MATCH FOUND
Family & Caregiver
Conversation Guide
A middle grade novel by Paulette Hill
Match Found is about a ten-year-old, a DNA test, and a family that turns out to have more people in it than she knew. These questions are conversation starters for families reading together or talking after the last page. Pick the ones that feel right for you.
- What did you like most about Charlie? What made you laugh?
- Charlie has a LOT of hair, and strangers always have something to say about it. What do you think she wishes people would notice about her instead?
- How did you feel when Charlie decided to go to Charlotte by herself? What do you think she was hoping to find?
- Charlie is biracial, and she has spent years being asked where her hair comes from and never knew the answer. When she sees Beverly in the flower shop, what changes for Charlie?
- Charlie’s dad tells her that wanting to find someone isn’t the same as having the right to surprise them. What do you think?
- Charlie was adopted and loves her family, and she still has questions about where she came from. Did anything about the way Charlie felt surprise you?
- Charlie’s mom learned to do her hair from videos, a notebook and a lot of practice. Beverly’s hands just knew. What did each of them give Charlie?
- Which person in Charlie’s newly discovered family did you most enjoy meeting? What did you like about them?
- The first thing Nia says to Charlie is, “You have my hair.” Charlie says, “You have MY hair.” Then they can’t stop laughing. Why do you think they both find that moment so funny and exciting?
- Charlie’s parents don’t always know what to say or do, but they keep trying. Which moment between Charlie and her mom or dad do you remember most? What do you think her parents were worried about?
- Charlie’s dad says, “The table just got longer.” What does that mean to you?
- Where in the story did you have the biggest reaction? Maybe you laughed out loud, got nervous, teared up, or wanted to yell at somebody.
After you finish
These give away the ending, so save them for after the last page.
- Simon has been with Charlie for as long as she can remember. How did you feel when you found out Olivia was the person who tucked him beside Charlie when she went home as a baby?
- Charlie and Birdie are both adopted, and they aren’t biologically related. At the end, Charlie realizes Birdie was her first “match.” What do you think she means?
There are no right answers here. The best conversations about a book can begin with, “What did you think?”
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