Beyond the Mystery: A Discussion Guide on Bias and Media Literacy for Smoke & Mirrors
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
For educators and book club leaders looking to challenge their middle-grade readers, Smoke & Mirrors offers more than just a captivating mystery. The protagonist Andy initially hates his new home after his father’s arrest. The questions prejudice and serves as a powerful example of the struggle between truth and belief. While solving a decades-old cold case involving a vanishing magician, Andy is forced to explore -- and endure -- how prejudice and assumptions can distort reality and cause real, tangible harm as a result.
To aid classrooms and book clubs, I've created a comprehensive presentation that acts as a discussion guide about the relationship between truth and belief, as well as examining how this appears in our everyday lives. From where we get our news to what advice we take, this core conflict between truth and belief arises nearly everywhere.
Tension Point: Fact vs Feeling
At the heart of the book is the distinction between something being True (acting in accordance with reality) and a Belief (an acceptance that something exists based on trust or faith).
The presentation highlights several ways our "truth" is shaped, which are excellent starting points for classroom debates:
External Inputs: Information from friends, parents, or news sources.
Modern Media: The influence of platforms like TikTok, Instagram, etc.
Internal Compass: What your "gut" says versus what you learn in school.
Question: How does Prejudice and Bias Frame our Views?
A core question in the novel is: "How much of the truth is what you can get people to believe?".
The story illustrates that while we cannot alter what is objectively true, our beliefs shape what information we're willing to pay attention to. Importantly, Smoke & Mirrors shows these beliefs aren't always victimless. While believing Monday is better than Wednesday is a simple preference, believing it is "okay" to harm others—or assuming someone's guilt based on their background—causes real damage. Where is the line, and how do we prepare students and ourselves to be actively aware of how bias shows up in our lives.
Why is truth so hard to agree on?
Smoke & Mirrors explores four main barriers that make determining the truth difficult, even when it seems like it should be obvious:
Scientific Advancements: Facts evolving with new data.
Individual Belief Systems: Our personal "filters."
Access to Information: Who is able to access to "full story"?
Lived Experiences: How our past shapes our present.
Call-to-Action: Why Bias Awareness is Imperative for a Better Society
Andy’s journey centers on navigating the gap between how people view him versus how he views himself. Teachers and book clubs can use Andy’s growth to teach students that:
You are allowed to change your mind: Something new information changes what you think
Always question your own assumptions: you might be wrong.
Identity is a choice: You can choose how you view others, regardless of what "they say."
Get Started: Smoke & Mirrors Discussion Guide on "Understanding Truth vs Belief"
The following discussion guide is a starting point to an ongoing dialogue about how we can all be better stewards of information and hold each other and ourselves accountable to avoid perpetuating harmful bias.
Need to Order Smoke & Mirrors?
Smoke & Mirrors is available from all major retailers, including for purchase for your school library system or book club!
Rosalyn Ransaw is a children's author based in Columbus, OH. She graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in Political Science. At her day job, she is a Marketing Manager focused on all things social media and paid advertising.
When not writing, she loves to cry watching romantic comedies and eat her weight in buffalo chicken dip.
SMOKE & MIRRORS is her debut novel.
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