1. M. V. does not want a summer job; Aunt Gert makes her look for one. Why is she reluctant? Why does she choose to respond to the bakery want ad over her other options?

2. M. V. has a rough first day on the job, but she vows to return. Why? In her place, would you go back? Why or why not?

3. What is a Bildungsroman and why does this novel qualify as such? How would you describe M. V.'s "education"? What other books have you read that also fit this description?

4. Early on, Aunt Gert and M. V. have a rocky relationship. What is the nature of their conflict? What causes them to better understand each other by the story's end?

5. What does Marvin Parker's treatment of his mother-in-law say to M. V. about her own behavior?

6. Holly Hazen makes two brief but...