Book Scavenger

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What does the phrase “win at all costs” mean? In what kinds of contexts does this phrase often come up? When people say this, do you think they really mean that it is acceptable to do anything at all in order to win?

Teaching Suggestion: This question requires students to parse the difference between sincere effort and the obsessive, perhaps destructive, pursuit of a goal. It may be helpful to first show students the idiomatic dictionary entry for “at all costs” (linked below) and help them see that there are two main parts to this idea: a refusal to set limits on effort and a refusal to set limits on cost to self or others. As a follow-up, you might show them the video linked below and ask them to explain how it conflates effort with cost in a way that ignores the reality that many costs are too great to bear in exchange for a win.

• This brief entry in an idiomatic dictionary explains the meaning of the phrase “at all costs.”
• This 3-minute motivational video features athletes working hard for their goals and a song about winning at all costs.

2. What do scavenger hunts, Pokémon GO, and treasure hunts have in common? Can you name any other puzzles or games that take place in the “real” world? What might be fun about this kind of game? What different kinds of problems might a game like this create if some of the people involved believe in winning “at all costs”?

Teaching Suggestion: Encourage students to think about both the opportunities and potential costs associated with this kind of game. Games that occur in public spaces get people outside together, experiencing new places and meeting new people—but they also require respect for other people and their property. Many students will have participated in these kinds of games and can be encouraged to share stories about what was especially fun about them and the things that might have gone wrong if people had tried to win “at all costs.” The resources below describe two famous global puzzle challenges somewhat similar to the game described in Bertman’s book. If you choose to give students time to explore these, you might ask them for ideas about the opportunities and potential costs of these specific examples, as well.

• This article from The Guardian describes the “Golden Owl,” a long-running puzzle challenge based in France.
• This profile from Outside Magazine describes how Jack Stuef became fixated on the Forrest Fenn’s Treasure’s challenge and eventually solved it.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

When you are feeling stressed out by life, do you have a hobby that you can get lost in, to get away from your feelings for a while? What is it? Do you think that some hobbies are easier to get “lost” in than others? Why? What are some dangers of getting very caught up in a hobby and using it to screen out other things happening in your life? What are some benefits?

Teaching Suggestion: Some students may maintain that they do not have any hobbies like this. Remind them that video games, television, social media, etc., also count as hobbies. If they still say they have nothing like this in their lives, ask them to think of someone they know or of a fictional character to use to answer the first two questions. If your students are responding in writing and will likely struggle to answer the more abstract questions about the pros and cons of getting lost in a hobby, you might consider asking them to answer the first two questions by themselves and then letting them team up with a partner to answer the remainder of the questions.