About the Book:

In every generation, a special few of Nor Numinem are born shapeshifters. Unfortunately, being one of the “special few” does not get you out of gym class.

Nor Numinem. A town of hope and beauty. A place where freedom for all blooms as abundantly as the flowering vines that cover the buildings on every street. Yet even in this beautiful town, a kid like Maia’s got problems.

Maia is a shapeshifter.

And worse, she’s starting middle school.

In every generation, a special few of Nor Numinem are born shapeshifters: children who develop the mysterious ability to transform into a part-animal shape. Unfortunately for Maia, her ability is merely this: to grow giant moth wings that grow uncontrollably out of her back whenever she’s excited, or upset, or for some reason, whenever her new classmate Luke looks at her in a particular way. Worse than worse? Maia’s wings are useless. Weak and fragile--unlike her talented friends.

But Maia’s problems are about get much harder than even she knows. A strange illness is spreading through the gardens of Nor Numinem. The very gardens that feed and sustain this once-perfect town. Worse still, some of the adults think the shapeshifter children are to blame. A rumors turn into hate, life gets tougher for those who aren't seen as "normal". Maia and her friends will soon discover that there is a dark rift in Nor Numinem, one that will take all their talents, known and unknown, to heal.

Discussion Questions:

1. “Remember sweetness” is Serafina’s final plea to her people. What do you think Serafina means by this?

2. In what ways do the townsfolk of Nor Numinem embrace the idea of sweetness?

3. Does the idea of “sweetness” fit for all of the characters? For instance, Rayna seems to struggle with this idea.

4. In the world around you, do you see instances of people choosing “sweetness” over being true to one’s own self?

5. Do you think the characters’ metashapes reflect their personalities? What are some examples?

6. Compared to the shapeshifting members of her Pod, Maia feels she is “behind” in some important way. Have you ever felt this way?

7. One of the emotions Maia struggles with is envy—specifically, envy of Athena’s talents and personality. How does Maia deal with this emotion?

8. When we meet Maia at the beginning, shapeshifting is frustrating for her. When given the chance to become “normal”, why do you think Maia chose to remain a shifter?

9. Ms. Yara asks an important question about monstrosity: “Is it evil that makes someone a monster?” How do you define a “monster”? What are the stories that you have been told about monsters, in fiction or even in real life? What might be true or untrue about those stories?

10. If you could choose an animal metashape, which one would you choose? Would you want this ability for the rest of your life? Why, or why not?

Guide written by Kai Cheng Thom, author of The Shapeshifter’s Guide to Gym Class, and Yashaswi Kesanakurthy, children’s editor at Simon & Schuster Canada.

This guide has been provided by Simon & Schuster for classroom, library, and reading group use. It may be reproduced in its entirety or excerpted for these purposes. For more Simon & Schuster guides and classroom materials, please visit https://www.simonandschuster.net/m/prek12-teachers-librarians/teaching-resources