Tools & Testimonials for Teachers & Librarians

  • "This is the story educators are looking for to keep students engaged while teaching valuable reading skills. My students couldn’t wait to read each day and most importantly they learned about friendship, nature, and being a hero."

    — Michael Cocheo, Grade 3 Teacher, Parsippany-Troy Hills Township, New Jersey

  • "It is unlike anything I have ever read – but this oddness is likely to endear it to many readers both young and old. I suspect it would also be great fun to read aloud."

    — Stephen Dilley, English teacher in Reading, England

  • "The themes of friendship, freedom, and teamwork, expressed through beautiful prose, made The Eyes & the Impossible the perfect choice for our Community Book Read. Everyone from TK students to 6th graders, to our adult staff, found a connection to Johannes and his lively collection of friends."

    — Jen Cannon, Kindergarten Teacher, Sonoma Mountain Elementary Charter School, Petaluma, California

Here we’ll be offering lesson plans and other tools teachers and librarians can use in their classrooms and libraries. Feel free to send your own to India Claudy at india@thehawkinsproject.org

To inquire about a school visit with Dave Eggers: Dave’s favorite thing is to correspond with classrooms via the USPS. Reach him at 849 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA 94110. Occasionally he can visit Bay Area schools, in small settings. If you are a Bay Area school and want to discuss a casual visit, write to India Claudy at india@thehawkinsproject.org. Other speaking queries should be directed to Trinity Ray at the Tuesday Agency, trinity@tuesdayagency.com.

This guide was written by Nancy J. Johnson, literacy consultant and professor emerita in children’s and young adult literature at Western Washington University.

Reading Guide

Pre-Reading

  1. Look at the cover of this novel. What do you notice? Pay attention to colors, setting, even characters. Now pay attention to the title, The Eyes & the Impossible. What do you think this book might be about?

  2. Have you ever read or heard a story told from an animal’s point of view? Or maybe you’ve seen a movie where animals were the main characters and humans either did not exist or played only a minor role. Why might an author include animals as main characters? Why would they use an animal to narrate the story?

  3. In this book you will come across the term “Keeper of the Equilibrium.” The word equilibrium means balance, stability, steadiness. Do you know anyone who exhibits these qualities? Who is a “Keeper of Equilibrium” in your life, and how do they help keep things steady?

Discussion Questions

  1. Johannes is extremely fast and he knows it, and sometimes even boasts about his skill. He is also quite masterful when describing this ability. He never says he simply ran. Instead, he treats the reader to visual, sometimes poetic descriptions of his speed (“You have never seen speed like mine. When I run I pull at the earth and make it turn.” p. 12). Make a list of the many ways Johannes describes his speed and his skill.

  2. Johannes is a dog of many talents. In addition to his speed, his eyesight is exceptional. He is also a skilled planner and problem solver. And he is very perceptive. Pay close attention to Johannes’s words of wisdom, which are woven throughout the book. For example, at the beginning of chapter 20, he says, “If there are troubles in your mind, you should think first of the troubles of others; it is the essence of liberation.” (p. 127) As you read, record some of his advice in your notebook and cite the page number where it appears.

  3. In this novel, you may encounter some unfamiliar vocabulary. The author uses these words to tell a vibrant, richly descriptive story. At the top of a new page in your reader’s notebook, write “Wonder Words.” As you come across any unfamiliar or interesting words—words you wonder about—jot them down in your notebook, along with the corresponding page number. If the context helps you make a smart guess about the definition, write it next to the word. Use this opportunity to expand your vocabulary and appreciate the author’s belief in your ability to discover, enjoy, and learn sophisticated vocabulary.

Post-Reading

  1. This book features some important and serious topics, such as loyalty, the value of friendship, remaining committed to a plan, and the fear of being leashed or caged. But the author also uses a lot of humor. Find some humorous places in this book. What makes them funny? What do you think was the purpose of the humor? Choose one specific incident or scene that was humorous. Read it aloud to a classmate and explain why it was funny and what you think Dave Eggers’s purpose was for including humor at that point in the story.

  2. In addition to humor, The Eyes & the Impossible also includes tension where worrisome events or situations occur. Where is there tension in this story? Choose a specific incident that felt tense. What was happening? How did the characters feel? How did you feel? Why do you think this scene was in the book?

  3. Revisit your list of Johannes’s words of wisdom. Select one quote that feels particularly important or inspiring. Share your selected quote either with a partner or in a small group and explain how it is important to the book as well as to your life or the world we are living in.

Extension Questions & Activities

  1. Since Johannes is the narrator of this book, we understand the story mainly from his perspective. What if another character told this story? Choose an incident in this book that might be intriguing to consider from another character’s perspective. What scene will you choose, and which character will relay what is happening? Rewrite that scene aiming to capture that character’s personality through what they think and say, what they observe, and how they tell the story. Remember, first-person point of view uses the pronouns I, we, my, and our.

  2. The Eyes & the Impossible is an open-ended story. Not all the details are wrapped up. Some readers find open endings satisfying. Other readers are curious to know more. How do you feel about the ending? If the story continued, what do you think might happen next? Write a follow-up chapter that occurs many years later. Tell it from Johannes’s or Bertrand’s point of view in their new environment or tell it from Sonja’s perspective. What adventures will she experience as the Eye?

  3. Shawn Harris has created unique illustrations for the cover and interior of this novel. He selected ten classical landscape paintings, mostly from the 1800s, that he could access through open copyright. Then he painted Johannes into each one. Notice how he depicts Johannes running in each illustration. Are there any other scenes or settings in the story that deserve an illustration? Perhaps one that features another animal character?