Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Photographs first appear in the novel when Jacob discovers his grandfather’s collection, and more are later discovered in Miss Peregrine’s home.

• What role do photographs play in the reader’s understanding of the events in the book? (topic sentence)
• Explain how the photographs used by Abraham impact the way the reader understands the novel; then explain how the additional photos at Miss Peregrine’s home add to the reader’s perception.
• In your concluding sentences, explain whether the photographs add to the narrative or detract from it.

2. The novel has religious elements that pervade Jacob’s narrative.

• What religious components or allusions appear in the novel? (topic sentence)
• Explain the concept of faith that Jacob experiences, how religious attitudes connect to the setting of World War II, and how the peculiar children tie into Jacob’s beliefs.