Discuss Ava’s characterization. What kind of girl is she, what is important to her, and how does her character develop dynamically throughout the course of the story?

How do each of the characters handle grief and loss? What does the grieving process look like for the children and how does each Bigtree child experience loss in their own way? Include textual support in your response.

Discuss the motif of ghosts. What do they represent within the narrative and how do they speak to the theme of Grief and Loss?