Certain Girls Reading Guide
Certain Girls Teen Reading Guide
Questions and Topics for
Discussion
1. In the opening of the novel, Cannie thankfully observes how
her daughter, Joy, is so different from herself. Joy, Cannie
thinks, will have a better adolescence than her mother did. And yet
it is their differences that cause such conflict and grief in the
Krushelevansky household. In what ways are Cannie and Joy
different? In what ways are they similar? How much of these
differences are specific to Cannie and Joy and how much are common
to all mother-daughter pairs?
2. Cannie loves her daughter so deeply and so enjoys being a
mother that it is somewhat surprising to see how negatively she
reacts to Peter''s request that they have a child together. Why do
you think she reacts this way?
3. On page 68, Joy seems enraged by Cannie''s repetition of a
familiar story about Joy''s childhood. But Cannie can''t figure out
what has upset her daughter so. Identify moments in the novel where
Joy is upset with something Cannie says or does, and Cannie
doesn''t understand why. Do you think Joy is being unfair, or is it
Cannie who is overreacting?
4. Cannie tries to steer Joy away from the fashion magazines her
aunt Elle devours because she thinks they''re a "bad influence."
What does Joy think? Do you agree or disagree with Cannie, and why?
How does the novel provide evidence to support one opinion over the
other?
5. Joy is constantly smoothing her hair over her ears to hide
her hearing aids, or taking them out altogether. What is she really
trying to cover up? Is she ultimately successful? Why or why
not?
6. The author uses both Cannie''s and Joy''s point of view in
order to emphasize the disconnect between the worlds of adult women
and teenage girls. How else does this generation gap manifest in
the novel? Is it really just that Cannie is "clueless"? Are Shari
and Elle really that dissimilar from Amber and her friends? What
does this novel say about growing up and about the different
"types" of women in the world?
7. Cannie struggles with two absent fathers -- her own, with
whom she hasn''t had a real relationship in decades, and her
ex-boyfriend Bruce, who not only abandons her when he discovers
that she is pregnant, but who isn''t always the most attentive or
responsible parent now that he''s back in Joy''s life. And then
there''s Peter, who isn''t anyone''s biological father but plays a
father''s role nonetheless. Compare and contrast Bruce Guberman,
Lawrence Shapiro, and Peter Krushelevansky and their relationships
to their families.
8. Describe how various children in this novel view their
parents -- particularly their mothers. How do you feel about these
characters? Do you find the perspective of the children very
different from that of the adults? Do you sympathize more with one
"side" or another? Why or why not?
9. Joy notes on page 196 that her father''s new wife, Emily, is
so tiny and timid that Joy can''t imagine her doing anything mean
to anyone. But appearances often belie the truth. How do the
appearances of the characters in this novel contradict who they are
or what they are going through? Cite specific examples.
10. Even though Cannie would be fine with Joy going to her
cousin Tyler''s bar mitzvah, Joy decides to attend on the sly. What
does Joy hope will happen at the party? What does she learn about
herself and about her family?
11. Why do you think Cannie struggles so with the idea of
surrogacy? What issues is she struggling with? How do you feel
about the idea of pregnancy as a business arrangement -- or
"babysitting," as some of the surrogates claim? Do you think Cannie
is right that these women are asking far too little for what they
are giving up? Why or why not?
12. On page 236, the author relays two news stories. One is
about a sorority that dumps twenty-three girls from its roster, all
of whom were either overweight, unattractive, or minorities. The
other is about a 325-pound girl who commits suicide after being
teased by classmates about her weight; the girl''s mother is
subsequently charged with neglect. What statement do you think the
author is making about America''s obsession with weight? Do you
think these two news stories speak to the same issue, or is there a
difference between them? Explain your opinion.
13. As Joy and her classmates approach their bar and bat mitzvah
dates, they struggle to shed their childhood and be perceived as
adults by greater society, especially their peers and families.
Identify the various elements of so-called adulthood that these
children try on. What is it that finally shows Joy what it means to
be a grown-up?
Enhance Your Book Club
Experience
1. For the Jewish families in this novel, achieving bar or bat
mitzvah is a major coming-of-age moment. Do a little research into
the history of this religious and social ceremony and compare it to
similar rituals in other religious or cultural traditions. You can
start at your local synagogue, church, or interfaith center. You
can also search online, starting with
www.religioustolerance.org/wicpuber.htm.
