Before her trip, Melanie believes she and Cecily are exactly alike. Are they? Do best friends need to be?

How does Anne Frank's diary help Melanie look at her own life differently?

"Going Dutch" usually means sharing expenses. What does Melanie learn about sharing?

Melanie worries about whether she is a good or bad person. Is anyone ever all good or all bad? Did she change over the summer?

Melanie's mom works on a puzzle of Vermeer's Girl With A Pearl Earring. Melanie says, "...when you look at it, sometimes you see a girl, and other times you see a young woman." How is Melanie sometimes a girl and other times a young woman?

Writing Idea: Pretend you are Matt or Cecily (or any character besides Melanie) and write a vacation diary entry from that person's point of view.

Note: If you'd like me to visit your class (perhaps in person) or book club (probably by phone), don't hesitate to ask. You never know--we might be able to make it work.