Skeleton Creek

Ryan grows increasingly distrustful of adults in authority positions, such as his father and Ranger Daryl Bonner, who should have his best interests in mind. Is his paranoia justified? What factors might be influencing his perception of the people and events around him?

Ryan and Sarah sneak around and deceive their parents throughout the novel. Considering the moral and legal implications of these decisions, are Ryan and Sarah justified in breaking their parents’ rules? Support your response with evidence from the text.

Sarah uses literary allusions to other works of fiction in the passwords she sends Ryan. Choose one of the texts she references, such as Psycho or “The Fall of the House of Usher,” and compare and contrast it with Skeleton Creek. What themes, plots, and character elements do they share? How does being familiar with the text enhance your reading of Skeleton Creek? Provide specific examples from the text in your response.

Ryan discusses and reflects upon some aspects of symbolism when he analyzes his dreams and the videos that Sarah sends him, but there is an abundance of imagery connected to Skeleton Creek, the Dredge, the ghost of Old Joe Bush, and the Crossbones that Ryan does not explicitly discuss. Choose three symbols that Ryan does not explicitly discuss and explain their thematic importance in the story. Support your response with evidence from the text.

Ryan’s journal is a first-person narrative from his point of view. How would this story be different if it were told from the perspective of Ryan’s father? Explain your response using support from the novel.

Identify and discuss the ways Carman uses typography, or the style and appearance of printed content, to develop the story. How is this similar to and different from the videos that go with the journal? Support your response with evidence from the text.

Henry is an important character because he reveals key information about the New York Gold and Silver company. Explain the thematic significance of the company in the story. Support your answer with evidence from the novel and videos.

Read Book 2: Ghost in the Machine. How does it resolve the narrative and thematic arcs begun in Book 1? In what ways is its structure similar to that of Book 1, and in what ways is it different? How do you account for the change?