2. You can learn more about Jennifer Weiner, the author, by
visiting her website: www.jenniferweiner.com. Spend a little time
reading from her body of work and see if you can spot similar
character types, plot threads, or sentiments throughout. You can
also make your next book club meeting a movie night by renting
In Her Shoes, a film adapted from Weiner''s novel of the
same title.
3. Mothers and daughters have struggled to bridge the generation
gap throughout recorded history. Think of an incident during your
teenage years when you and your mother seemed to be living on
completely different planets. In retrospect, can you understand her
perspective a little better? Ask everyone in your book club to
spend some time sharing their stories -- you may be surprised by
the similarities you find!
Teen Readers Guide
Questions and Topics for Discussion
1. In the opening of the novel, Cannie thankfully observes how
her daughter, Joy, is so different from herself. In what ways are
Cannie and Joy different? In what ways are they similar? How much
of these differences are specific to Cannie and Joy and how much
are common to all mother/daughter pairs?
2. Jennifer Weiner has received praise for bringing her
characters to life so convincingly. Do you find Joy believable as a
typical teenage girl? What about the other teens in this book?
3. On page 68, Joy is furious with her mother for telling a
familiar story about Joy''s childhood. But Cannie can''t figure out
why her daughter is so upset. Identify moments in the novel where
Joy is upset with something Cannie says or does, and Cannie
doesn''t understand why. Do you think Joy is being unfair, or is it
Cannie who needs to snap out of it?
4. One of the things Cannie loves best about writing the Lyla
Dare series is that she does it anonymously. This seems similar to
the way many teens today use a screen name for chatting, MySpace,
and other Internet activities. Why do you think using a pseudonym
is so attractive to some people?
5. Joy is beautiful, but sees herself as flawed because of her
hearing disability. Do you think a girl can be both beautiful and
flawed? What does Cannie think about the fashion magazines that
Elle gives to Joy? What does Joy think? Who do you most agree with,
and why?
6. The author uses both Cannie''s and Joy''s point of view in
order to emphasize the "generation gap" between the worlds of adult
women and teenage girls. Is Cannie really just clueless? Are Shari
and Elle really so dissimilar from Amber and her friends? What does
this novel say about growing up and about the different "types" of
girls and women in the world?
7. Describe how various teens in this novel view their parents
-- particularly their mothers. How do you feel about these
characters? Do you find the perspective of the teens very different
from that of the adults? Do you sympathize more with one "side" or
another? Why or why not?
8. Joy notes on page 196 that her father''s new wife, Emily, is
so tiny and timid that Joy can''t imagine her doing anything mean
to anyone. But appearances are often deceiving. How do the
appearances of the characters in this novel contradict who they are
or what they are going through? Give specific examples.
9. Joy is constantly smoothing her hair over her ears to hide
her hearing aids, or taking them out all together. What is she
really trying to cover up? Is she ultimately successful? Why or why
not?
10. Even though Cannie would be fine with Joy going to her
cousin Tyler''s bar mitzvah, Joy decides to attend on the sly. What
does Joy hope will happen at the party? What does she learn about
herself and about her family?
11. These days, it is more and more common to see remarried
parents, stepsiblings, adoptions, etc. Do you think the definition
of what makes a family "normal" has changed? Do you think the
modern expressions of "family" makes relationships more or less
complicated between adults and children?
12. As Joy and her classmates approach their bar/bat mitzvah
dates, they struggle to shed their childhood and be perceived as
adults by greater society, especially their peers and families.
Identify the various elements of so-called adulthood that these
teens try on. What is it that, finally, shows Joy what it means to
be a grown-up?
Enhance Your Book Club
1. Host a mother/daughter book club, and get your friends and
their moms together to discuss the book. You can even make dinner
together, or ask everyone to bring something.
2. Check out Jennifer Weiner''s MySpace profile at
Myspace.com/UncannieGirl. If you have a profile of your own, add
her as a friend or post a comment.
3. Did you have a bat mitzvah of your own? Or maybe a Sweet
Sixteen or some other rite of passage? Talk about what that was
like for you. Was the planning fun or stressful?