Reading Group Guide

Camp Big Top

By Alexandra Diaz

About the Book

After Mario is caught using his parents’ credit card without their permission, Mami and Papi send him to New Mexico for the summer to live with his abuela. To make matters worse, Abuela signs him up for circus camp to keep him out of trouble. But Mario isn’t the only one struggling under the big top. Luna has practically grown up in the circus, yet her changing body—and her parent’s high expectations and harsh words—make her wonder if she still belongs. Ricky dreams of being a circus star but his clumsiness and short attention span topple those hopes. And Betina would rather do anything than step into the spotlight. Just as this unlikely group of friends start to build confidence and trust, an angry landlord threatens to shut down the camp for good. Mario and his new friends must band together to save Camp Big Top, using their unique talents to put on the show of a lifetime. After all, under the big top is the one place they’re free to be themselves, and everyone knows the show must go on!

Discussion Questions

1. If you were going to be in the circus, what act would you want to be a part of? Do you already have any circus-ready skills, or would you have to learn?

2. The narration in Camp Big Top shifts from chapter to chapter to follow our main characters Mario, Luna, Ricky, and Betina through their interactions with others. Why do you think the author chose to have these different perspectives, rather than focusing on just one character? Which character was your favorite, and why?

3. Why did Mario steal his parents’ credit card? What are better ways he could have handled this situation?

4. Mario starts the novel having made a big mistake. Should one mistake define a person? What does real responsibility look like? How does Mario prove himself to be responsible in this book?

5. Why is Mario so resistant to circus camp at first? How do his feelings about camp change over the course of the book?

6. On the first day of camp, Luna fails at climbing the silks when asked to demonstrate. How does that make Luna feel? How does she find her confidence again? What are some other ways people can rebuild confidence after setbacks?

7. Luna points out that, “‘Historically, people who don’t belong elsewhere have always found a home at the circus.’” (Chapter twenty-two) How do we see this belonging play out in the story?

8. Why do you think Luna doesn’t want Cosmos to know she is arriving early to practice? How do you think Cosmos would react if they found out?

9. How does Luna feel about her changing body? What advice would you give Luna about coping with these changes?

10. What is Mario’s relationship with his parents like? How is his relationship with his abuela different?

11. The parents in this story often seem to struggle to relate to their children. Why do you think Cosmos and Mario’s parents are so hard on their children? What advice would you give Mario’s parents about interacting with him? What about Luna’s or Betina’s parents?

12. In previous years, Luna loved performing with silks. However, this year at Camp Big Top she decides to focus on the lyra, or aerial hoop, instead. Why does Luna decide to switch acts? How does switching acts help her cope with the difficult feelings she has been having lately?

13. The circus involves challenging physical skills like walking on stilts or performing on the trapeze, but what mental skills does it take to be successful in the circus?

14. Did it surprise you when Betina turned out to be passionate about clowning, or when attention-seeking Ricky thrived at playing Clover the elephant in the parade? Why or why not? Have you ever discovered a hidden talent of your own?

15. At Camp Big Top, “Betina had found a place where her presence was not only noticed but made a difference.” (Chapter 21) What does this mean? Where in the world do you make a difference?

16. Why is trust important in the circus? How do the kids in this book learn to trust one another? What helps you begin to respect and trust someone new in your life?

17. The students are devastated when Camp Big Top may have to close. What does the camp represent to each of them, and why does saving it matter so much?

18. To save Camp Big Top, the kids must work together. What does each character contribute to the group? Could they have succeeded alone?

19. To participate in the circus, each of the kids in this story must overcome personal challenges and insecurities. What strategies do you think kids can use to feel brave when they’re doing something scary? In what ways do the different characters in this book support one another to overcome their fears and build their confidence? What helps you face your fears?

20. In what ways do the characters in this book step out of their comfort zones? What can we gain from stepping outside our comfort zones? When have you had to step out of your comfort zone?

21. Ricky has big dreams but struggles with focus and controlling his body. How can someone balance ambition with patience and practice? Have you ever had to work hard to overcome your natural struggles in order to make a dream come true?

22. Throughout the book, the author includes Spanish and occasionally Portuguese phrases. Why might the author choose to include multiple languages in the story? How does it help readers understand the characters’ families, backgrounds, and culture?

Extension Activities

1. Design a Circus Act. Imagine you are attending Camp Big Top. Work with your friends or classmates to design a circus act, or even a brand-new circus skill. Be sure to come up with:

— l a name for your act

— l a description of what happens in the act and how it will draw in a crowd

— l roles for each team member and how they’ll work together to help the act succeed

Now imagine you’re trying to convince the circus director to include you in the show, and pitch your act to your reading group or class.

2. Create a Performer Profile. Choose one character from Camp Big Top and create a performer profile. List their strengths and fears, the challenges they need to overcome, the small steps they take to overcome these challenges, and how they grow and change over the course of the story. Then design your own circus performer profile. What would your act be? What personal strengths would you use? What challenges would you have to overcome? Write a short speech introducing yourself to the circus audience.

3. Write a Sequel. Mario is coming back to the circus for winter break camp! Write a short-story sequel to Camp Big Top about what happens at winter camp. Be sure to follow standard story structure, with a beginning where a problem or goal is introduced, a middle with rising action, and an end where the action of the story is resolved.

4. Plan for Saving the Circus. In Camp Big Top, Mario and his friends manage to save the circus. But imagine it is a couple of years later, and the circus needs more money to move to a new and better home. Create a mini business plan to save Camp Big Top. Be sure to include fundraising ideas, marketing strategies, community partnerships, and anything else you think it would take to save the circus—again!

5. Create a Circus Poster. Using whatever medium you like, create a poster or commercial advertising Camp Big Top and encouraging families to send their kids there. Be sure your poster expresses the amazing experiences kids have there and what’s special about Camp Big Top.

6. Advice Column. Choose one character and write a letter as that character to an advice column, asking for help with something you are struggling with, such as trust, body confidence, focus, making friends, or insecurities. Then answer as if you are the advice columnist, offering guidance on how to overcome the struggle.

Chris Clark is a writer and reading teacher who lives with her family in coastal Maine.

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 simonandschuster.net/m/prek12-teachers-librarians/teaching-resources.