1. Some reviewers have argued that the Austins are too good to be true. Do the Austins seem like a real family to you? What incidents from Meet the Austins support your opinion?

2. What values do Dr. and Mrs. Austin consider important? How do they teach these values to their children? What incidents in the book demonstrate the importance of these values?

3. Speaking of "the terrible week," Vicky says, "I don't suppose we'll ever know why it happened, why we were so awful and not the way we like to think of ourselves." How do the Austins like to think of themselves? What reasons can you suggest for their failure to live up to this definition? Can you find a situation in your own life when you had thought of yourself in one way but acted in another? Analyze the reasons...