Growing Book by Book
Table Topics
Conversation Starters to Get Your Kids Talking at
the Table!
Jodie Rodriguez- Growing Book by Book
http://growingbookbybook.com
January: What If…
*What if everybody at this table committed to do a kind act this
week?
*What if you went outside and everything had turned blue?
*What if there were no cars?
*What if you found the tree outside was growing money instead of
leaves?
*What if you became President of the United States?
*What if a snowstorm happened tonight?
*What if you stayed the same age you were now for the rest of your
life?
*What if Martin Luther King, Jr. were still alive today?
*What if it started to rain orange juice and toast?
*What if every day was a snow day?
*What if all the animals escaped from the zoo?
*What if we ran out of toilet paper?
*What if it never got dark outside?
*What if basketballs didn’t bounce?
*What if there were no televisions?
*What if you lost the sense of smell for a week?
*What if all the letter b’s turned into p’s?
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*What if you were a superhero?
*What if bikes could fly?
*What if you could take a trip anywhere in the world?
*What if babies could talk when they are born?
*What if your clothes grew as you grew?
*What if you could be in the Olympics?
*What if you planted a seed outside your window at night and it grew
all the way to the sky the next day?
*What if porcupines had feathers instead of spiny needles?
*What if you were seven feet tall?
*What if you could see through walls?
*What if you found a hidden door in this room?
*What if we had tails?
*What if you could have any wish you wanted?
*What if books came alive?
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February: All About the USA
*Which three states have the shortest names? (Ohio, Iowa and Utah)
*If you could visit Disneyland in California or Disneyworld in Florida,
which one would you choose? Why?
*Which state is the smallest and which is the largest? (Rhode Island
and Alaska)
*What state would you love to visit? Why?
*How many states border Missouri? Which ones border the state? (8Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, Arkansas, Tennessee, Nebraska, Kentucky and
Oklahoma)
*Alabama was the home to George Washington Carver. Carver
discovered over 300 uses for peanuts.
Houston, Austin, San Antonio and Dallas are all cities in which state?
(Texas)
*Did you know that the largest underground cave in the USA can be
found in Kentucky? It’s the Mammoth-Flint Cave System.
*Name three states on the east coast. (14. And they are from north to
south; Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island,
Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia,
North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. These are the
states that actually touch the Atlantic Ocean.)
*Which state is an island? (Hawaii)
*What states have you visited?
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*Did you know that Louisiana has the largest crayfish population in the
world? 98% of the crayfish come from Louisiana.
*Topeka is the capital of which state? (Kansas)
*July 4, 1776 is the official date of the birth of our country.
*Which state is the only state in the lower 48 that touches only one
other state? (Maine)
*According to the U.S. Geological Survey, there are 140 towns and
cities in the U.S. that have the word “Christmas” in their names.
*What is the longest continuous river in the USA (Mississippi River)
*Did you know that the Olympics have been held in the USA eight
times? 1904 Summer Olympics – St. Louis, 1932 Winter Olympics –
Lake Placid , 1932 Summer Olympics – Los Angeles , 1960 Winter
Olympics – Squaw Valley, 1980 Winter Olympics – Lake Placid, 1984
Summer Olympics – Los Angeles, 1996 Summer Olympics – Atlanta ,
2002 Winter Olympics – Salt Lake City
*Which state can Mount Rushmore be found in? (South Dakota)
*Which state is known as the “Land of Lincoln”? (Illinois)
*How many states start with the letter C? (3- Connecticut, Colorado
and California)
*What state were you born in?
*Can you find 3 states that touch the Pacific Ocean?
*Did you know that Wisconsin is the dairy capital of the USA?
*Which state is a peninsula? (Florida)
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*What are the two states that have their names in their capital cities
too? (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Indianapolis, Indiana)
*If you traveled from a state on east coast to a state on the west
coast, what route would you take?
*Name the eight states that start with a vowel and end with a vowel?
(Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Indiana, Iowa, Idaho, Ohio and Oklahoma)
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March: Name as many things as you can that…
*Name as many things as you can that begin with the letter M.
*Name as many things as you can that can roll.
*Name as many things as you can that have numbers on them.
*Name as many things as you can that are made out of wood.
*Name as many things as you can that make noise.
*Name as many things as you can that can float.
*Name as many things as you can think of that come in pairs.
*Name as many things as you can that can be read.
*Name as many things as you can that can hop.
