Discussion Guides



  1. Gil has put himself under a lot of pressure to succeed. Do you think moving out of town will solve his problems?
    • How might he otherwise find happiness in Orchard Heights?
    • When do you feel under pressure the most? How do you deal with it? Could you handle it in a different way?
    • How do you help your friends when they’re feeling stressed or pressured
  1. Early in the competition, Gil realizes he has to contend or deal with cheaters.
    • Do you agree with the way he handled the cheating? Why or why not?
    • What could he have done differently?
    • What would you have done in the situation?
    • Why do you think Thorn and Rocky felt the need to cheat?
    • Can you think of any situations when cheating may be acceptable?
  1. When Gil resolves the cheating issue, Bianca wants to elect him as their leader, but Gil says they don’t need one.
    • Even so, what leadership qualities did he show?
    • How about his teammates?
    • Why do you think Bert Golliwop might be a successful leader for the company?
    • What leadership qualities do you possess?
    • Without naming him or her, think of a peer who is a good leader.
    • What qualities does he or she have?
    • Which qualities would you like to develop for yourself?
  1. Gil, Bianca, Lavinia, Rocky, and Thorn each have very different personalities, backgrounds, and abilities.
    • Describe the strengths and weaknesses of each: Did one of those traits help the team the most? Did one of those traits hurt the team the most?
    • Which two characters would you most want on your team?
    • What strengths would they bring to balance yours?
  1. If you could choose one character to be friends with in real life, who would that be and why?
    • What do you think you would have in common with him or her?
    • If you were hanging out at your home, what are some things you would show that person?
    • If you were at their place, what might they show you?
    • What types of activities would you do together?
    • How would that character get along with your other friends?
  1. Do you think Gil will stay friends with Bianca, Thorn and Rocky now that the competition is over?
    • What makes you want to continue friendships?
    • Can you name friends who you’re friends with only in certain places, circumstances, or settings?
  1. Gil’s character changes throughout the book.
    • Can you identify the character changes?
    • Can you find evidence from the text to support your opinions?
    • What are some life lessons Gil learned by participating in the Games?
    • Did any other character experience change or growth? How do you know? What evidence is there from the book to support your thinking?
  1. What is one main theme of The Gollywhopper Games?
    • Name some examples of how that theme applies (or doesn’t apply) to your life.
    • In which ways can you use that theme to improve your life or the world around you?


Special thanks to Dr. Sarah Mohler at Truman State University for developing these questions!

