1. Reread this excerpt from the end of chapter 2:

              “Shelby okay?” he pressed.

               The ball hit the rim and bounced off. She’d missed a granny shot. “I’ll see you around,” Mae said, picking up                     her baseball gear.

               Hang on,” he called after her. “We don’t have to talk about it.” Jimmie Mac had forgotten the first rule of being                 Mae’s friend: don’t ask about her sister.

    Why do you think this is a rule in order to be Mae’s friend?

 

2. Even though Shelby can’t speak, she shows her personality. How would you describe Shelby to someone who hasn’t read Drive-Thru Miracle?

 

3. Mae loved to sit on the large rock at the river when things got scary for Shelby. Do you have a place you like to go to “escape”?

 

4. Mae says, “I get scared sometimes.” Davis responds by saying, “Everybody does. Fear seems to show up most when we put faith in the wrong things” (chapter 12). What do you think Davis means by this?

 

5. More than one character has a secret in this story. What are these secrets, and why do you think the characters keep them from others?

 

6. Mae thinks about her ninth birthday wish every day. The memory pops up; she pushes it down. Up. Down (chapters 3 and 15). What wish did Mae make on her ninth birthday? How does she feel about the wish?

 

7. What does Mae want her sister to know more than anything (chapter 3)? Why is it so important to Mae?

 

8. Mae’s family seems positive and even joyful in spite of their many challenges. Why do you think this is?

 

9. Do you think hope can change someone’s situation? Has hope ever changed a situation for you?

 

10. Some of the characters in the story change the assumptions they have of other characters. (Example: Mae’s daddy changed what he thought of Mae’s ability to take care of Shelby.) Can you think of any more examples?

 

11. Fannie shows love for many characters in the story. For example, she agrees to bake and decorate the anniversary cake for Mae’s parents for free even when she is facing financial difficulties? Why do you think she does this? Can you think of any more examples?

 

12. Why does Mae’s daddy refer to the contest between Fannie and Mrs. Weatherall as a David and Goliath match-up (chapter 19)?

 

13. Davis decides to help Fannie win the bake sale (chapter 23) even if it might cost him a second chance at a baseball career. Why do you think he changes his mind? Do you think the choice was hard for him?

 

14. If you could pick any character in the story to be your friend, who would you choose? Why?

 

15. In what ways does Mae change throughout Drive-Thru Miracle? What do you think is the cause for these changes?

 

16. Initially, Bubba doesn’t want anyone to know that he likes to bake. Why is that? Why does he finally agree to let others know? Is there something you like to do, but you think others might make fun of you if they knew about it?

 

17. Fannie and Bubba have a shared love of baking. Do you like to bake? What is your favorite thing to bake or eat that is baked by someone else?

 

18. Preacher Floyd’s son died in a horrible accident. How would you answer the question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”

 

19. There are times in the story when it seems that Mae has lost her faith. For example, in chapter 1 Mae talks about her sister: Mae decided then that praying didn’t work and there wasn’t any use in hoping things could be different. And in chapter 9, when Mae sees that the Donut Hole has been sold, and she says: “Stupid prayer! All it does is get your hopes up,” she said. “Nothing’s ever gonna change.”  Why do you think she’s lost faith in prayer? Does that change by the end of the story? Have you ever struggled with your faith?

 

20. What is the miracle (or miracles) in Drive-Thru Miracle? Have you ever witnessed or asked for a miracle? What happened?