1. Farmer in the Sky is a book about pioneers. Describe the similarities and differences between these space pioneers and other pioneers in history.

2. Bill remarks at one point that "Dad says there's a lot in a name." Discuss the importance of names in the book. Why, for instance, are the space ships named Mayflower and Covered Wagon?

3. One of Bill's friends says, "A new colony is always a new hope." Is this true of Ganymede? What do the colonists hope for? Do you think they will get what they hope for?

4. Bill finally decides that the aliens whose equipment he discovers were "men." How does he define "men"? Do you agree with his definition? Why or why not?

5. What role does Bill's natural mother, Anne, play in the book?

6. Chapter 15 asks the question, "Why did we come?," and Bill and...