Free discussion guide

The brilliant Lemba isn’t the boy with the cellphone.

But early on, my hero could well be. You’ll root for him, his rumba-prodigy sister, and others in Drone Child. Along the way, consider the backdrop.

Horrors from Africa’s barbaric white colonizers linger on. But Child is far less about race than about war, family, technology, morality, and the related interplay.

To encourage thoughtful discussion, I have created a free guide for book clubs, schools, and libraries. Read it online or download the PDF, or editable Word file. Also see the blog on this site. I’ve posted video links and recent news.

Much of the bloodshed is over mineral resources used for cellphones, electric cars, and many other purposes. The Democratic Republic of the Congo—a country both blessed and cursed by its riches! Child is fiction. But many chilling details come from real life. Learn more in the book’s Author’s Note.

The discussion guide was vetted by Congolese fact-checkers and prepared in consultation with a long-time teacher. - D.R.