*Name as many things as you can that are green.
*Name all the kind gestures that you can think of doing.
*Name as many things as you can that can be found at the zoo.
*How many different kinds of fruits can you name?
*How many story ideas can you think of?
*Name all the things you can do in the spring time.
*Name as many things as you can that end with the letter D.
*Name as many things as you can that can rot.
*Name as many things as you can that flash.
*Name as many things as you can that can be found at a park.
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*Name as many things as you can that have hair.
*How many different sea animals can you name?
*Name as many things as you can that begin with the letter R.
*Name as many things as you can that you are thankful for.
*How many book titles can you name?
*How many boys’ names can you think of?
*Name as many things as you can that can be found in a school.
*Name as many things as you can that live underground.
*Name as many things as you can that are heavy.
*Name as many things as you can that you can recycle.
*Name as many things as you can that begin with the letter G.
*Name as many things as you can that bend.
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April: Jokes and Riddles
This month’s topic starters have been taken from the following funny books: The Everything Kids’
Joke Book by Michael Dahl, A Joke a Day illustrated by Martin Chatterton and Tony Trimmer Oh,
How Waffle! by Judith Mathews and Fay Robinson and Ha! Ha! Ha! Over 350 Very Funny Jokes
illustrated by Tim Archbold, Mik Brown and Tania Hurt-Newton
*When do monkeys fall from the sky? During Ape-ril showers
*Why are elephants wrinkled all over? Because they don’t fit on an
ironing board
*What did the surgeon remove from her salad? The kidney beans
*What is a skeleton’s favorite musical instrument? A trombone
*If we breathe oxygen during the day, what do we breathe at night?
Nitrogen
*What did the princess say while she waited for her photos to come
back from the store? “Someday my prints will come!”
*What was the tortoise doing on the freeway? About 150 inches an
hour
*What is the most important thing to put into brownies? Your teeth
*Knock knock. Who’s there? Ira. Ira who? Ira member you, why don’t
you remember me?
*What day to fish hate? Fry-day
*Why do elephants do well in school? Because they have a lot of gray
matter.
*How do you keep spaghetti from sliding off your plate? Use tomato
paste
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*What color is a kitten’s meow? Purr-ple
*What did the puppy say when it sat on sandpaper? “Ruff”
*Knock knock. Who’s there? Mr. Mr. Who? Missed her at the bus
stop.
*My room is so small…the ceiling gets dusted whenever I comb my hair.
*What did the octopus have for lunch? A peanut butter and jellyfish
sandwich.
*Knock knock. Who’s there? Olive. Olive who? Olive you, do you love
me?
*What do you call a cow that eats your grass? A lawn moo-er!
*Why shouldn’t you tell jokes in the kitchen? Because the dishes might
crack up
*Knock knock. Who’s there? Rita. Rita who? Rita good book lately?
*Who advises the kitchen president? The cabinet
*What do you called a tired tent? A sleepy teepy
*What’s a fish who works in the operating room? A sturgeon surgeon
*Have you heard the joke about the watermelon? It’s pitiful
*What’s a frightened pet bird? A scary canary
*Lulu ate something for dinner. First, she threw away the outside and
cooked the inside. Then she ate the outside and threw away the inside.
What was it? Corn on the cob
*Why couldn’t the astronauts land on the moon? Because it was full
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*What do you get when you cross a snowstorm and a cornfield?
Cornflakes
*What do polar bears have for lunch? Ice-burgers
*What bee can never be understood? A mumble-bee
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May: Storytelling
*I was dancing so fast it felt like the floor was moving. Suddenly…
*There once was a noisy little puppy…
*A long time ago, there lived a grumpy dinosaur…
*One day I found a tree covered in quarters. So I…
*When I woke up this morning, my room was filled with…
*Our school has a talking water fountain. Today it said…
*I heard a noise under our porch. When I looked out, I saw two…
*Once upon a time in a far-away land…
*My best friend and I were digging in the yard and we found …
*Yesterday, my friend did the nicest thing. He…
*My doorbell rang. When I opened the door, there were three talking
bears looking at me…
*I planted a seed in the ground that grew into a pumpkin. When I cut
the top off out jumped…
*Last night I had the strangest dream…
*When I looked out the kitchen window, everything I saw was purple.
