What about banning books? Do you feel it is okay for an organization or a group of people to decide that a certain book is inappropriate?

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1 Discussion Guide

2 About the Book Only he can bring what they need to survive. In the year 2250, water is scarce, and those who control it control everything. Sixteen-year-old Luca has struggled with this truth, and what it means, his entire life. As the son of the Deliverer, he will one day have to descend to the underground Aquifer each year and negotiate with the reportedly ratlike miners who harvest the world s fresh water. But he has learned that true control rests with the Council aboveground, a group that has people following without hesitation, and which has forbidden all emotion and art in the name of keeping the peace. And this Council has broken his father s spirit, while also forcing Luca to hide every feeling that rules his heart. But when Luca s father goes missing, everything shifts. Luca is forced underground and discovers secrets, lies, and mysteries that cause him to reevaluate who he is and the world he serves. Together with his friends and an alluring girl from the underground, Luca seeks to free his people and the Rats from the Council s control. But Luca s mission is not without struggle and loss, as his desire to uncover the truth could have greater consequences than he ever imagined.

3 Group Lesson If all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed. - Benjamin Franklin, 1730 In Aquifer, emotions are forbidden. People are not allowed to express themselves, and their feelings are held in check by implants that monitor their heart-rate and pulse. It is even considered to be a giveaway when a person develops wrinkles because that tells the Amongus that their face has emotion. Citizens of New Port are taught from an early age to have no attachment to family, people, or things. One of the ways the Council keeps people from experiencing too much emotion is by banning books, because they incite too much reaction and emotional response. How do you think we would be different as a society if we weren t allowed to express our emotion? Is there any truth to the thought that we would get more accomplished if our emotions were not always present? What about banning books? Do you feel it is okay for an organization or a group of people to decide that a certain book is inappropriate? Book Banning References: American Library Association: Most Frequently Banned Books:

4 Discussion Questions 1) Why do you think that even though people are taught from birth to suppress their emotions, they still experience them? Even the guards that are supposed to monitor everyone else s emotions cannot totally hide their feelings. Each main character in Aquifer is characterized by a different prevailing emotion or value. What are some of the characters and what they represented? Examples: Luca: hope Rats: fear Lendi: friendship Talya: love 2) Everyone in New Pert is afraid of the Rats. They are told that Rats are mean, hideous, disease-infested, and that they control all of the water that reaches New Pert. Yet, when Luca travels under ground, he discovers not only that the Rats are people just like him but that their home is beautiful. How are we sometimes affected by hearing things about people, customs or cultures that we don t know? Does it make us judge people before we know them?

5 Discussion Questions 3) When Luca s uncle Seward sees the Rats home, even though he finds it beautiful with all its man-made scenery, he wants to leave and get back to the open sea. Would you be able to live in a place where everything was beautiful but artificial? What do you think he was feeling? 4) In the beginning of Aquifer, Luca saves Walery by sneaking him into his father s home, preventing him from being undone (killed). Even though he doesn t know Walery, he feels the urge to try and help him. What do you think made Luca feel that kind of pity or sympathy for a stranger? 5) Massa, Luca s father, is very secretive and tries to hide many of his emotions from his son. He feels he is protecting Luca from the truth about the Rats and his mother. He even tries to protect his son when he knows he will not be returning from the last trip. Is Massa doing the right thing by not telling Luca everything? Do you think if he told Luca earlier about his past that it could have harmed him? 6) When Luca s class is taken to the museum to learn about their history and culture, most of the children aren t able to make it all the way through. They turn and leave because they are afraid of the feelings that the artwork and the education are bringing forward. Luca is undaunted. Why?

6 Small Team Project When Luca goes to the museum, certain paintings elicit a great amount of emotion. Some of the students in the class can t even bear to look at the artwork because they are confused and frightened by their own emotional response. Art has a way of provoking each of us differently. Break up the class up into small teams and have each look at a series of paintings. 1. What emotion does this picture inspire? 2. Is this emotion something that is readily apparent to anyone that looks at it? 3. Do you try to identify it with a memory or event in your own life? 4. Does this picture move you? 5. Do you find it beautiful? Inspiring? Disturbing? Why? Discuss as a classroom activity. Suggestions: 1. Mona Lisa, Leonardo Da Vinci 2. The Starry Night, Vincent van Gogh 3. The Scream, Edvard Munch 4. Guernica, Pablo Picasso 5. Disappointed Love, Danby

7 About the Author Jonathan Friesen is an author, speaker, and youth writing coach from Mora, Minnesota. His first young adult novel, Jerk, California, received the ALA Schneider Award. When he s not writing, speaking at schools, or teaching, Jonathan loves to travel and hang out with his wife and three kids. Read more at For more information on other BLINK titles, visit