Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for All the Noise at Once by DeAndra Davis

1. What is the noise Aiden experiences? Is he the only one who hears it? How is his perception of "noise" unsettling, and what are some of the instinctive behaviors and learned skills he uses to regain his composure?
2. Which of the novel's characters prove themselves as champions for Aiden's self-advocacy and confidence? How do they show this throughout the football season? Which characters are adversarial to Aiden in these areas, and how do you know?
3. Consider how Aiden views his brother, Brandon. At the beginning of the novel, he thinks about all the negativity and noise jostling around in his own brain, but how "Brandon never hears it. All he sees in me are the bright spots." (Chapter one) Discuss other examples of the ways Brandon helps Aiden see his own bright spots. Consider creating a list of your own bright spots to remind yourself on tough days.
4. Consider Aiden's and Isabella's Life Skills class. In what ways does Aiden's opinion of the class change over the course of the football season? How do Ms. Findley's assignments and exercises play a role in his progression?
5. Discuss the ways in which Aiden notices how Isabella is different from other classmates, even ones he's known for years. Which of Isabella's characteristics and behaviors prove comforting to Aiden? How do Isabella and Aiden give support to each other?
6. On numerous occasions in the novel, Aiden makes mental "notes" to himself. He applies these notes in a variety of ways to build understanding of the world around him. Discuss two or three notes that help the reader understand Aiden's thoughts or emotions in a particular moment or situation.
7. Consider the team, especially Gregory, Carter, Reg, Bernard, and Louis: How are these characters different from one another? Aiden observes that "something about their behavior seems as though it is teetering somewhere between friendship and rivalry. Somewhere between friend and foe." (Chapter five) Provide examples of how his teammates align with this observation, and discuss how you think that plays out in the aftermath of "the incident."
8. After an encounter with a local police officer, Brandon says to Aiden, "'we important to someone who's important to them,'" making them important. (Chapter four) How does that sentiment repeat or contradict itself later in the novel? Consider the several interactions Aiden and Brandon have with police officers in the book. Did police officers treat Brandon and Aiden differently depending on the circumstances? Discuss as a class why you believe this is true or false.
9. Without including the title of chapter six as "The Incident," identify different elements of Aiden's descriptions of the team and Randy's diner that lets readers know tension was high and Aiden was feeling "off" even before the fight.
10. How does Aiden react to Brandon's new position of vulnerability after the arrest? Can you identify an event that signaled a shift in the balance of supporting roles between the two brothers? Discuss how a shift of their roles was meaningful for their relationship.
11. One of Aiden's Life Skills projects is to interview, get, and maintain an after-school job. He's apprehensive and realizes that his job at the library will be the first time someone will be placing "an obligation in front of me without some expectation of needing to assist me with it." (Chapter ten) How does this expectation make Aiden feel? Have you ever had a job, and if so, how did you feel during the application and interview process? How did you feel when you first started? If you haven't had a job yet, what are you most nervous or excited about?
12. How does the theme of self-advocacy and empowerment change for characters in the book? Choose a character and explain how they use their empowerment to resist opposition and support other characters.
13. How does Aiden allow peer pressure, or his perceived expectations of others, to play a role in his decisions?
14. How does the author address racial bias and racial violence in different scenarios? How do students, parents, and police respond to racism throughout the novel? How, if at all, does racial bias play a part in the actions of Brandon's teammates? His coaches?
15. What did Aiden's parents mean by teaching their sons "comply" and "get home alive"? (Chapter four) How does Aiden question his parents' view of why they chose to live in their specific neighborhood? Discuss whether you agree or disagree with his parents' reasoning.
16. Why does Aiden think Brandon's situation is his fault? How would you advise Aiden to view the situation?
17. Consider Brandon's situation after the arrest. Discuss the scope and slant the news media and Brandon's peers on social media have on his situation. Debate if the media outlets are focused on providing information about the incident in a fair and unbiased manner. How would you have approached discussion about the events?
18. While leading Brandon to have a conversation with Ms. Findley, Aiden defends the Life Skills class, stating "'it is not just for troubled kids, either. It is for life skills. It is for helping you deal with all the crap that life throws at you.'" (Chapter nineteen) How does the conversation help Brandon voice, and later come to terms with, his deeper feelings about his identity at school and in life? How does Brandon's admission impact his relationship with Aiden?
19. Discuss how characters in the book handle their fears and mistakes. Discuss whether you think some mistakes are beyond forgiveness and redemption.

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Atheneum Books for Young Readers. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.