The boy's friend told him that Santa doesn't exist, but the boy continues to believe. Think of a time in your own life that you have experienced this situation. How does it feel to keep firm when other people tell you you are wrong?

Notice how Van Allsburg adds to his descriptions of the train ride to the North Pole by comparing one thing to another (give some examples). How does this kind of descriptive language add to the story for you?

The boy can ask Santa Claus for anything in the world. Why do you think he chooses a simple bell?

Why can the boy still hear the bell as an adult, while his sister and friends cannot?

What do you think Van Allsburg wants the bell to represent?

Imagine you are able to go on a magical journey like the boy. Where do you go? How do you get there? How are you changed by the experience?

The boy chooses a simple, meaningful gift over a fancy gift that is meaningless. Think of someone you love very much. What kind of gift could you give that person that would mean as much as the boy's bell? It doesn't have to be a real object.