful makeover?
10. What makes Nancy's theory about John Pendleton's sadness appealing, and what reasons are there to question it?

Meeting 3: Chapters 21 to 32

11. How does Pollyanna's choice to stay with her aunt shape your view of her plea for Jimmy Bean?
12. When might encouragement serve a divided group better than blame, and what might it leave unresolved?
13. How do you judge an aunt who offers every comfort except the doctor Pollyanna asks for?
14. What might make Jimmy Bean's urgent appeal persuasive when Miss Polly previously refused the medical consultation?

Themes to talk about

Tips for the host

1. Open each meeting with one question everyone can answer, then go deeper.
2. Anyone who fell behind can catch up with the 15-minute summary.