Book Club Guide for A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall
A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall
By Jasmine Warga
For Ages 7-12
Genre: Mystery
Rami finds sixth grade lonelier than expected, until a painting from a local art museum and his classmate, Veda, joins him in trying to crack the case. The stakes are even higher when his mom, who works at the museum, becomes a suspect. A possible ghost in the museum halls and a turtle who loves to draw add a touch of magic to this light-hearted mystery. A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall is an excellent choice for tween book clubs, offering the perfect blend of mystery and heart. Use these discussion questions, snacks, and activity ideas to enhance your next book club.
Discussion Questions for A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall
Get participants engaging with these discussion questions. Need more? See The Youth Desk’s Book Clubs page for general fiction and nonfiction questions.
- Who did you think stole the painting and why?
- What did you think of Blue? Did you think she was a ghost?
- How would you react if you discovered a floating girl in a museum?
- What did you think of Agatha? If you had a turtle, what would you name it?
- In what ways did Rami feel invisible? How did that change throughout the story?
- Would you want Veda for a friend? Why or why not?
- What did you think of the ending? Do you have any questions you’d like to ask the author?
- What did you think of the illustration at the end of the book? What did you think of the painting?
Snacks for A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall
Delivery Pizza!
Rami’s mom surprises him with a delivery pizza (as opposed to frozen or homemade) during his spring break from school. She says pizza is unhealthy and too expensive, but gets it as something fun to make his vacation special (p. 23).
Another special treat from the book includes cinnamon scones from the local bakery (p. 59).
Mysterious Artwork Activity
People love a good story, and stories can make ordinary things mysterious and fascinating. In the book, we learned that more people visited the museum after hearing the story of the missing painting. Did you know that some of the most famous paintings in the world are renowned not only for their artistic merit but also because they were once stolen or have fascinating stories behind them?
Show images of these paintings and see what your attendees think about them:
- Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci – Have you heard of this painting? It’s one of the most famous paintings in the world, and not because everyone wants to know what Lisa is smiling about. It gained worldwide notoriety in 1911 when it was stolen from a museum. It was eventually recovered, but the mysterious theft was chronicled in newspapers and captured the imagination of readers.
- The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck – The longer you look at this painting, the more things you notice. One of the most popular aspects is the reflection in the mirror behind the man and woman.
- Hidden Bird Drawing by Patricia Coenjaerts – Can you find the bird in this drawing? This artwork is modern and has not been stolen (that I know of!) but offers a mystery for you to solve. Rami’s mother also enjoyed making artwork with hidden birds (p. 129).
Drawing Hidden Images Activity
Rami’s mom and Agatha the Turtle both enjoy drawing and painting. Rami’s Mom also enjoys hiding birds in her artwork, so create artwork with hidden images!
Watch the video and provide attendees with paper and crayons to create their own hidden images. Give them the option to share their artwork once completed so attendees can guess what image(s) they’ve hidden.
More Resources
A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall Teacher’s Guide
The book’s official Teacher’s Guide, available from HarperStacks.com, includes discussion questions and extension activities.
A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall Read-Alikes
If your readers loved A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall, they’ll also enjoy:
