...the hardest thing to do as a teacher.
This site is for high school kids, but has good framework for basic questions to ask about a novel.
1. Show how the title signifies the purpose and theme of the work (such as A Lesson Before Dying) rather than simply its subject (such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer). Avoid mere plot summary.
2. Explain how the full presentation of a complex and important character who – on the basis of the character’s actions alone – might be considered evil or immoral, makes the reader react more sympathetically than he or she otherwise might.
3. Some novels seem to advocate changes in social and political attitudes or in traditions. Note briefly the particular attitudes or traditions that the author apparently wishes to modify. Then analyze the techniques the author uses to influence the reader’s views.
4. Show how an inanimate object (e.g., a seashell, a handkerchief, a painting) is important and how two or three of the purposes the object serves are related to one another.
5. Select a quote that reflects a significant moment, and discuss the significance of the quote to the overall plot.
6. Many novels contrast places to represent opposing forces or ideas that are central to the meaning of the work. Explain how the places differ, what each place represents, and how their contrast contributes to the meaning of the work.