Tyler Waller
Beneath a Meth Moon by Jacqueline Woodson
Summary: This book is an uneasy story about a 15 year old girl, Laurel, who gets addicted to
meth after having to move away from her home because a flood devastated her town, killing her
mother and grandmother. Her now broken family consists of her, her dad, and her younger
brother. Things aren't so bad when she first moves; she meets her best friend, made the
cheerleading team, and even found a love interest in the star of the basketball team. The problem
is that that star basketball was the one who introduced her to meth and ultimately got her
addicted. Her addiction stems from her inability to forget her unfortunate past. Meth, referred to
as “moon” in the book, has the ability to make her feel numb and enter a feeling of pure
happiness. When her dad discovers her moon and pipe, Laurel decides to run away from home
and live on her own. Laurel then becomes a homeless teen that has to turn to begging in order to
fulfill her addiction. On her own, her addiction gets out of control and she ends up in a rehab
center. Which ultimately allows Laurel to reconnect with her family. Because of this incident,
she is a changed girl and devotes her life to stay away from the moon. Months after her rehab,
she returns to the regular life of a high school student.
Questions:
1. Why do you think the author uses the word “maybe” so often?
2. Even though Laurel was happy with Kaylee and the cheer team, why do you think it was
so easy for her to choose the lifestyle of a math addict?
3. What do you think the “flood” was supposed to represent?
4. Why do you think the book refers to meth as “moon”?
5. Do you think there is a reason why Woodson made the chapters very short?
6. Was laurel actually in love with T-Boom or do you think she was just in love with the
moon?
7. Do you think Moses was supposed to resemble Moses from the bible?
8. What about Moses makes it so easy for Laurel to open up and be vulnerable?
9. Do you think other tragedies have happened to Laurel that the author doesn't reveal?
10. Look at the book's structure and how it jumps around. Might this mimic how someone on
meth would be thinking with holes in their memory?
11. Do you think T-Boom ever gets off the moon?
12. Why is she so vulnerable to meth?
13. Why does her father not see the signs of her addiction?
14. What would you have done if you were Laurel’s dad when he found her moon and pipe?
15. Do you think by the end of the book Laurel has finally accepted her past?
16. What do you think the Significance of Moses was?
17. Does this book encourage someone to experiment with meth?
18. What role does writing and journals play in this story?
19. How important do you think Jesse Jr. is in Laurel’s walk to recovery?
20. What do you think of Her grief process over the loss of her mother and grandmother?
21. What would you do if you saw a 15 year old girl on the street begging all by herself?
Golden Lines:
● “He’s home to me, and I don't even know him. He's salt sea air and hot sand. Hes good
things in a bowl and memory”. (pg.64)
● “Something that’s gonna take all that shivering far, far away”. (pg.70)
● “The thing about moon is--it takes you deeper. Deeper than you’d go on your own.”
(pg.84)
● “I’m high. I'm flying over everybody. I’m singing a song about a mountain. I am a
mountain now, I’m high…” (pg. 109)
● “ I just want Laurel to live, he whispered. I just want her to make it. He looked at me.I’d
give my whole life for that baby girl. My whole life”. (pg.148)
● “It's a long walk away from meth, my counselor said to me. It’s a slow walk. It's a hard
walk.” (pg.182)