So I…
*There once was a silly monkey and a talkative elephant who escaped
from the zoo…
*Last night my dad found a mysterious package in our yard…
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*When I looked up into the sky, I was surprised to see…
*Once upon a time deep in the ocean there lived a family of…
*My mom just announced that…
*Today my friend and I are going to build a…
*Once upon a time there lived a fairy princess…
*I was jumping on my bed. I went so high into the air and…
*My next door neighbor’s dog can do the strangest trick. She can…
*One day I got a package in the mail. It was tied with yellow and blue
ribbon. Inside was the strangest thing you’ve ever seen. It looked
like…
*I opened a book and the mouse in the story waved at me. I waved
backed. Then in the blink of an eye, I was…
*Under my bed lived a family of…
*Today I get to ride in my brother’s time traveling machine. I think I’ll
go…
*My mom just called to tell me that she had a special surprise for me.
She said it was…
*We were making gingerbread men. When I opened the oven door…
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June: All About Food
*Name as many foods or dishes as you can think of that start with S.
*The first fruit eaten on the moon was a peach.
*One ear of corn contains about 800 kernels of corn.
*Unlike most fruits, pears ripen best off the tree.
*Orange doesn’t rhyme with any other word.
*It takes 12 honeybees to produce one tablespoon of honey.
*The first carrots were white, purple and yellow.
*Hawaii is the leading producer of bananas.
*Did you know that asparagus makes your pee smell?
*Rice is a staple food for more than half of the world’s population.
*Name as many vegetables as you can think of.
*Thomas Jefferson had 19 varieties of lettuce growing in his garden.
*The most popular cookie in America is the chocolate chip cookie.
*Cherries are a member of the rose family.
*Native Americans used berries as fabric dyes.
*It takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup.
*Potatoes are only 20% solids and 80% water.
*It takes 24-26 hours for a hen to produce an egg.
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*The longest cucumber on record was 36 inches. That’s as long as a
yardstick.
*Fast food restaurants decorate with red, yellow and orange because
they are the colors that stimulate hunger.
*Lemons contain more sugar than strawberries.
*The state of California supplies almost all the broccoli in the entire
United States.
*Bananas are a great source of potassium. Potassium helps build
muscle power and keep your body fluids in balance.
*In America, anchovies always rank last as a preferred pizza topping.
*Strawberries are the only fruit that have seeds on the outside.
*Is a tomato a fruit or vegetable? (fruit)
*Apples are 25% air which is why they float in water.
*Almost 80% of the commercials aired on Saturday mornings are for
junk food!
*Seaweed is used to thicken ice cream.
*A horn worm can eat an entire tomato plant in one day all by itself.
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July: What would you do if…
* What would you do if you found a treasure at the beach?
* What would you do if everything outside turned purple?
* What would you do if the characters in the book you were reading
came to life?
* What would you do if you found a $100 dollar bill?
* What would you do if you could change anything in the world?
* What would you do if you got a new pet?
* What would you do if you woke up with a superpower?
* What would you do if you had the opportunity to cheer up a group of
children less fortunate than you?
* What would you do if a stranger asked you go with them somewhere?
* What would you do if the moon came out during the day and sun came
out at night?
* What would you do if your family told you that you were in charge of
picking this year’s family vacation?
* What would you do if you could pick any place in the world to live?
Where would you pick?
* What would you do if the cashier at the store gave you $5 too much
change?
* What would you do if you climbed a tree but then could not find a
way to climb back down?
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* What would you do if your family gave up watching tv for a week?
* What would you do if you got to design your own playground?
* What would you do if you overheard someone saying that they were
going to fight someone else?
* What would you do if you found a lost puppy or kitten?
* What would you do if you saw a friend take something that didn’t
belong to them?
* What would you do if you were playing and your mom told you it was
time to clean-up?
* What would you do if you could swap places with anyone in the world?
Who would you pick? Why?
* What would you do if you could start a collection? What would you
collect?
* What would you do if school didn’t start until December this year?
* What would you do if you had a magic tree house?
* What would you do if you were riding your bike and could not find
your way home?
* What would you do if you found a $10 dollar bill on the sidewalk?
* What would you do if you saw someone your age being bullied?
* What would you do if you were the president?
* What would you do if all the food in your house was frozen?
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* What would you do if all the trees in your neighborhood started
growing oranges?
* What would do if three little kittens showed up at your front door?