  1. Why does Bert Golliwop feel good about the feedback from the previous Gollywhopper Games even though some of the feedback is negative?
    • What motivates him to produce more Gollywhopper Games?
    • Is it just about making money?
  1. Cameron doesn’t have much confidence at the beginning of the book. He wins a ticket to compete in the regional Gollywhopper Games because his older brother entered his name when he entered his own. Cameron ends up getting a ticket, though, and Spencer does not. Cameron states that with “an actual ticket in his hands, he felt a spark of possibility. Maybe the Gollywhopper Games were his dream now” (9).
    • Do you think his luck is about to change?
    • What do you think he will need besides luck and confidence if he is to do well in the Games?
  1. Describe Cameron’s relationship with his brothers Spencer and Walker.
    • Why does Cameron think his parents pay more attention to Spencer than to him?
    • Do you think Cameron’s parents love Spencer more than Cameron or Walker?
    • What are some instances where you think Cameron’s parents could have been more supportive of him?
    • Can you find instances where Cameron’s parents show more support for him than Cameron realizes?
    • Could part of Cameron’s resentment come from how he interprets his parents’ comments?
  1. When he is at the Games and is feeling nervous and overwhelmed, Cameron takes videos with his camera (13). He also analyzes how the images on the video screens in the stadium are edited (29). Even when he doesn’t have his camera with him, he thinks about how he would film what he sees (138, 308).
    • Why do you think this helps to calm is nerves?
    • What do the things that Cameron focuses on with his camera tell you about how he sees the world and what is important to him?
    • Is this a good way to cope with his nerves?
    • Are there any disadvantages of relying on this way of seeing the world and relating to the people around him (97)?
  1. In many ways, Cameron and Spencer do not have a close relationship but they still help each other.
    • How does Cameron help Spencer during the Games?
    • How does Spencer help Cameron?
    • Why do you think they help each other?
    • Does competing in the games change their relationship in any way? Why or why not?
  1. Cameron may not feel he has gotten a lot of support from his parents, but there are others throughout the book who do support him: Bianca LaBlanc (18-20), Jim the driver (96),  Sharryn (100) Clio (323) and Bill (362).
    • What does each of these people think is special about Cameron?
    • How do each of these people help him see what is special in himself?
  1. What do you think Sharryn means when she tells Cameron, “Your mouth is not your enemy. You might want to listen to the questions and thoughts inside your head and learn to spit them out, just in case” (132)?
    • Is this good advice?
    • Does Cameron use this advice? If so, when?
  1. Cameron and Clio meet up in the waiting tent before they even know they will become teammates.
    • What do they like about each other?
    • Why do you think they get along so well?
  1. Clio and Cameron get along right from the start, but there is a great deal of friction between the teammates on the Blue team. Describe Dacey, Estella, and Jig’s personalities.
    • What strengths do they each bring to the team? What weaknesses?
    • What role does Clio play in helping the team work together?
  1. The Gollywhopper Games are famous for surprising its contestants with new twists. In these Games, the contestants have to compete on some tasks not only against the other team but also the people they named in their interviews as the people they would least like to compete with.
    • Thinking about the competitors Cameron, Clio, Dacey, Estella and Jig chose, what does that indicate about how each of them perceives competition?
    • Who would you choose?
  1. There are a lot of different kinds of challenges in the Games: the contestants have to solve math problems, answer trivia questions, do logic puzzles, compete in physical challenges, and demonstrate that they can work equally effectively in a team and on their own.
    • Which kinds of challenges are easier for Cameron and which are more difficult?
    • What traits, skills or abilities help him compete successfully in the Games?
    • Which were your favorite puzzles and challenges to read about or solve?
  1. Because he loves making videos, Cameron is transfixed when he gets a glimpse of the Gollywhopper Games TV Control Center. He thinks, “This felt good. This felt natural. This is what he wanted to do with his life. No matter if he was first to get kicked out, make a total fool of himself on national TV, or otherwise messed up, it wouldn’t need to permanently mark him, not when there was the rest of his life and a world full of cameras to use” (158).
    • Do you think this is good attitude for Cameron to have?
    • Do you think as a result, Cameron has a different perspective on competing in the Games than his teammates or rivals on the Blue and Orange teams?
    • Do you think this attitude helps him in his effort not to cheat?
  1. Cameron realizes that seeing the images of fireworks displayed on the TV Control Center monitors has given him an unfair advantage in solving what should have been his final challenge (348). Although he knows no one else might discover the truth, he tells Bill anyway, and he and Clio are given an alternate challenge, which Clio wins, making her the winner of the Gollywhopper Games.
    • Do you agree with Cameron that seeing the images of the fireworks gave him an unfair advantage?
    • How do you think you would have reacted in the same situation?
  1. When Cameron makes the decision to alert Bill that he had an unfair advantage, he yells for the first time in his life (363).
    • Is this a good situation to start using his voice?
    • Do you think it will be easier for him to speak up in the future after having this experience?
  1. Cameron reasons that he is used to being a loser, but he could never get used to being a cheater (352).
    • What does this say about what kind of person Cameron is?
    • What else might have played a role in his making the decision to inform Bill about the unfair advantage?
    • Does it matter that it was Clio he was competing with?
    • How does Clio feel about winning the final challenge after Cameron had to forfeit the challenge with the fireworks?
    • How would you feel if you were Clio?
    • Do you think the Gollywhopper Corporation should have allowed Clio to split the million dollars with Cameron?
  1. After the Games, Cameron tells his parents that it’s nice to hear that they are proud of him (371).
    • Do you think that telling his parents this will help improve their communication and make Cameron feel more supported in the future?
    • Why do you think he could not tell his parents this before the Games?
  1. Cameron does not win the Gollywhopper Games. However, he is congratulated by the President (381), and he is invited by a famous filmmaker to go to Hollywood and see how he makes his movies (376). Clio even starts an internet campaign encouraging a million people to give Cameron one dollar so that he will get the same amount of money that she won in the Games. Would these things have happened if he had won the Games, or did they happen because he was honest and did not cheat?





Special thanks to Becky Polacek and Dr. Sarah Mohler at Truman State University for developing these questions!

