Once Upon a December

How does the title, Once Upon a December, reflect the story and themes?

Why are all dogs perfect?

In Once Upon a December, Christmas traditions, like Astra’s annual trip to the Milwaukee Christmas market, play an important role. What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?

Christmas means something different for different people. For Jack, it’s his everyday experience. For Astra, it’s snow and sparkling Christmas trees. Over the course of the novel, do these meanings change or evolve? How so? What does Christmas mean to you?

Astra’s group of friends is clearly supportive of one another and represents a celebration of female friendship. Over the course of the novel, what are some examples of their bond? Why do you think female friendship is so important to Astra? Do you agree or disagree? Why?

In the novel, Astra initially chooses to leave her friends, job, and family to join Jack in the Julemarked, but changes her mind at the last minute. What do you think of her flip-flopping? Given a similar choice, would you choose to live with your true love in a magical place where you would age slowly and your dog would live much longer or stay with your sometimes frustrating job, annoying ex-husband, and fantastic friends and family?

It isn’t until Astra remembers all of her past encounters with Jack and the Julemarked that she decides (at least for a while) that she is going to leave with him. What about her remembering pushed her to that decision? Do you think those memories were crucial, or should she have been able to make a decision without them?

Nowadays, libraries are so much more than a place to check out books. Many have unexpected items in their circulation, like paintings, portable Wi-Fi, zoo passes, and even kayaks. In addition, they offer programs for all ages of patrons, story hours, after-school programs, and so much more. A librarian is trained to help patrons find the resources they need, whether in a book or on the internet, and offer services that will best support their community. (Visit your local library to find out about their offerings.) How do you think Astra’s work as a library director reflects her character?

In Once Upon a December, you see Astra and Jack’s love story unfold in two timelines. How did learning about their past encounters affect your understanding of the present-day meetings? Did it change your understanding of events?