The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Art Therapy and our BookBrowse Review of The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Why is the main character's name, Jihad, so powerful? What do you think the intention behind this name was?
2. What do you think the author's use of a color throughout the story represents?
3. Though losing the ability to see color is fictional, what do you think the author was trying to illustrate with this loss and its connection to grief?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Little, Brown 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.