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Probably Still Nick Swansen by Virginia Euwer Wolff

Summary

Nick Swansen pretty much knows what it means to be Special Ed.: You can't drive, even if you're sixteen and your parents have two cars; the regular kids in school don't talk to you much; and even if you can memorize every fact about amphibians, it's hard to make sense of all the other stuff swirling in your mind. What he doesn't know is whether being Special Ed. means you shouldn't go to the prom. But since no rule says you can't, Nick decides to ask Shana.

But the prom doesn't turn out at all the way Nick expects it to, and everything bad seems to get all mixed up together: the prom, what Shana does, and the terrible thing that happened to Nick's sister nine years ago. Nick doesn't want to think about any of it, but he begins to realize that unless he makes peace with all the memories that trouble him, they will haunt him forever.

144 pages, 7th grade and up

Discussion questions

Spoiler alert! Some of the questions contain key elements of the plot. Do not read if you don't want to know what happens!

  1. What is Special Education like in your school? Have you or any of your friends ever been in "Special Ed" classes? What does it feel like? How are kids in Special Ed treated at your school?
  2. Describe Nick's personality. What is he like?
  3. Do you think it was a mistake to ask Shana to the prom? Is it sometimes worth it to take a chance even if it doesn't work out for you? Why?
  4. What happens to Shana after she leaves Special Ed that makes her turn her back on Nick?
  5. How are Nick's and Shana's parents different? How do you think their behavior affects their children?
  6. How does Nick deal with his problems?
  7. How did Nick's sister die? Why do you think he blames himself? How does he come to terms with her death? How might life be different for Nick if his sister was still alive?
  8. Is it possible for kids in Special Ed to feel like they fit in at school? If you are not in Special Ed what can you do to help other students feel accepted?
  9. What do you predict for Nick's future?

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