My Teacher Is an Alien, by Bruce Coville
Discussion Questions
1. The book begins with Duncan starting a fight with Peter. Susan watches instead of standing up for Peter – why? What do you think is the right thing to do when you see bullying or a fight?
2. Susan and Peter break into Mr. Smith’s/Broxholm’s house even though it is against the law, but they are still the good guys. Can you think of some other examples of when it might be okay to break a rule? Do you think it is okay to break rules when it can stop something even worse from happening (like an alien invasion!)?
3. Once Peter tells everybody what he and Susan have found, the kids in the school all start to believe that Mr. Smith is an alien. Would you believe a rumor like that? Have you ever heard any crazy rumors at your school?
4. Why don’t Susan and Peter talk to any adults about what they have learned? What do you think Susan’s parents, or Peter’s dad, would say?
5. What do you think Susan – who is maybe the class’s “best student†– learns from the events of the book? What does she learn from her friendship with Peter?
6. Why did Peter decide to go with Broxholm? Do you think this was the right choice for him? What do you think his life will be like after the end of the book?
Activities
Make an alien mask!
Write a book review!
Pretend that you are Broxholm and write a letter home to your family describing what life is like on Planet Earth.