Discussion Questions for An Elephant In The Garden By Michael Morpurgo

1. What similarities and differences did you notice between Karl and Karli?

2. What did you think about the relationship between Marlene and the various members of Lizzie’s family?

3. After finding the Canadian soldier in the barn Mutti exclaimed, “That is what your bombs do. They make hate.” Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?

4. Why do you believe Mutti denied seeing the parachutist when questioned by the soldiers?

5. Why do you think Peter (the enemy bomber/parachutist) was adopted into Lizzie’s family? How did you feel about this decision?

6. Do you believe that Mutti’s expectation of being taken in by Uncle Manfred and Aunt Lotti after their big argument over the war was a realistic expectation? Why or why not?

7.  Did you think Peter was more of an asset or a liability to the escape efforts of Lizzie and her family?

8. Did you think Marlene was more of an asset or a liability to the escape efforts of Lizzie and her family?

9.  What important role did Peter’s compass play in this story?

10. How did the presence of the choir schoolchildren affect the outcome of this story?

11. What were your impressions of the countess and what do you believe her motives were?

12. Did you believe that the romance between Lizzie, a German and Peter, a Canadian enemy bomber, was likely to end in a successful marriage relationship? Why or why not?

13. How did you feel about the way the story ended with Lizzie and Peter discovering Marlene at a circus in Toronto?