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August: Guess what I am…
*I grow on a tree. I have a pit. I am juicy and sweet. Guess what I
am. (peach)
*I have four legs and a long neck. You might see me at a zoo or in
Africa. Guess what I am. (giraffe)
*I’m bright and hot. I live in the sky. Don’t try to look directly at me.
You don’t see me at night. Guess what I am. (sun)
*My name starts with the letter “t” and ends with the letter “t”. I’m
even filled with “t”. Guess what I am. (teapot)
*I’m a 2-digit number. I’m less than 8 +5. I’m more than 7 + 3. I’m
odd. Guess what number I am. (11)
*I am a farm animal. I can be brown, black or white. I give you milk.
My young are called a calf. Guess what I am. (cow)
*I’m made of milk. You might find me in your refrigerator. I’m full of
holes. I taste good on a sandwich. Guess what I am. (Swiss cheese)
*I have black and white keys. My sound is beautiful. You use your
hands to play me. Guess what I am. (piano, organ, or accordion)
*You might see me after a rain shower on a sunny day. People like to
take pictures of my pretty colors. Some think you find a pot of gold at
the end of me. Guess what I am. (rainbow)
*I have two daughters. I live in a big white house. The country voted
for me to lead the United States of America. Guess who I am.
(President Barack Obama)
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*I grow underground. My body is brown and my inside is white. You
might like to mash me or fry me. Guess what I am. (potato)
*You use me to scoop dirt, snow or sand. I have a handle. Guess what I
am. (shovel)
*I am a small creature that you usually find by ponds. My young are
called tadpoles. Guess what I am. (frog)
*I use a long track. I carry heavy loads. I travel all across the
country. Guess what I am. (train)
*I’m greater than 40 and less than 50. My ones digit is the same
number of sides you find on a triangle. Guess what number I am. (43)
*I’m a fruit that grows on a tree. I’m full of vitamin C. My color is the
same as my name. Guess what I am. (orange)
*I hiss. I can be poisonous. I am long with a forked tongue. Guess
what I am (snake)
*You might find me in a dark closet. I have a tongue. I also have laces.
You wear me on your foot. Guess what I am. (shoe)
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September: If you could be…
*If you could be an animal at the zoo, which animal would you choose?
Why?
*If you could make three wishes for tomorrow, what would they be?
*If you could pick where your family will go on their next vacation,
where would you pick?
*If you could pick any age to be, what age would you pick? Why?
*If you could be a dog or a cat, which would you pick? Why?
*If you could have any job in the world, what job would you pick?
*If you could stay up all night, what would you do?
*If you could make dinner tomorrow night, what would you make?
*If you could help someone in need, who would it be?
*If you could talk to the President of the United States of America,
what would you say?
*If you could buy any book for yourself, which book would you choose?
*If you could travel to outer space, would you go? Why?
*If you could be any age you wanted, what age would you pick and why?
*If you could be famous, what would you like to be famous for?
*If you could choose to do something fun tomorrow, what would you
choose to do?
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*If you could make the world a more peaceful place, how would you
start?
*If you could have lunch with 3 characters from children’s books, who
would you pick?
*If you could have a super power, which power would you like to have?
*If you could be any color, what color would you be? Why?
*If you could be an author or illustrator, which would you choose and
why?
*If you could live in Antarctica, would you?
*If you could only buy three things at the grocery store, what items
would you choose?
*If you could be a principal, what rules would you change at school?
*If you could be a river or an ocean, which would you rather be? Why?
*If you could interview your favorite author, who would you choose and
what would you ask?
*If you could play a musical instrument, what instrument would you
select?
*If you could be invisible for a day, would you do it?
*If you could be an ice cream flavor, what would it be?
*If you could meet anyone from history, who would you meet and why?
*If you could be a professional at any sport, what would it be?
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October: Fun facts about animals
*You have 20 teeth when you are a baby and 32 teeth when you grow
up. They also stop growing, but do you know a rabbit’s teeth never stop
growing?
*Like a human’s fingerprint no two reindeer antlers are exactly the
same.
*Sharks do not have a single bone in their bodies. Instead they have a
skeleton made up of cartilage; the same type of tough, flexible tissue
that makes up human ears and noses.
*Normally animals have pink tongues, but Giraffes have black tongues.
*Pandas spend around 12 hours a day eating bamboo.
*Walruses are grey or brown but turn a pinkish color as they age.
*Cicada is the loudest insect in the world.
*Elephants have the largest brain of any mammal; their brains weigh an
average of 11 pounds.