  1. In the beginning of the book, what is Zane’s attitude towards the Gollywhopper Games?
  1. What is Zane’s biggest concern in the beginning of the story? Does that concern change as the story progresses?
  1. What is Zane’s relationship with his parents like? How does he feel about their relationship with each other?
  1. When Zane chooses his team for one of the challenges that will determine whether he will be invited to participate in the Gollywhopper Games, he chooses “a kid who seemed shy and scared. Totally different from Zane” (100). Why would he want someone on his team who is totally different from him? Was this a good strategy for choosing a team?
  1. Describe Zane’s friendship with Elijah.
    • What makes them work so well together?
    • How are they different?
    • How are they alike?
  1. One of Zane’s biggest strengths is strategy. How does that help him throughout the games?
  1. It means a lot to Zane to demonstrate good sportsmanship.
    • Provide some examples of when Zane is kind to other players, helps them, or shows that he respects them.
    • How does Zane balance good sportsmanship with wanting to win the game?
  1. Over the course of playing the Gollywhopper Games, Zane discovers that he is a good leader.
    • What are some of the methods he uses to motivate his teammates individually?
    • How does he help them feel like a team?
    • Provide examples that demonstrate Zane’s ability to get his team to work together successfully on the challenges.
  1. What are some of Zane’s other strengths, besides strategic thinking, good sportsmanship, and good leadership skills, that helps him during the Gollywhopper Games?
  1. What is one of Zane’s weaknesses that affects his performance in the games?
  1. What is Zane’s relationship with his friends (The JZ’s) like?
    • Why is Zane afraid of “becoming a Daryl”?
    • Do Zane’s fears about losing his friends and “becoming a Daryl” come true?
    • What do you think about Daryl when we meet him briefly in the final chapter of the book?
  1. Does Zane’s attitude towards the Gollywhopper Games change throughout the story? Do his reasons for wanting to win the game change? Provide evidence to support your claims.
  1. Who is Berk?
    • What is he like?
    • What other character(s) from the book does he remind you of?
    • Do you know people who remind you of Berk, Hannah, and Leore?
    • Do Zane’s strategies for relating to these characters help you think about ways you might interact more successfully with the people in your life?
  1. What methods do Bert Golliwop and his team use to catch Ratso? Are these good methods? Why or why not?
  1. Throughout the book, characters from other Gollywhopper Games books, including Gil, Cameron, and Clio, help coordinate the games. If you have read the other Gollywhopper Games books, do you enjoy getting glimpses of how these characters interact with their former teammates, opponents, and the new contestants? Why or why not?
  1. Bill and Carol do a lot more than explain the challenges to Zane and the other players. Provide examples of how they ensure the games are played fairly and how they motivate the players, including Zane.
  1. At the end of the book, it says “Zane was happier here on the middle school field than he’d been the whole time in Orchard Heights” (426).
    • What does the author mean by that?
    • Why is it a significant moment in Zane’s life?
    • Can you think of a time when you helped someone else accomplish something important?
    • How did it make you feel?
  1. What do you think Zane and Elijah will both be doing in the future? Do you think they will remain friends?
  1. The “Friend or Foe” design of the Gollywhopper Games makes this year’s games extra exciting and extra difficult. If you were given the opportunity to design next year’s games, what would do to make the games fun and challenging?



  1. In The Seventh Level, Travis Raines is asked to follow rules, something that doesn’t come naturally to him.
    • How did Travis do with that? Could he have done a better job? If so, how? If not, why not?
    • There’s a saying: Rules are meant to be broken. Do you believe that? Might it ever be a good to break rules? In which instances?
    • In some situations, you might see a list of rules. In other situations, it is assumed you already know the rules. Give some examples of each. Is one set of rules more important than the other?
    • Are rules different than laws? What are the similarities? The differences?
  1. Not only must Travis follow rules, he also needs to keep some secrets.
    • What was the hardest secret Travis needed to keep?
    • If you were asked to keep the same secrets Travis needed to, how would you do? How might you have handled it differently?
    • Has a friend ever asked you to keep a secret? Did you keep it? Why or why not?
    • Are there secrets you shouldn’t keep?
  1. In order to keep his secrets Travis believes he needs to lie at times.
    • What are some of the lies he feels compelled to tell?
    • Are there times when Travis lied, but he shouldn’t have?
    • What are white lies? Are they different than other lies? Name some situations when it might be appropriate to tell a white lie. When is lying never appropriate?
  1. When Travis realizes he may have received an invitation to The Legend, he’s ready to be a member even if none of his friends are members.
    • Would you join a club or activity without any of your friends? All clubs and activities that interest you or just certain ones? Why?
    • If you wouldn’t join without your friends, why not?
    • What might be the advantages and the disadvantages of belonging to a group without your friends?
  1. Some groups, like The Legend limit their membership.
    • Do you think it’s fair that The Legend only includes a few hand-selected members from each grade?
    • How might The Legend be different if anyone could join?
    • Imagine The Legend was in your school. How would it feel to be part of the group? How would you feel if you weren’t chosen?
    • What are the pros and cons of including only certain members?
    • Why do you think the students at Lauer Middle School accept and even celebrate a secret group that won’t allow them to be members?
    • Could a group like The Legend work in your school?
  1. One of Mrs. Pinchon’s favorite sayings: Things aren’t always as they appear.
    • Point out some instances in the book that weren’t as they first appeared.
    • Describe a time when things were different than you originally thought them to be.
    • Do you think these things were different because something fooled you or because you came in with a preconceived notion of how they should be?
    • There are times when Travis doesn’t feel he’s good enough to be in The Legend, that they wouldn’t take a kid like him. Does Travis fit Mrs. Pinchon’s saying? Or is it that, perhaps, The Legend might not be as it appears? Or is it a little of both?
    • What qualities does Travis have that are not as they appear? Why might those qualities make him a good fit for The Legend?
    • What qualities do you have that might not be obvious to everyone?
  1. What do you feel is the main theme of The Seventh Level?
    • How does that theme connect with your own life?
    • What can you take away from that theme to make you succeed even more?