Discussion Guides

 WE BELONG

Discussion Guide

  1. What did you think about the format of the book being in verse? Was it easier or harder to read than a prose book?
  2. What poem(s) did you connect with most? Why?
  3. Does this book remind you of any other books/memoirs/authors? Which one(s) and in what way?
  4. When you think about the title and the word “belong,” what comes to mind? How do you know you belong to a place or group? 
  5. How does this book capture the immigrant experience in America? Did you learn something about that experience? What was it?
  6. Mayari and Tala are a team like Elsie and Tala are a team, like Stella and Luna are a team. Do you have someone in your family who you feel is your teammate? How do you support or show up for each other?
  7. Elsie grew up in the Philippines until she was nine years old. If you grew up someplace other than the United States for any part of your life, what do you remember about that place? What do you miss about it?
  8. Elsie teaches her kids Tagalog songs. Do you speak any language(s) other than English? What are some words in that language that you use often because there’s no direct translation for them in English? Do those words help you understand English better? How?
  9. In the poem “Fifty Pounds” (p. 86), Elsie’s mom tells her she is only allowed to take 50 pounds of her stuff to America. Imagine that your parents tell you you’re moving to a different country and you can only take 50 pounds of your stuff, which will fit in one box or one suitcase. Assuming that your clothes and necessities are taken care of, what would you take in your 50-pound luggage? Why those things?
  10. On p. 97, Elsie describes how she felt when their family goes to Disneyland for the first time: “It is everything we had ever dreamed America would be.” Describe a place you’d always wanted to visit that lived up to everything you dreamed it would be. How did it make you feel to see your dream come true? Or describe a place you’ve always wanted to visit and how you think you’ll feel when you finally get there.
  11. The poems “Liwayway” (p. 103) and “Jack-en-Poy” (p. 113) talk about siblings fighting with each other. Mayari and Apolaki fought over ruling the Kingdom of Heaven while Elsie and Nes fought over who would get the worst sleeping spot. If you have siblings, what do you fight about most? How do you resolve these fights?
  12. Christmas is an important holiday for Elsie and her family, and for many Pilipinos. What is an important holiday for your family? How do you celebrate it?
  13. Walter (p. 129) is a caring grown-up neighbor that Elsie, Tala, and Nes come to trust. He helps them make better choices for themselves. Is there a grown-up in your life who shows you the same kindness and understanding that Walter shows the siblings? How did that grown-up help you make better choices?
  14. Listen to the Spotify playlist that the author put together when she was writing this book. How well do the songs’ ideas and feelings match up with the poems’ ideas and feelings? What other songs would you add to the playlist?
  15. The author put a lot of popular culture references in the book. One of them was the line “We are immigrants. / We get the job done.” (p. 175), which is from Hamilton, The Musical. How many others did you recognize? Do you like when books make references to things that you recognize? Why or why not?