*Flying Squirrels don’t actually fly. They extend their arms and legs
and leap and glide from tree to tree.
*For every human in the world, there are one million ants.
*In the wild, lions rest for around 20 hours a day
*A polar bear’s fur is not white. Each hair is clear hollow tube. Polar
bears look white because each hollow hair reflects the light.
*Zebras are ungulates. Ungulates are hoofed animals. Can you name
some more ungulates?
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*A flamingo can only eat when it’s head is upside down.
*Instead of drinking water, frogs soak it into their body through their
skin.
*Flies do not grow. They are born full size.
*Hummingbirds are the only types of birds that can fly backwards.
*Pigs are smarter than dogs! In fact pigs are very intelligent animals.
They are the fourth smartest animal on the planet.
*Mosquitos are attracted to the color blue twice as much as to any
other color.
*A gorilla can live for 40 – 50 years.
*Do you think cows bite grass off the ground, the answer is no! Rather
they curl their tongues around it and pull!
*A rat can last longer without water than a camel.
*No penguins live in the North Pole!
*Cats have powerful night vision, allowing them to see at light levels six
times lower than what a human needs in order to see.
*All polar bears are left pawed.
*Female dolphins are called cows, males are called bulls and young
dolphins are called calves.
*Do you know that 12 honeybees have to spend their whole lives to
make a teaspoon of honey!
*Bats always turn left when exiting a cave.
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*Did you know that a Koala Bear isn’t a bear at all but a marsupial? A
marsupial is animal with a pouch.
*The hair that makes up a giraffes tail is about 10 times thicker than
the average strand of human hair.
*The hippopotamus can survive underwater for up to 30 minutes
without having to come up for air.
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November: Gratitude
*Today, I’m most thankful for…
*Name someone in your life who has done something nice for you.
*If you were going to send someone a thank you card today, who would
you give it to? Why?
*Take each letter in the word- THANKS and name something or
someone that you are grateful for that begins with each letter.
*If you were throwing a thank you party, who would be on your guest
list? Why?
*I’m so happy to have ______________ in my life.
*Tell the person to your left, one thing you are thankful/grateful for
about them.
*I would like to thank ___________ for ____________.
*Which book are you most thankful for reading?
*Did you notice anyone say thank you today?
*How many times do you think you said, “thank you” today?
*I’m grateful for…
*Which of the five senses are you most thankful for?
*Close your eyes for a moment and think of a beautiful thought. Would
you like to share what you were thinking?
*What could we do to show a teacher that we are grateful for all that
they do for kids?
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*Tomorrow, I think I will thank _______________ for all that they
do.
*What wonderful thing happened in your life today?
*Do your friends show gratitude to others?
*In which career field do you think workers are not thanked enough?
Why?
*How do you feel when someone says thank you to you?
*Tell the person sitting to your right, one thing you are
thankful/grateful for about them.
*Who is someone in your life that you don’t thank enough?
*What would be a fun way to show a firefighter how thankful we are
for the job they do?
*Why is it important to be grateful for things and people in your life?
*How do you feel when you say thank you to someone for doing
something nice?
*Why do you think it is important to be grateful?
*Who did you thank today?
*Three things I’m thankful for today are…
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December: Memories
*What act of kindness did you do this year that you always want to
remember?
*My favorite thing I did with _____________ was…
*The best thing about my birthday this year was…
*One of the best books I read this year was…
*The best meal I had this year was…
*The most fun I had this year was when…
*My favorite subject to study this year was…
*I’m so proud that…
*I really like my relative_____________because…
*My favorite age that I’ve ever been was _______because…
*This year I learned to….
*One of my favorite pictures of my family is from…
*My favorite month this year was________because…
*I hope I never forget that…
*My favorite song of the year was…
*I really wish that _____________didn’t happen this year.
*The silliest thing I ever remember doing as a baby or toddler was…
*One thing I did with my friends this year was…
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*The neatest thing I discovered this year was…
*I laughed so hard when…
*My favorite thing to do outside this year was…
*I loved when my mom…
*Something I would like to do again is…
*My favorite show or movie I watched this year was…
*I will always remember our trip or vacation to ____________
because…
*The neatest thing I made this year was…
*Something that made me cry this year was…
*My favorite game to play this year was…
*What are you most thankful for this year?
*My favorite place near our house to visit this year was…
*The best thing that happened to my family this year was…
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