Chapter 14: Peck’s Questions

Ten questions were created by Richard Peck in 1978 to help examine and evaluate literature.
Included are the following ten questions Peck posed for readers:
  1. What would the story be like if the main character were of the opposite sex? 
  2. Why is the story set where it is? 
  3. If you were to film the story, would you use black and white or color, and why? 
  4. If you could not use all of the characters, which would you eliminate, and why? 
  5. How is the main character different from you? 
  6. Would this story make a good TV series? Why or why not? 
  7. What one thing in the story has happened to you? 
  8. Reread the first paragraph of Chapter 1. What is in it to make you read on? If nothing, why did you continue to read? 
  9. If you had to design a new cover for the book, what would it look like? 
  10. What does the title tell you about the book?
Reflection
These questions help a librarian to:
  •  diffuse any possibilities of stereotyping
  •  focus if there is some sort of point the author is trying to make with the setting
  •   look at the tone of the story
  •   looks to see how the reader separates themselves from the main character
  •   focuses on what happened at the end of the story. Are the chapters substantial? Is the story       substantial?
  •    Creates a sense of connection for the reader with the novel.
  •    Figure out whether a reader was hooked by the first chapter
  •    Considers what helped the reader’s in picking the novel.
  •    Figure if there was any symbolism used in the title or if it had any specific narrative hooks.


Peck’s questions aid readers to understand the reasons why they feel about certain novels and explain the motives authors use. For example, why authors choose certain titles, does it engage the reader to choose that book? As librarian it is important that we also know why readers will choose these books and it is a way to start discussions with readers on what the novel made them feel and what they thought about the novel.  

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