I Survived the Joplin Tornado, 2011

Discuss the meaning of Jeremy’s SEAL pin in the context of the concepts of resilience and community. Why does he gift it to Dex at the end of the novel?

In Chapter 2, Dex reflects on how an “invisible wall had risen up between” himself and his friend Dylan (7). What breaks down that wall, and how does that reflect on the theme of The Limits of Human Knowledge explored in the novel?

As Dex is falling asleep in Chapter 4, the night before storm chasing with Dr. Gage, “His head was filled with tornadoes dancing in the sky, touching down in his mind and carrying him off to sleep” (22). What does the author’s use of figurative language here suggest about Dex’s understanding of tornadoes before living through one? Consider how the author’s figurative language changes as Dex encounters a tornado in real life.